posted 08-24-2023 04:45 PM               

NASA and Forest Service offer seedlings to grow Artemis 'moon trees'

NASA is seeking education and community organizations to help grow a practical forest of trees with a unique pedigree — the moon.

Inspired by an Apollo astronaut's initiative, the space agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service are looking to plant seedlings that were grown from seeds flown around the moon on NASA's Artemis I mission in 2022.

posted 04-26-2024 12:00 AM               

NASA begins delivering first Artemis Moon Trees to be planted across United States

The first woman slated to launch to the moon has delivered one of the first trees grown from seeds recently flown there.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch presented a Loblolly Pine "Moon Tree" sapling to her home state of North Carolina on Wednesday (April 24). The tree began as one of more than 1,000 seeds that were flown around the moon on NASA's uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022.

posted 06-04-2024 06:48 PM               

'Most unique tree here': Artemis Moon Tree planted at US Capitol

Reid Wiseman felt a little jealous about the tree that he and his crewmates helped dedicate on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Tuesday (June 4).

The NASA astronaut, who is assigned to command Artemis II, the next mission to fly humans to the moon after a more than 50 year hiatus, was, in a way, beaten to the punch by the sapling. Wiseman will not launch until late 2025, at the earliest.

posted 06-07-2024 06:05 AM               

'Moon Tree' gift from NASA puts down roots at UTA

Sweetgum tree was grown from a seed that orbited the moon

A "Moon Tree" grown from a seed that orbited the moon aboard a NASA spacecraft is putting down roots at The University of Texas at Arlington.

The sweetgum seedling arrived at UTA on April 24 and was planted the next day outside the Chemistry & Physics Building, near the Planetarium. The seedling is among those being given to universities, museums, science centers, federal agencies and K-12-serving organizations through the NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) as part of a national conservation education initiative.

OSTEM partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fly five species of tree seeds aboard the Orion spacecraft as part of Artemis I, an uncrewed lunar orbit mission that launched in November 2022 and marked NASA's return to lunar exploration after a five-decade hiatus. There were nearly 2,000 tree seeds on board, including sycamores, sweetgums, Douglas firs, loblolly pines and giant sequoias.

After reviewing hundreds of applications, NASA selected organizations from across the country to receive the Moon Tree seedlings. The UTA Planetarium is among those chosen for the first phase of distribution this spring.

McKenna Dowd, program coordinator for the UTA Planetarium, spearheaded UTA's efforts to bring a Moon Tree to campus.

"I finally heard on April 8 — the day of the eclipse! — that we would receive a seedling," Dowd said. "This Moon Tree may inspire generations of students from around the world, or many of the K-12 students and surrounding public that visit our campus. It' a living reminder of why we all must unite to preserve Earth for future generations."

The Planetarium plans to install a plaque by the Moon Tree describing its significance and to host a welcome ceremony for the seedling. The sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) is native to the southeastern U.S., including parts of Texas. The tree tends to do well in Texas' hot summer climate.

According to NASA, it chose institutions based on criteria that evaluated their suitability to care for the various tree species and their ability to maximize educational opportunities around the life and growth of the tree in their communities.

"A new era of Moon Trees will one day stand tall in communities across America," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. "NASA is bringing the spirit of exploration back down to Earth because space belongs to everyone. The Artemis generation will carry forth these seedlings that will be fertile ground for creativity, inspiration and discovery for years to come."