Herbert College of Agriculture students design experiments to test growing conditions in space
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — If people traveled to Mars or other destinations in space, would they be able to grow plants for food? Herbert College of Agriculture students hope the answer comes from their experiment chosen to fly on the International Space Station.
Students Devin Vitello and Nathan Tucker created a winning proposal for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program in spring 2025 while taking a space research class taught by Kellie Walters, associate professor of plant sciences. Their experiment focuses on seed germination and plant stress responses during space travel. The experiment was included in the SpaceX launch on October 13.
“This has been an amazing opportunity for our students to be inspired, think outside of the box and apply their knowledge to solve problems on earth and beyond,” Walters said.
The university was part of four communities participating in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program in spring 2025, and a review board selected one experiment from each community. The two other Herbert projects received honorable mention.
The experiment by Vitello and Tucker will look at the impact of space travel on seeds and how to mitigate potential damage. Seeds for vegetables such as lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli and tomatoes were sent to the ISS to help determine which might be best suited for space travel and which may need more protection.
Additionally, the space program also includes outreach across the state in the form of a mission patch design competition. For this competition, two mission patch design competitions were run, one for middle and high schoolers across Tennessee and one for undergraduates at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Isabella Srdanov from L&N STEM Academy in Knoxville won the middle/high school competition, and Lila Gsanger, an undergraduate student studying graphic design at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, won the undergraduate competition. Both of their designs also are on the way to the International Space Station.
For more information about the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, visit the program website.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.