In 1990, NASA recovered tomato seeds after nearly 6 years on LDEF; classroom tests found space seeds germinated at 73.8% versus 70.3% for Earth controls

After nearly six years aboard NASA's LDEF satellite, Rutgers tomato seeds returned to Earth to inspire young scientists. Millions of students participated in classroom experiments where they planted both space-exposed and terrestrial seeds. Observations revealed that the seeds exposed to space conditions generally germinated at a faster pace and with higher success rates, providing intriguing evidence about the resilience of seeds after prolonged exposure to outer space.