Back at the end of July, I shared a story about harvesting fresh veggies grown from 25-year-old tomato seeds that flew in outer space as part of our Seeds in Space LDEF adventure. I'm happy to report that Mr. Charles Bailey wrote back with more LDEF memories and more pictures of his amazing out-of-this-world tomato plants.
"Hello, Claire!
"I was pleasantly surprised to hear from you. I thought maybe LDEF was old hat by now. You certainly may use my email messages in your blog. I am attaching some additional pictures my wife took as the young plants grew.
"We have kept the seeds sealed in the original package in a plastic zip-lock bag in the refrigerator with the exception of a 2-week period we were without power following Hurricane Isabel.
"The LDEF retrieval project was loads of fun. Two quick stories:
"When the LDEF was first retrieved from space, and we had placed it into its rotational transportation trailer [see above], it was moved into a clean room at KSC [Kennedy Space Center] called Safe 2. We removed the external panels that allowed the LDEF to be moved outside from O&C to Safe 2, and placed the LDEF in a rotational mode. For some 20 days or so, the LDEF was rotated, and each PI (principle investigator) could visually examine his or her experiment. One morning shortly after these examinations had begun, a black liquid was found pooling under the LDEF. Of course, this was cause for much speculation as to what may have been caught in the LDEF in space that now was escaping in our atmosphere. There were no liquids on board at launch, and no apparent cause from ground-based equipment. Analysis quickly determined that a solid filler in some coax cabling coiled in one PI's experiment had deteriorated, frozen in space, and melted in reentry and the heat of Florida. At least that's the story they told us.
"The next event that I remember quite well is when finally we were ready to take the first experiment off LDEF and let each PI inspect and place it in its shipping container to be returned to the PI's lab. (And if memory serves me well, it was the Park Seed experiment that came off first.) That morning, we had set up scaffolding to access the mid position of the segmented round LDEF. A special lifting device supported by the Safe 2 overhead crane was attached to the experiment. The retaining plates and bolts were removed and the experiment was gently nudged out of the frame LDEF was made of. Prior to this, at least 50 or 75 news people had crowded into Safe 2 near where this event was happening. 
All of us and all of the news people were dressed in clean room clothing, they with their still and motion cameras focused on this event. We were very nervous, this being the first experiment removed and so many witnesses, and as it gradually came loose and moved ever so slowly from the LDEF into the surrounding air, applause, hoots and hollers erupted from the news group, as well as all the bystanders. I can tell you the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as the significance of this event was so moving. Obviously all went well--we got the Park Seed container down to the ground and into a holding device. A special investigative group (SIG) got the first look at it, as they were documenting meteorite hits as to numbers, size, and locations. After that and the Park Seed PI was happy, it was placed in a metal shipping container and shipped back to Park Seed.
"Thanks again for your response,
"Charles Bailey"
Gosh, thank YOU, Charles, for sharing these first-hand memories with us! The historic pictures above were taken by our own Ron Breazeale who likewise has powerful memories of this intense experience. If you were or ARE a Seeds in Space teacher, student, or NASA associate, I'd love to share your memories here! Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com and feel free to attach digital photos.
