We specialise in developing environment-controlled pods that create ideal conditions for plants to grow on Earth and in space. Our solutions are used from sustainable farming and biodiversity conservation on Earth to astronaut life-support and food production in space.
The company was founded in September 2018 by entrepreneur Barbara Belvisi and now encompasses a team of over 30 engineers, scientists, and designers. The company raised $7M in funding from angels and VCs. Interstellar Lab is currently located in Ivry Sur Seine, FRANCE (2500m2 facility) and Cape Canaveral, USA. We have contracts with NASA and ESA to grow plants in Low Earth Orbit, Deep Space and Lunar surface. On Earth, we sell autonomous greenhouses called BioPod to large natural ingredients companies and cosmetic brands to grow efficiently high-value plants.
Our solution for sustainable farming on Earth is called BioPod. Inspired by space, designed for Earth. It is an autonomous sealed greenhouse of 55m2. It does not require any foundation, it is sealed and just needs access to power. It autonomously creates any type of climate and adapts to environmental conditions based on plants’ needs. No water nor soil pollution. By adapting temperature, light, CO2 level, nutrient solutions and humidity, we have been able to increase secondary metabolites production in cosmetic and medicinal plants. We are also growing endangered species offering them a unique shelter so they can grow on Earth.
We currently have three solutions to grow plants in space.
The first one is NUCLEUS we developed for NASA. NUCLEUS is a modular bio-regenerative system that produces fresh microgreens, vegetables, mushrooms, and insects, providing a nutritious diet for long-term space missions. In 2021, it won Phase I of NASA Deep Space Food Challenge. In 2022, Interstellar Lab submitted the Phase II proposal.
The second one is backed by ESA. They are post-ISS modules for Space Station offering life-science capabilities in LEO. Interstellar Lab oversees plant growth systems.
The third one is a lunar deployable greenhouse adapted from terrestrial BioPod to the lunar environment in the context of the Artemis Program.
