From July 22–25, 2026, Pell represented CMU and the Center for PostNatural History at a global summit reshaping the future of space biology.
This summer, CMU School of Art professor and alumnus Rich Pell took the stage at the “Atlantic Space Hub: Designing the Future of Space” conference in Santa Maria, Azores. Hosted by the Portuguese Space Agency and organized by the University of Pittsburgh’s Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Biomedicine, the conference convened international leaders in space biomedicine, engineering, and technology to map out the next frontier of human health, resilience, and mission success in space.
Pell presented in a July 24 session titled “From Art to the Origins of Life: New Perspectives for Space Exploration” alongside Bruce Damer of the Biota Institute and UC Santa Cruz. Moderated by Hermínia Saraiva of the Portuguese Space Agency, the panel explored a critical question: How can art directly bridge the gap between rigorous space research and practical payload design?
View the full conference program here.