An NC Space Grant Funded Project Goes to Space

The students in Dr. Rafael Loureiro’s astrobotany lab launched an experiment on the recent Blue Origin’s all-female mission.

Loureiro, head of the Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Astrobotany Lab, received a New Investigator award from NC Space Grant in 2018 which provided startup funding to establish the only astrobotany lab at a Historically Black College and University in the country. With additional NC Space Grant funding to make crucial NASA and Capitol Hill visits, Loureiro was able to establish a partnership with NASA Kennedy Space Center through a Space Act agreement with WSSU. Since then, the lab and the students have flourished.

See the adventure featured in US Black Engineer.