Diyora Daminova’s research is recognized in the USA
Diyora Daminova, a scholarship recipient at the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation and a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, is working on projects in space technology and sustainable development.
These projects are already receiving recognition in the international scientific community.
At the Engineering Excellence Fund Expo, Diyora presented an automated lunar greenhouse concept, demonstrating the feasibility of using lunar regolith as a medium for growing plants and as a radiation shield. The project enables the cultivation of fast-growing plants, in particular “Brassica rapa Wisconsin”, in a fully autonomous system beneath a regolith layer up to three meters thick.
Last November, the Engineering Excellence Fund Expo awarded $2000 to support the project’s development. This funding enabled the team to move from the conceptual stage to practical implementation and to present the first results on an international platform.
At the end of March, D. Daminova delivered a presentation at the annual conference of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Iowa State University. This event is one of the key events for students and young researchers in aerospace engineering.
As part of the project, a prototype of an automated greenhouse capable of operating at temperatures as low as -80°C has been developed, assembled, and tested. For 15 days, the system autonomously maintained the CO₂ and O₂ balance using sensors and actuators without human intervention, a key requirement for future long-term space missions. The project was highly appreciated by the scientific community and recommended for publication in a specialized edition, which will be the next step toward its institutional recognition.
In addition, Diyora Daminova won the prestigious storytelling competition “Buffs Open Read”. Her essay, “Voices”, was recognized as the best work and was highly praised by the jury not only for its literary skill but also for its deep personal and cultural analysis. The essay explores self-discovery, revealing her own path in one of the most challenging STEM fields. The winner was awarded $500.
Norgul Abduraimova, UzA
