Terri Sindelar

Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

(Phone: 202/453-8400) April 17, 1992

RELEASE: 92-49

ATTACK OF THE KILLER SPACE TOMATOES? NOT!

Space tomatoes have been popping up all over the world.

In fact, more than 3.3 million budding student scientists and
64,000 teachers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and
34 foreign countries have grown and compared space-exposed
tomatoes with earth-based tomatoes. The students have
completed their investigations and NASA has analyzed and
compiled their findings. The results indicate that the space
tomatoes were as healthy as their Earth-based siblings and
were "tastier, juicier and sweeter!" NASA now knows that
seeds can survive in space for long periods of time with
little or no change in the resulting plant.

The Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students

(SEEDS) is a national science project that brought students
into the scientific community to experience the excitement,
interaction, hope and disappointment that is the nature of
science.

The national science experiment involved flying over 12.5

million tomato seeds in space for nearly 6 years. SEEDS was
one of 57 experiments housed onboard the Long Duration
Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite launched by the crew of
Challenger in April 1984 and retrieved by the crew of Columbia
on Jan. 12, 1990.

Experimental observations were compiled by students in

elemen-tary through graduate school. Of the 8,000 reports
returned to NASA, the findings suggest that the space-exposed
seeds germinated slightly faster. In addition, the
space-exposed seedlings had a faster initial growth rate,
observed for the first 3 or 4 weeks of growth. Eventually,
the Earth-based seedlings caught up with their counterparts
and overall, no differences were found between the two types
of plants or their fruits.

Many SEEDS participants did not return the data

collection forms or returned partially completed forms or
forms with reporting errors. Any shortcomings in data
reporting should not overshadow the primary value of SEEDS:
Students from all over the world contributed data and learned
about science from an experimenters viewpoint.
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In addition to the basic experiment, some student

researchers used the SEEDS project to begin long-term research
on such topics as space seed histology, chromosome morphology,
and cell cycle time of the space-exposed plants and their
descendents. Other student investigators are conducting third
generation studies.

Three student-designed experiments discovered that the

space-exposed plants had greater levels of chlorophyll and
carotenes than the Earth-based plants. In addition, tests
found that light absorbance was greater in extracts made from
space-exposed plant tissues. Finally, results from
laser-induced fluorescent spectroscopy concluded that
space-exposed seeds exhibited premature chlorophyll
development.

SEEDS was designed to be quality, hands-on science.

Students experienced the successes, failures, puzzles and
solutions inherent in scientific problem solving. SEEDS had
all these rewards and hazards, especially to the plants.

A child in Ontario wrote: "Dear NASA: Hi, My name is

Matt. I am in grade 2. I really enjoy growing my plants.
Here are my results. My Earth seed did not grow. My space
seed grew but it fell off my desk. It died."

Those plants fortunate enough to survive the rigors of

the classroom were transported to the outside world to begin
their new life in a garden. However, unpredicted hardships
and natural disasters began to fall on these plants'
newly-found freedom. Hailstorms hit certain areas, as did
late freezes, high heat and thunderstorms. Some seedlings
became prey for mice, moles and worms.

Other space plants suffered from "people disasters." A

parent in Portland, Oregon wrote that his stepson found his
space plants were not even safe from his 4-year-old
stepsister's "Michael Jordan 3-point shot" when it rebounded
and severely damaged both of his space-exposed plants.
Miraculously, the plants survived and later produced a tomato
that won the Youth Division Vegetable Oddity Blue Ribbon at
the Oregon State University Extension Seed Harvest Fair.

As for the fruit, researchers were quick to reveal the

tantalizing effects on their tastebuds. Some reported the
fruit as "tastier, juicier, and sweeter." Others claimed the
tomatoes had thicker skins and more seeds. Others simply
said, "Made enough Gazpacho for a week."

Tests of fruit pH found no difference between

space-exposed and Earth-based plants. Space-exposed plants
also performed normally in tests of geotropism, tissue
culturing, seed weight and phototropism.
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Interesting observations reported include differences in
plant size, leaf shape and size, stem and leaf color, root
size, stem thickness, and resistance to heat, cold, draught
and pests. Even though many student researchers were
disappointed not to see drastically altered mutant plants and
fruit, it is now known that seeds can survive in space for
long periods of time with little or no change in the resulting
plant.

