Three WSSU students to witness historic all-female Blue Origin space launch featuring their research
Three Winston-Salem State University students are preparing for a journey that’s out of this world – literally.
On April 14, Gabrielle Erwin, Anya Buckner and Sarah Lang will be in Texas to witness the launch of Blue Origin’s historic all-female space mission. While the trio will be watching from the ground, their scientific research will be soaring on board.
Blue Origin recently announced the date of its 11th human flight, NS-31, that will lift off from Launch Site One in West Texas. The mission includes rocket scientist, entrepreneur and global STEM trailblazer, Aisha Bowe, as well as Gayle King, Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyễn, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez.
Bowe is partnering with WSSU, one of the nation’s leading HBCUs, and Odyssey, WSSU’s space science and operations firm, to launch this groundbreaking suborbital space experiment aboard NS-31.
This experiment, led by WSSU Astrobotany students and researchers, will investigate how crop plants respond to microgravity at the molecular level, advancing sustainable space agriculture and food security on Earth.
It is part of an ongoing project at WSSU’s Astrobotany lab that aims to better understand how space conditions impact plant life, exploring how plants grow and behave beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
“It’s an incredible opportunity, especially since our lab is largely female-led,” said Erwin, a junior biology major. “And the flight is all women — which is just awesome.”
Erwin, who plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. with a focus on regenerative medicine and plant physiology, says she can’t wait to get the samples back post-mission and continue the work.
Anya Buckner, a senior, echoed that excitement: “This experience means everything to me. I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned from my labs and lectures to real-world research — and seeing our seedlings in space.”
Buckner, a pre-med student, hopes to become an emergency room physician or anesthesiologist.
For Sarah Lang, a senior biology major who will soon begin her master’s in cell and molecular biology at the Florida Institute of Technology, the launch represents the culmination of months of hard work.
“It’s exciting to see our plants go into space,” Lang said. “But I’m most excited for when they return — that’s when the real discovery begins.”
The Astrobotany lab is the only Space Plant Biology lab at an HBCU and is the only HBCU lab with a Space Act Agreement with NASA Kennedy Space Center Crop Production Team.
“This mission not only advances scientific discovery but also provides an unparalleled opportunity for our students to engage in real-world space research,” said Dr. Rafael Loureiro, associate professor of Botany and Plant Physiology, and founder of the Astrobotany Lab at WSSU.
“By participating in this suborbital flight experiment with Aisha, our students gain hands-on experience that will help shape the future of astrobotany, space exploration and sustainable food production beyond Earth,” Loureiro said.
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Gabrielle Erwin
Sarah Lang
