Close-up of a laser engraving machine engraving a detailed line art illustration of a person's face and hand on a metallic surface.

Crop rotation

In 2020, I inherited a pouch of lettuce seeds flown on the International Space Station. After growing the seeds into mature plants and producing several life drawings, their image is returning to space onboard a NASA satellite.

The seeds

In 2020, I started a collaborative art project with Luke Idziac and NASA’s Ames Research Center. The project aimed to integrate space science with the arts by etching art onto the bodies of small satellites constructed at the research center. The project was heavily inspired by the Voyager Golden Record.

For my contribution, I wanted forms that countered the hard masculine edges of the satellite with organic shapes that spoke to the ornamental history of plant life in art historical cannon. I was drawn to lettuce grown aboard the ISS because it looked almost floral, but represented critical research into sustaining human life in the harsh environments of space. I inherited lettuce seeds produced from plants flown aboard the ISS from Lisa Ruth Rand, a former postdoc at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Empty egg carton with soil inside, on top of a metal table, with a colorful prayer card placed inside.

The Process

I planted the seeds in order to produce a drawing of them from life, instead of from photographs taken on board ISS. The nurturing process was just as much a part of the art as the final image. This was very much a project about countering the the overt masculinity of satellite engineering with art about coaxing life from the harsh landscapes of space.

Since the seeds were descended from plants flown aboard the International Space Station, I dubbed the project “Crop Rotation,” in order to speak to this particular lettuce family’s trans-generational presence in space and the the orbital rotation of its satellite host.

Egg carton with small green seedlings sprouting in individual compartments.
Egg carton with small green seedlings growing in each compartment of the tray.

HARDWARE

The satellite art is hosted aboard NASA’s TechEdSat-11, part of a suite of satellites designed to evaluate new technologies for use on CubeSats. The project pairs university students with NASA researchers in order to complete the satellite design.

Illustration of the NASA TechEdSat 11 satellite, showing its placement and orientation in space with solar panels and antennas extended.
Two scientists in blue lab coats and gloves handling a large, star-shaped, reflective metallic object in a laboratory setting.
Laser cutting machine with a computer workstation next to it, in a workshop or laboratory setting.
Scientists handling a satellite or spacecraft component wrapped in aluminum foil, wearing blue gloves in a laboratory setting.
A man wearing glasses and a white shirt with a NASA logo is handling a piece of material over a foil-covered surface.

The Art

Fresh green plant with roots and soil attached, laid on a white surface.

Once the lettuce plant matured, I did several life drawings, and then used these to produce a vector image to be etched onto the body of the satellite.

Now integrated, the satellite is scheduled to launch in summer of 2023.

Close-up of red and green lettuce leaves.
Line drawing of a bunch of leafy plants with detailed veins and stems, on a plain white background.
Black and white illustration of a plant with large leaves and roots.
Technical blueprint of a plant with detailed sketches and annotations, including a large leaf and smaller plant parts, with sections of text and diagrams.

installation

Laser engraving machine etching a floral design onto a metallic surface.
Orange informational sign with white line drawings and text, featuring science illustrations and diagrams.
Golden sheet with line art of plants and a list of names.
A person holding a gold-colored plant growing chart with white outline drawings and a small orange label in the bottom right corner.