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."

posted 01-09-2025 01:51 PM               

Moon Tree

The USDA Forest Service has generously gifted one of their new generation of Moon Trees to be planted on the grounds of the Kennedy Center. These Moon Trees have been grown from seeds that were sent into space on board the Artemis I mission in partnership with NASA in 2022.

Accepting stewardship of this young American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), a beautiful tree that has particular importance to the Indigenous peoples of the Potomac and to the ecology of the river itself, will be a lasting tribute to President Kennedy’s crucial role in the U.S. space program and a symbol of his belief in the importance of peaceful space exploration.

The planting of the Moon Tree is a wonderful link between the recent "Reach to Forest" festival and the upcoming "Earth to Space: Arts Breaking the Sky" festival, which will celebrate the return of humans to the Moon.

Moon Tree Planting Ceremony

A Moon Tree sapling germinated from seeds sent on the 2022 Artemis space mission was planted on the Kennedy Center grounds in a special ceremony on November 12, 2024. In attendance were Deborah Rutter, President, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Alicia Adams, Vice President, International Programming and Dance; Kris Brown, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of STEM Engagement; Andria Weeks, Associate Deputy Chief, State, Private, and Tribal Forestry; and Chuck Sams, Director of the National Park Service.

A musical rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon" to mark the occasion was performed by a saxophone ensemble led by Davey Yarborough, Artistic Director of The Washington Jazz Arts Institute.

posted 03-20-2025 06:34 AM               

NASA Langley Dedicates Artemis Moon Tree

A tree that sprouted from a seed that journeyed around the Moon and back is growing at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Above: NASA's Acting Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Lori Glaze, right, and NASA Langley Acting Center Director Trina Dyal spoke at a dedication ceremony for NASA Langley's Artemis Moon Tree at the center March 12. (NASA/Ryan Hill)

NASA's Acting Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Lori Glaze and NASA Langley Acting Center Director Trina Dyal spoke at a dedication ceremony for the Artemis Moon Tree, a loblolly pine, at the center March 12.

"I wanted to quote an old Greek proverb that more or less says something like, 'Society grows when its elders plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,' " said Glaze. "I love that. We always talk about how we stand on the shoulders of giants. Those giants planted seeds, and we are still benefiting from the tremendous roots of those trees,"

The young tree, only about two feet tall right now, is growing in an area between NASA Langley's Integrated Engineering Services Building and its Measurement Systems Laboratory. The pine is surrounded by a wire plant protector. A yellow label identifies the species and the location of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services nursery where the seedling was grown — Charles E. Bessey Nursery in Halsey, Nebraska. A small plaque marks its status as a Moon Tree.

"This, we plant here for all future generations to be inspired and to continue on the amazing legacy of what we're doing," said Glaze. "Our return to the lunar surface and our journey to Mars through the Artemis campaign is really going to lay the foundation for that future of exploration that right now we're only dreaming about. With your help, through Langley and the rest of our NASA colleagues and partners, we're going to achieve those visions."

Above: NASA Langley's Artemis Moon Tree is a loblolly pine. (NASA/Ryan Hill)

The loblolly seed was one of many that flew on the Artemis I mission Nov. 16 to Dec. 11, 2022 — journeying 270,000 miles from Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft. NASA's Office of STEM Engagement partnered with the Forest Services to fly the seeds aboard Artemis I as part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative.

In addition to loblolly pines, tree species on the flight included sycamores, sweetgums, Douglas firs, and giant sequoias. The Forest Services germinated the seeds.

Locally, NASA Langley's loblolly pine is one of three Artemis Moon Trees. The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News and the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk were also selected as Moon Tree stewards, and also received loblolly pines.

posted 03-25-2025 09:19 PM               

Families Flock to Scobee Education Center for Moon Tree Dedication

A new addition to the San Antonio College campus traveled more than 270,000 miles to get here.

The tree, a loblolly pine native to East Texas, sprouted from one of hundreds of seeds that traveled into space aboard NASA's Artemis I mission in 2022. The seeds were germinated upon the spacecraft's return to Earth. NASA selected SAC as a recipient of an Artemis moon tree seedling.

The tree, named Artie, was planted in front of the Scobee Education Center and was dedicated in a ceremony at the start of the 3rd Annual Head Start Family Day held March 1.

Artie's new home sits in the Challenger Holt Memorial Garden near a sundial honoring former SAC astronomer and Scobee planetarium coordinator Bob Kelly and memorials to the seven astronauts of the Challenger.

From its new home, the tree will be a symbol of the opportunities for all people as the country returns to the moon and establishes a base there for further space exploration, said Rick Varner, director of the Scobee Education Center.

The sapling arrived on campus in May 2023 and has grown about two feet since then, said Rose Flores, director of Eco Centro, SAC's center for community and environmental sustainability. The Eco Centro took care of the tree until it was large enough to plant by the Scobee Center.

While loblolly trees are found in San Antonio, the species is native to East Texas, where it thrives in that region's more acidic soil. In addition to care from Eco Centro, arborists from Bexar Branches Alliance, a local nonprofit, will serve as advisors and assist with Artie's care. With a little special treatment, the tree should do fine here and add some nice diversity to the trees on campus, Flores said.

"I think it's really neat to have a diverse population of native trees on campus, especially if you can give meaning to it," Flores said. "It allows humans to connect with nature a little bit more so that we can take care of it."

The tree will become an attraction in itself, Varner said, and will help the Scobee Center fulfill its mission to engage and inspire children to pursue STEM careers in the pathways that lead through SAC.

It's a living symbol of the Artemis mission, a multi-phase endeavor that will create a permanent base on the moon to serve as preparation for traveling further into space, including future missions to Mars.

Valentina Covarrubias, was excited to get a photo of her two-year old son Sultan McBride by the tree. Both Artie and Sultan are about the same age and Sultan is just about a head taller.

She said it will be awesome to explore NASA and other opportunities as he gets older.

"As the tree grows, he also grows. I think that will be something that will always be with him," said Covarrubias.

She is already planning to return once Sultan is ready to enter college and see how much has changed. "I actually look forward to it."