Accession Number:

ADA247488

Title:

Effects of Extremely High 'G' Acceleration Forces on NASA's Control and Space Exposed Tomato Seeds

Descriptive Note:

Special publication

Corporate Author:

ARMY ARMAMENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER PICATINNY ARSENAL NJ ARMAMENT ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE

Personal Author(s):

• Wentling, Roger
• DeFranco, Carl

Report Date:

1991-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

70.0

Abstract:

An experiment to expose tomato seeds to high levels of mechanical shock after they had spent six years in space aboard NASAs Long Duration Exposure Facility was conducted in the High G Air gun Test Facility at Picatinny Arsenal. A group of control seeds which had not been in space were also exposed to high levels of shock. The object of this test was to determine if high levels of gravity affected the growth of the plants grown from this seed or the seeds from these plants. The tomato seeds were exposed from 1,258 times gravity g to 119,380 times gravity. Germination occurred at every level of testing and seeds from these plants will be saved to grow plants next year. In general, seeds from the higher shock levels produced higher quality tomatoes, and some abnormalities in developing of green tomatoes were observed at intermediate levels. Genetic effects, if any, are expected to be observed in the next generation which will be grown next year. Air gun shock test, Tomato seed shock test, Gun fire shock, Ballistic shock, Gas gun, High-G shock, NASA seeds mechanical shock test.

Descriptors:

• *SHOCK TESTS
• *FRUITS
• *GROWTH(PHYSIOLOGY)
• *GRAVITY
• GAS GUNS
• SEEDS
• GERMINATION
• ABNORMALITIES
• TEST FACILITIES
• SHOCK
• QUALITY
• GENETICS

Subject Categories:

• Biology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE