NASA 1984 space tomato seeds show 73.8% germination, above ground control

Seeds flown on NASA's 1984 Long Duration Exposure Facility returned with a germination rate of 73.8%, exceeding the 70.3% of ground controls, suggesting space exposure may not harm seed viability. The finding is based on a historical experiment, with no new data or mechanism proposed. It matters as a data point for long-duration space agriculture, but is not a novel development.