Paris, June 18, 2026 - Today at VivaTech, Interstellar Lab officially launches Mission Little Prince in partnership with The Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation. Inspired by The Little Prince, this visionary initiative is a scientific and symbolic journey whose ambition is to carry the Little Prince’s iconic rose beyond Earth — growing roses in orbit, on the Moon, and on Mars.
The mission plans to include the iconic rose first blooming in orbit aboard Vast’s Haven-1 station scheduled to launch in 2027, then on the lunar surface with Astrolab in 2028 and paving the way towards Mars — serving as a poetic and scientific beacon for humanity’s multiplanetary future. Powered by advanced space biotechnology, the mission unites engineering, science and imagination to remind us that exploration is also an act of care. It is a major scientific and engineering endeavor that delivers a profound message to future generations: life must be nurtured wherever humanity goes. By bringing life into space, we become responsible for it.
Orbital Phase – 2027 with Vast
Interstellar Lab has partnered with Vast to integrate its Eden plant growth chamber into Haven-1 Lab, scheduled to be the world’s first crewed commercial microgravity research and manufacturing facility in space. Eden is an autonomous, AI-controlled Biopod that adapts temperature, lighting, humidity and atmospheric conditions based on plant species and associated growing needs. Equipped with sensors and cameras, it captures data along the mission to better understand the impact of microgravity on plant growth. It is designed to help advance plant research in microgravity while preparing for autonomous greenhouse systems on the Moon. The first crewed mission to Haven-1 will carry Mission Little Prince into orbit, where astronauts will follow the cultivation of the rose inside the Eden chamber. This phase marks a first milestone for Interstellar Lab in developing autonomous biological systems for long-duration human presence in space.
Eden 1 : Interstellar Lab's plant growth chamber
Lunar Phase – 2028 with Astrolab
Interstellar Lab has partnered with Astrolab to deploy Bloom, its autonomous lunar BioPod, to the South Pole aboard the FLEX (Flexible Logistics and Exploration) rover. Bloom is a compact, fully sealed, hardened greenhouse purpose-built for standalone lunar surface operations. AI-controlled, it autonomously regulates temperature, humidity, atmospheric composition, irrigation and lighting in a closed-loop environment decoupled from lunar vacuum, radiation, and thermal extremes. Equipped with environmental sensors and camera, Bloom transmits continuous telemetry and high-resolution imagery to Interstellar Lab's ground segment. The mission will generate the first lunar surface dataset on plant physiology, phenotypic response and growth dynamics, using Mission Little Prince roses and reference plants. The mission advances bioregenerative life support technologies for future lunar biospheres.
Bloom : Interstellar Lab's lunar greenhouse
Path to Mars
Mission Little Prince’s ultimate destination is Mars. These milestones establish the foundation for Interstellar Lab’s Mars greenhouse platforms, which will support food production, oxygen generation, psychological well-being, and fully closed-loop habitats for future crews. Perennial plants can reduce reliance on resupply during the 6–9-month journey and on the Martian surface because they can be propagated from cuttings, maintain established root systems, produce repeated harvests, and remain resilient without being replanted from seed each cycle. Research in microgravity explores how perennial plants, such as strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, and berry bushes, manage air exchange, stress, scent, color, and growth, providing insights that improve productivity, nutrition, and resilience in food crops.
Mission Little Prince advances our core mission to expand life across the solar system,” said Barbara Belvisi, Founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab. “Growing the Little Prince’s rose in orbit, on the Moon and then on Mars is not only a technological achievement — it is a symbol of hope and love. As we reach beyond Earth, we are reminded that what is essential is invisible to the eye. This mission deepens our understanding of life itself and our role to expand life beyond Earth.”
Barbara Belvisi (CEO at Interstellar Lab)
Through Mission Little Prince, we carry forward my great-uncle’s humanistic vision. By growing the Little Prince’s rose among the stars, we unite generations and nations around a shared dream: that exploration must always be guided by care, curiosity, and responsibility for life.
Olivier D'Agay (great-nephew of Antoine de Saint Exupéry and President of the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation)
Mission Little Prince delivers on our long-standing collaboration with Interstellar Lab. The deployment of Bloom marks the next logical evolution of this partnership. Bloom will demonstrate the versatility of our FLEX platform across a range of applications—from in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and lunar base construction to the deployment of large-scale infrastructure elements such as power and communications towers and now the first ever lunar BioPod. We are proud to contribute to this journey and help lay the foundation for a sustainable human presence on the Moon and, one day, Mars.
Jaret Matthews (CEO of Astrolab)
At VivaTech, Interstellar Lab is demonstrating its Eden and Bloom greenhouse systems at its booth, showcasing how these autonomous platforms are paving the way for life expansion outside the Earth.
The new dedicated Mission Little Prince website is launching today, offering immersive content, educational resources, mission updates, and ways for the public — especially youth — to engage with this inspiring journey.
About Interstellar Lab
Founded in 2018, Interstellar Lab is an American-French company on a mission to Green the Galaxy — preserving life on Earth and expanding it into Space. The company develops, manufactures, and operates intelligent autonomous greenhouse systems for terrestrial high-value ingredient production and space bioregenerative life support. Its technologies support cosmetics, food & beverage, and pharmaceutical companies on Earth while pioneering the biological infrastructure needed for orbital stations, the Moon, and Mars. Discover more on interstellarlab.earth and missionlittleprince.com
About the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation
The Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation was created in 2009, under the aegis of the Fondation de France, by the family of the author of The Little Prince and his admirers from the aeronautical, scientific and literary worlds. Its aim is to pass on the memory of Antoine de Saint Exupéry by promoting his values and his universal humanist message among young people. The foundation is faithful to the spirit of the great French writer and aviator when he urged us to build a society based on respect for mankind, cultural diversity, solidarity, universal brotherhood, commitment and individual responsibility. Its philanthropic actions in the fields of education, culture, disability, environmental protection and the fight against illiteracy, in France and around the world, aim to improve the daily lives of young people by helping them to better understand their future. More information on fasej.org and secretariat@fasej.org
About The Little Prince
Since its first publication in New York in 1943, The Little Prince has become a publishing phenomenon - over 300 million copies sold - that crosses borders and eras, carrying Antoine de Saint Exupéry's universal message. Every year, 5 million copies of this legendary book are sold worldwide. An iconic golden-haired character and a global publishing phenomenon, The Little Prince is the most translated book in the world, with over 650 official translations. The Little Prince appeals for the values it embodies and the message of hope it conveys. It's a book that can be passed on, given as a gift and shared. Today, the world-famous character continues his journey across generations and continents, and is successfully adapted in every form: film, animated series, exhibitions and musical shows, theme parks and events all over the world!
Media Contact
Appolonia BELVISI | Chief Communication Officer | Interstellar Lab | appolonia@missionlittleprince.com | press@interstellarlab.com | +33 6 62 65 38 18
Selenne Ribouchon | Agence La Bande | sribouchon@agencelabande.com | +33 6 31 44 05 67
