Seeds in Space

On July 4, 2006, Park Seed Company and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began the fourth leg of their long relationship, known as "SEEDS in Space." SEEDS stands for Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students. 

In 1984, a school-bus-sized satellite carrying 12.5 million tomato seeds was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Packed tightly in canisters and sealed for what was expected to be a one-year mission, the seeds belonged to a bold scientific experiment: to see how long-term exposure to space might affect their ability to sprout, grow, and feed future generations.

It wasn’t a publicity stunt. It wasn’t a symbolic gesture. It was a carefully constructed scientific study that would become one of the largest student-led experiments in American history — a collaboration between NASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, educators, and one South Carolina seed company trusted by gardeners since 1868: Park Seed.

The goal? To learn whether seeds could survive and grow after being exposed to the harsh conditions of space.

What no one predicted was that the seeds would remain in orbit for nearly six years, or that they would return home to be studied by millions of students across the United States. This is the story of how a tomato seed left Earth, circled the globe over 30,000 times, and helped plant a love of science in a generation.

The Experiment That Almost Didn’t Return

The mission began as part of NASA’s Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a massive cylindrical satellite packed with experimental materials and biological samples. The LDEF was deployed from Challenger on mission STS-41C in 1984, with plans to recover it within one year.

Park Seed contributed millions of Rutgers California Supreme tomato seeds for the mission. Chosen for their resilience and uniformity, the seeds were sealed in containers and affixed to the satellite’s structure, where they would be subjected to solar radiation, cosmic rays, temperature swings, and zero gravity.

Then, the Challenger disaster occurred in 1986. All future shuttle missions were grounded. The satellite was stranded.

Instead of orbiting for one year, the seeds orbited for 69 months (nearly six years) making over 32,000 trips around Earth before being retrieved in January 1990 by the Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-32.

No one could predict what the seeds would be like when they returned. Had radiation destroyed their ability to grow? Had their DNA mutated? Or would they still sprout?

Back to Earth — and Into the Classroom

When the seeds returned, NASA partnered with Park Seed and science educators to launch one of the largest science outreach programs in history:

SEEDS: A Celebration of Science

Over 132,000 educational kits were distributed to more than 40,000 schools across all 50 states. Each kit included:

• Space-exposed tomato seeds
• Identical control seeds stored at Park Seed’s facility in Greenwood, South Carolina
• Instructions for conducting classroom experiments

Over the next two years, more than 3 million students planted, observed, recorded, and compared the seeds. From elementary school classrooms to college labs, students became researchers in a real NASA experiment, not a simulation, but an authentic piece of space science.

The results? Remarkable.

• Germination rates were nearly identical between space and control seeds
• Some space seeds actually sprouted slightly faster
• No harmful mutations were detected
• In some cases, storage in space preserved seeds better than Earth storage

The project generated wonder. Students became scientists. Teachers became facilitators of hands-on discovery. And Park Seed became known not just for the seeds it shipped to gardeners, but the seeds it helped send to space.

The 1997 Mission: The MARS Program

Following the extraordinary success of the LDEF project, NASA and Park Seed collaborated again in 1997. This time, the experiment was designed to compare how seeds reacted in three extreme environments:

1. Space (aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis)
2. A manned underwater research lab
3. Earth-based storage (as control)

This project, named Mission to America's Remarkable Students (MARS), involved tomato seeds once again and the educational outreach was just as ambitious.

After the seeds were returned from all three environments, Park Seed and NASA distributed 300,000 seed packets to students and classrooms across the country. Students were encouraged to compare growth, germination, plant health, and record their findings as part of national data collection.

Once again, the outcome was clear: seeds are remarkably resilient. Even after being stored underwater or exposed to space for two weeks, they retained their ability to sprout, grow, and produce food.

More importantly, the project reinforced the educational value of seed science. Teachers across the country reported higher engagement, increased interest in biology, and a sense of pride among students participating in a real NASA-backed experiment.

The 2006 Mission: Basil in Orbit

In 2006, Park Seed provided 1 million Cinnamon Basil seeds to NASA for another round of space exposure, this time aboard the International Space Station.

These seeds were stored outside the ISS as part of the MISSE-3 and MISSE-4 experiments (Materials International Space Station Experiment), designed to test how biological and synthetic materials held up under long-term space exposure.

After orbiting Earth, the basil seeds were returned and sent back to Park Seed, where they were repackaged and distributed to students for further experimentation.

The mission answered a key question relevant to long-term spaceflight:

Could astronauts grow and consume herbs or vegetables grown from seeds exposed to space?

Once again, the answer was yes. The Cinnamon Basil seeds sprouted normally, and the plants were healthy and aromatic, a promising sign for future long-duration missions where fresh food and sensory variety will be critical for crew wellbeing.

 The Scientific and Educational Legacy

Park Seed’s partnership with NASA was about more than seed performance. It was about advancing scientific understanding and inspiring future scientists.

Across three missions:

• Over 4 million students participated in real experiments
• Seeds were exposed to 11+ years of cumulative space conditions
• Students collected tens of thousands of data points
• Teachers received support materials, lesson plans, and NASA collaboration badges
• Many students reported choosing STEM careers because of their participation

For NASA, the experiments proved that seeds — and by extension, agriculture — could be part of sustainable life support systems in space. For Park Seed, it was a rare opportunity to support both scientific exploration and scientific education on a national scale.

Can You Grow These Space-Flight Varieties Today?

Cinnamon Basil — Yes

The exact same variety that flew aboard the ISS in 2006, Cinnamon Basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Cinnamon'), is still offered by Park Seed today.

 Buy Cinnamon Basil Seeds →

Rutgers California Supreme Tomato — Not currently available

The tomato variety that flew in space in 1984 and 1997, Rutgers California Supreme, is no longer available. Park’s Whopper CR Improved II is a reliable, medium-sized slicing tomato with the same balanced flavor and garden performance that made the original a NASA-worthy selection.

Explore Tomato Seeds

 Why It Matters

The Seeds in Space program wasn't just about testing seed viability. It was about connecting classrooms to the cosmos. It was about asking big questions and letting students help answer them. And it was about proving that growth is possible even in the harshest conditions.

At Park Seed, we’re proud to have played a role in that legacy.

Because whether it’s in your backyard or aboard the International Space Station, the simple act of planting a seed remains one of the most powerful things we can do.

 Let’s grow something extraordinary.