Tomatosphere-III
Research Area Educational Demonstrations
Expeditions 19-20, 27-36
Principal investigator(s) ● Jason Clement, Canadian Space Agency, Saint Hubert,
Quebec, Canada
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Tomatosphere-III aims to
increase student interest in
space science and horticultural
technology in addition to
increasing student familiarity
and experience with research
methodologies. Tomatosphere-
III sends 600,000 tomato seeds
to the International Space
Station (ISS) for exposure to the
space environment. The seeds
are returned to Earth for use in
over 13,000 classrooms
throughout Canada as a learning
resource. Students measure the
germination rates, growth
patterns, and vigor of growth of
the seeds.
EARTH BENEFITS
This payload allows students to contribute to science at their level, thereby providing them with
exposure to the scientific method and research methodologies, and serving to inspire them to
pursue their studies and careers in science related fields in order to contribute as the next
space generation.
SPACE BENEFITS
The goal of Tomatosphere-III is to evaluate the growth of space-exposed seeds compared to
earth-grown seeds.
RESULTS
The project started in 2001 with 2,700 classrooms and has grown to more than 11,000 classes
in 2009 (and 13,000 projected for 2010). In the 8-year period, the project has touched more
than 1, 530 ,000 students, mostly in Canada, but also in the United States and other countries.
Participating teachers praised the program and indicated that it increased students’ interest in
science (98%), reinforced the scientific method (97%), met their classroom needs (92%), and
matched their curriculum needs (96%). The registration process, teacher’s guide, and website
are all rated as excellent. The project has successfully integrated science promotion goals of the
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield displays the seeds he will return to
Earth for the Tomatosphere-III project. Canadian Space Agency/NASA
image.