About Us
In the Pursuit of a Permanent Human Presence in Space
The advent of the New Space industry is an opportunity for radical change in the way we think about humanity's place among the stars. A major goal of the Space Ecology Workshop is to facilitate that discussion and guide collaboration between industry, academia, and national stakeholders.
Review Past Work
Foundational research has been conducted in fits and starts over many decades. This fractured approach has prevented important research from reaching a wider audience.
To avoid wasted effort reinventing the wheel, a significant part of the mission for Space Ecology Workshop is to discover and disseminate relevant existing research.
identify areas of need
Our understanding of Earth ecology is far from mature, so it is unsurprising that there are significant gaps in both the knowledge and technology necessary to build an artificial ecosystem.
Awareness of these shortcomings is a crucial first step in developing solutions.
establish partnerships
The zeitgeist of New Space is the plethora of opportunities arising from the inclusion of private sector commercial interests.
The Space Ecology Workshop brings together inventors, scientists, and explorers with the deep pocket and deeper ambitions of aerospace companies across the globe.
Space Ecology Workshop Board
Christine Escobar
VP of Space Lab Tech
Space Habitat Systems Engineer
Patrick Grubbs
Space Ecologist
The Spring Institute for Forests on the Moon
Dr. Frieda Taub
Professor Emerita – University of Washington
Closed Ecological Systems Pioneer
Jane Shevtsov, PhD
Mathematical Biology Instructor
UCLA Life Sciences
Stephen Lantin
Ph.D. Student
NASA Space Technology Graduate Researcher
Space Ecology Workshop Board
Christine Escobar
VP of Space Lab Tech
Space Habitat Systems Engineer
Patrick Grubbs
Master’s Student
University of Arizona, Controlled Environment Ag
Dr. Frieda Taub
Professor Emerita – University of Washington
Closed Ecological Systems Pioneer
Stephen Lantin
Ph.D. Student
NASA Space Technology Graduate Researcher
Jane Shevtsov, PhD
Mathematical Biology Instructor
UCLA Life Sciences
Our Mission
The Space Ecology Worskhop seeks to:
- Facilitate communication between international research efforts related to space ecology to synchronize efforts.
- Advance Life Support technology by reducing reliance on physio-chemical hardware in favor of regenerative biological components.
- Plan next steps for closing knowledge gaps and addressing technology needs with a draft Space Ecology R&D Roadmap
Our Vision
We want to bring life to the stars.
By advancing our understanding of closed ecological systems, we can apply that knowledge to practical and necessary technologies such as BLSS or CELSS.
Longer duration missions, self-sustaining outposts, and healthy and happy humans in outer space are just a few of the benefits of robust artificial ecosystems.