One of the most interesting occurrences resulting from

the experiment came from the media attention surrounding the
possibility of radiation-induced mutations in the
space-exposed tomatoes. A Los Angeles Times article warning
of a possibility of poisonous fruit from the space-exposed
plants appeared shortly after the seeds were distributed. The
article was based on the science that radiation can affect the
DNA of the seed resulting in lethal alterations. In the
space-exposed seeds, such somatic mutations would cause a
point mutation, altering the DNA molecule at a single base
pair. Such a change would only affect the resulting plant,
most likely being lethal to the plant itself, and would not be
passed on to the plant's descendents.

It is more likely that such a mutation would occur in

normal Earth-based tomatoes, given the number of tomato plants
grown worldwide and the cumulative amount of radiation and
other mutagens these plants are exposed to each growing
season. Radiation emission occurs naturally in the
environment from soil, building materials, rocks, ground
water, food and even our own bodies. But as explained in the
SEEDS Teacher's Guide, the effects of long-term radiation
exposure was one of the chief variables of the experiment.

Nevertheless, the articles added a new realm to the

experiment that would have been missed had the article not
been published. In most cases, teachers saw the attention as
a good way to stimulate thinking and discussion about the
experiment, teach concepts of radiation and radioactivity and
develop an understanding of genetics and mutations. An
elementary teacher in San Antonio wrote, "... the experiment
and the media flap produced much discussion about radiation,
mutation and the like. We feel the experience was very
beneficial to the students." Many teachers reported they
enjoyed eating the space-exposed fruit. One teacher planned
to make tomato jam as Christmas presents.

Ken Selee, a teacher in Turlock, Calif., represents so

many creative teachers in the country and exemplifies the ways
the "Space Tomatoes" were embraced by the world. He saw SEEDS
as a way to excite students about the space program and teach
good science. He organized seeds distribution throughout
Turlock public schools, kept schools updated through a
newsletter, developed social events to inform the public of
his student's success and involved more than 500 people in
SEEDS. Knowing the good weather conditions of California,
Selee raced the nation in producing the first ripe space
tomato. To celebrate, his classes organized the first Bacon,
Lettuce and Space Tomato Sandwich Party.
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SEEDS exposed future scientists of the nation to an

experiment that tests the effects of long-term space exposure
on seeds and set the stage for one of this country's largest
science learning projects. States one parent from Boston,
"Our children were eager NASA scientists, fascinated with the
concept of space tomatoes, and rewarded not only by their
satisfaction coming from the completion of an independent
scientific search, but also by the realization of working on a
national project with unknown results. You have provided the
children with a special and well designed experience which
they'll always remember."

Many teachers also wrote warm and encouraging words to

NASA. An elementary teacher in Port Orchard, Wash., wrote,
"Thank you for giving America's schoolchildren an opportunity
to really be a part of the space program. I am thrilled with
the level of interest today's youth have for anything that has
to do with space."

An elementary teacher in Brockpoint, N.Y., responded,

"The part that excited my students the most was a sense of
pride in knowing they were doing the same thing as students in
all parts of the country. It provided great opportunities and
similarities in lots of different areas, and still feel a
sense of real unity as Americans."

Written by an elementary school teacher in Robbinsdale,

Minn., "The project was indeed exciting for all of us -- seeds
from space! Do it again! Science is alive and well for my
6th graders. They felt a part of a 'real world' project.
Thanks!"

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin responded, "To the

elementary school teacher in Robbinsdale, Minn., and to all
students, teachers, parents and communities who participated
in SEEDS, we at NASA also found the project to be exciting,
informative and rewarding. When government, industry and
education team together, we can bring the students of America
a great national science project. Many thanks to our
cooperative partner, the George W. Park Seed Company. NASA
plans to continue offering national science projects to
stimulate interest in science through active involvement.

"We sincerely hope the learning from SEEDS will continue

for many years to come . . . for someday these budding
scientists will be the experimenters and explorers on Space
Station Freedom and at the lunar outpost, and they will be the
first Martians."

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 "I believe that NASA has the ability to challenge minds
with new frontiers. We try to capture and channel children's
natural curiosity and help lay the foundations whereby
students look at science as the thrilling, stimulating and the
fun thing that it is. Our goal is to help foster the natural
curiosity and joy of discovery with children. In so doing,
NASA is committed to helping America become first in math and
science by the year 2000, and to encouraging science literacy
for all Americans.