The Project
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SUNFLOWER is a project developed by students from the University of Padua, with diverse scientific and engineering backgrounds. The SUNFLOWER project is supported by SNSA, DLR and the ESA Education Office as part of the REXUS/BEXUS Programme.
We are united by our interest in developing new approaches to support life in space.
We aim to advance sustainable life-support technologies for space habitats and long-duration missions.
Our focus is on innovative farming methods that optimize energy efficiency and resource usage in extraterrestrial environments.
What The Experiment Does
What The Experiment Does
Our experiment is designed to maintain stable light and temperature conditions inside a sealed chamber — tailored to the survival needs of a biological plant sample.
This is achieved through two smart covers:
One over a window
One over a radiator
These covers can autonomously react to environmental changes, adjusting their configuration to maintain ideal growing conditions.
What We Measure
What We Measure
During the flight to the stratosphere, we collect:
Temperature data
Illumination levels
Video footage
All data will be compared to:
Results from thermo-vacuum ground tests
A twin chamber kept on Earth under controlled conditions
Why It Matters
Why It Matters
Testing SUNFLOWER in extreme environments helps us evaluate its real-world performance.
Success will enable further applications of this system for climate control in future space habitats and other sustainable space missions.
About the REXUS/BEXUS Programme
About the REXUS/BEXUS Programme
The REXUS/BEXUS programme is a student research initiative carried out under a bilateral agreement between the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) . Thanks to a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), the programme also involves student teams from across ESA member states, promoting international collaboration in space research.
SUNFLOWER & BEXUS
SUNFLOWER & BEXUS
SUNFLOWER — which stands for
Solar Unveiling for Natural Flux of Light Optimization Window and Efficient Radiator —
is an experiment developed by a student team from the University of Padua, Italy.
Our mission is to test the performance of two key systems:
The SLC (Smart Light Cover)
The STL (Smart Thermal Layer)
These systems work together to regulate illumination and temperature, creating ideal conditions for a biological sample inside a controlled environment — even in the harsh stratospheric atmosphere.
SUNFLOWER has been selected to fly aboard BEXUS 36, as part of Cycle 16 of the Swedish-German REXUS/BEXUS programme.
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