Can we grow fresh food in space? Astrobotanist Jess Bunchek takes us inside her work at DLR, from Antarctica to advanced aeroponics, revealing how space farming could transform life both off-world and here on Earth.
Susan Wise: Welcome to Stars Launch Pod: Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I’m your host, Susan Wise, and I’m thrilled to have with us today Jess Bunchek, astrobotanist and PhD candidate at DLR. Basically, you’re a plant scientist, right?
Jess Bunchek: A very specialized plant scientist.
Susan Wise: I love it. Welcome to the program! Tell us more about you—and what exactly is DLR?
Jess Bunchek: I’ll start with the second question. DLR is the German Aerospace Center. The letters DLR come from the German acronym, and it functions as Germany’s space agency. I work at the Institute of Space Systems in northern Germany, in the city of Bremen.
Susan Wise: Wow, that’s exciting!
Jess Bunchek: I work here as one of the plant scientists. I help support crop integration and cultivation within the systems we develop.
Susan Wise: Is that a nursery behind you—with all the babies?
Jess Bunchek: We actually specialize in aeroponic systems here. Behind me is our laboratory, with all the pink LED lighting. You might see similar lighting in greenhouses, but here we test new crops in aeroponic systems. Hopefully, one day these crops can be grown in space or similar platforms. For now, we get to do the fun testing to see how to make it work.
Susan Wise: That’s exciting. So you’re really working on how to grow food in space, right?
Jess Bunchek: Yes—my focus is on optimizing how we grow crops. In particular, I study how to apply nutrient solution—basically, water mixed with fertilizer—to plants in aeroponic systems. I’m comparing different aeroponic setups to reduce water usage. Along the way, I realized there isn’t a standard way to compare these technologies, so my PhD research also looks at better monitoring methods for plant growth and hardware comparisons.
Susan Wise: And when you’re talking about water, do you mean in space—or here on Earth? And is it recycled water?
Jess Bunchek: Right now, we start with fresh water, add a specialized nutrient mix, and circulate it within our systems. Aeroponics, unlike hydroponics, doesn’t use soil. Instead, nozzles mist the nutrient solution directly onto the roots. Aeroponics is said to use even less water than hydroponics, though it has its challenges. We’re working on improving it so it can be adopted more widely, even in commercial agriculture.
Susan Wise: So it’s useful here on Earth too, not just in space.
Jess Bunchek: Exactly. My background is in agriculture, so when I moved into space research, I loved seeing how innovations from constrained environments can spin off to benefit terrestrial systems. Water conservation is a global issue, so the applications go both ways.
Susan Wise: Jess, what was your “aha” moment?
Jess Bunchek: That happened while I was overwintering in Antarctica a few years ago. I was working on an international collaboration between NASA, where I had been, and DLR, where I am now. We had a plant production facility at Germany’s Neumayer III Antarctic Station. Because of the climate, we couldn’t run pipes from the main station, so we had to manually transport water.
We first had to melt ice and compact snow to make water, then our engineers prepared it for use. From there, we measured nutrients, filled canisters, and hauled them by sled to the plant facility—no motor vehicles were allowed near it because of sensitive air pollution measurements.
The “aha” moment was realizing how much water and nutrients we were using and wasting—and how little recycling was happening. It made me think about how, back home, we rarely consider the true cost of water. Since then, I’ve been passionate about advancing closed-loop systems, wastewater treatment, and nutrient recovery—both for space and for agriculture on Earth.
Susan Wise: Quite a challenge. What’s been your biggest challenge personally, and how did you overcome it?
Jess Bunchek: Honestly, pursuing such an unconventional career path. I’ve been fortunate with timing and funding opportunities, but persistence and patience have been essential. Projects often take years from idea to reality. Antarctica, for example, started as a simple idea that grew into a funded international collaboration.
Now, after studying botany and agronomy, I’m doing my PhD in engineering to better understand the technology. It’s been about staying flexible, finding new approaches, and being patient while also a little lucky.
Susan Wise: You sound so excited—you light up when you talk about this. What one piece of advice would you share with our listeners?
Jess Bunchek: Understand that working in these environments pushes us to the limits of our knowledge—individually and collectively. My advice: know what puzzle piece you bring, build an international network, and don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. Collaboration is key. Experts often email each other to share literature, troubleshoot problems, or ask advice. Confidence comes from knowing both what you do know and what you don’t.
Susan Wise: I love that. People might even reach out after seeing you here on Stars Launch Pod! That’s exactly what we want—to be a catalyst for connection. Before we wrap up, do you have a passion project you’d like to share?
Jess Bunchek: My passion is getting people excited about plants in any way possible. Supporting astronauts with crop production on the ISS was amazing—not just for nutrition, but because of how much joy it brought them. Some played music for their plants, others documented growth with photos and videos.
Even here on Earth, like during the pandemic, people rediscovered the mental health benefits of gardening. Plants provide nutrition, comfort, and a connection to home. I’d love to see more plant production facilities—not just in Antarctica, but in other isolated environments worldwide—to support people living in challenging conditions.
Susan Wise: And don’t forget—talk to your plants!
Jess Bunchek: (laughs) Yes, some people definitely do! Humans have a deep connection with plants—they’re alive, and they give us so much.
Susan Wise: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us today, Jess. We really appreciate you being here. Jess Bunchek, astrobotanist and PhD candidate at DLR—thank you for joining us on Stars Launch Pod.
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