The California-based tech company is creating genetically engineered crops that can signal humans when they are attacked by pathogens, need nutrients, or feel stressed from drought. It is teaming up with Satellogic Inc. to begin developing a system to detect these human-engineered crop signals from space. A specially designed imaging instrument is scheduled to be mounted to a Satellogic satellite and is intended to detect optical signals emitted by crops engineered by InnerPlant to fluoresce (shine) in response to stress. Drone-based aerial testing is expected to start in the next few months with the launch of the instrument aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket anticipated in Q4 2023. The successful deployment of the satellite would mark the first time in history that a signal from a human-engineered organism is detected from orbit.