If you visit our main website, www.parkseed.com, and scroll down to the About Us section, you'll see a link to Seeds in Space. That link provides a great overview of the Seeds in Space program, where we sent millions of seeds into space and brought them back to earth for school kids to grow and experiment with. We had major programs in 1984, 1997, and as of July 4, 2006, we have yet another batch of seeds (3 million Cinnamon Basil seeds, to be exact) orbiting the earth, even as we speak!
Here in Park Seed Memories, I want to delve more deeply into Park Seed's experiences with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the amazing worldwide...no, galactic!...adventures we've enjoyed. I especially want to find people who were involved as students, teachers, local mentors, or national scientists.
If you have stories to share about growing Teenage Mutant Ninja Tomatoes, I want to hear from you! Were you part of the team at Oklahoma State University that compiled all the study results in 1990-1991? Or were you a parent who worried about whether your garden was going to start glowing because of radioactive tomatoes?? Please use the blog comment function to tell us about your experiences, or share information via email to help me find some of the people who played a role in making this incredible "Celebration of Science" possible (ckuhl@parkseed.com).
If you are interested in knowing more about the original 1984-1990 project, here's the Introduction from the Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students (SEEDS) Activity Book that NASA created and distributed for use by teachers in grades 5 through 9. Enjoy! And the next time you are in Greenwood, South Carolina, ask to see the LDEF...
SEEDS Activity Book Introduction from U.S. Government Printing Office: 1990 0-257-472:QL 3
The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was placed in Earth orbit in April 1984 and retrieved in January 1990 during the STS-32 mission with the Space Shuttle Columbia. LDEF is the first NASA program designed to test the performance of spacecraft materials, components, and systems that have been exposed to the space environment for a long time. It is the first spacecraft designed to return experiments to Earth for comprehensive laboratory analysis, a capability that adds a new dimension to space experimentation. LDEF also possesses the unique feature of passive stabilization, which maintained its required orientation in space. No attitude control system jet firings were needed, so LDEF was subjected to the lowest acceleration forces and contamination levels of any spacecraft to date.
Because LDEF remained in space for more than 5 1/2 years, as opposed to the originally planned 1-year mission, its value has been substantially enhanced. The extended time in space will add significant data for the spacecraft's 57 science and technology experiments, which represent more than 200 investigations, 33 private companies, 21 university, 7 NASA centers, 9 Department of Defense laboratories, and 8 foreign countries. One of the experiments was called SEEDS.
The Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students is a cooperative project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Educational Affairs Division, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), and the George W. Park Seed Company of Greenwood, South Carolina. Students in grade 5 through university level will conduct a variety of investigations with tomato seeds carried aboard the LDEF.
After Park Seed Company flew a canister of an assortment of seeds aboard an early Space Shuttle mission to determine the effect of spaceflight on the germination of seeds, Dr. Bill Kinard of the LDEF project Office at LaRC and Dr. George W. Park of the Park Seed Company were interest in using the unique LDEF for an educational program. [Note: we don't have a Dr. George W. Park here. I'm betting the reference is to Dr. Jim Alston, but I'll have to verify that.] Together they planned SEEDS and invited a group of 30 teachers from Greenwood, South Carolina to join the NASA educational staff in developing the experimental design.
SEEDS became a most significant idea in science education. Students will have the unique opportunity to study the effects of long-term space exposure on tomato seeds. Studies may include germination rates, seeds embryo development, tropic reactions, and fruit products. Students may study the impact of changes in environmental factors such as water, humidity, soil, and pollutants. The program encourages active student involvement and a multidisciplinary approach; this approach allows students to design experiments and to be engaged in decision-making, data gathering, and reporting of final results.
The SEEDS project was initiated in 1984. We appreciate the patience of those teachers who participated in the original program with such great enthusiasm and welcome those who have entered the profession during the last 5 years and are equally enthusiastic about the project.
Several individuals have contributed to this activity book: Dr. J. Gregory Marlins, NASA Aerospace Education Specialists and Project Director for SEEDS, developed the concept and saw it through to fruition; the NASA Aerospace Education Services program, Oklahoma State University, prepared the content and illustrations; Muriel M. Thorne, NASA Educational Programs Officer, edited the final manuscript; and the Educational Publications and Special Services Branch published the book.
Comments