Longueuil, Quebec, November 9, 2005 – The Tomatosphere educational project will reach its zenith during the 2005-2006 school year. For the final year of this educational program, tomato seeds that have spent 18 months in orbit will be used in class science projects across Canada. The cargo of more than 400,000 tomato seeds travelled back to Earth on August 9 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. This was the longest period of exposure for tomato seeds to the hostile environment of space since Tomatosphere began.
Tomatosphere was undertaken with several partners and launched in 2000. Since then, more than 387,000 young Canadians have participated in research needed to make a manned mission to Mars possible.
Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk invites media representatives to join him, the project partners, and the students of Chris Hadfield Public School to kick off the final year of the project.
When: Monday, November 14, 2005
Time: 10:00 am
Where: Chris Hadfield Public School
1114 Woodward Avenue
Milton, Ontario
Why: Presentation of project guidelines for 2005-2006
Planting of tomato seeds by students
Individual interviews
Who: Project partners
Students of Chris Hadfield Public School
For more information on the project, please visit:
www.tomatosphere.org
www.space.gc.ca
For inquiries, please contact:
Julie Simard
Media Relations
Canadian Space Agency
Media line: (450) 926-4370
julie.simard@espace.gc.ca BR> www.space.gc.ca
