NASA distributes plants that traveled to space on the Artemis mission

The Moon Trees campaign will distribute trees that traveled to the moon on the Artemis mission to organizations.

Seeds that orbited the Moon on the Artemis 1 mission in 2022. It will be planted in 48 schools, universities and scientific institutions All over the United States.

NASA begins the distribution phase of “lunar trees” as part of the campaign Moon treesa collaborative project reclaiming the legacy of the Apollo 14 mission.

In 1971, astronaut Stuart Rosa, commander of the Apollo 14 mission, carried seeds into lunar orbit. And upon her return, NASA distributed these seedlings throughout the region. At national monuments and plazas, many were planted as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. It was a way to communicate and honor the scientific work of the agency and the state.

Apollo 14, the moon — Paintings accompanying the lunar trees on the Apollo 14 mission.

Now, carrying on this tradition, NASA, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, Different types of “Moon Trees” will be distributed.“.

Plane trees, sweet gums, Douglas fir, loblolly pine, and giant sequoiaWhich traveled more than 430,000 kilometers aboard the Orion spacecraft and flew around the surface of the moon, and will be sent to nearly 50 institutions in 48 states in the country.

A round trip to the moon

When they returned to the land, the Forest Service took care of it Seed germination and care. On the other hand, the authority invited interested institutions to apply to obtain a sample of these plants with a unique story.

Now that they are ready to plant roots in dry land, NASA announced that after “careful review of hundreds of applications,” The institutions that will receive a lunar plant have already been selected.

“NASA selected the institutions based on criteria They evaluated their suitability for caring for different types of trees In a statement, the agency explained their ability to maximize educational opportunities about tree life and growth in their communities.

Notifications will be sent to selected institutions in Four stages go along with the cultivation cycles In the Northern Hemisphere: spring and fall of 2024, and spring and fall of 2025.

Apollo 14, Artemis, Moon — Some specimens from the first distribution of plants are already 50 years old.

“NASA and the Forest Service together will provide a portion of A history of science for communities across our nation“Through this partnership, future explorers, scientists and environmental activists will have the opportunity to curate and be inspired by these Artemis artifacts in the community where they live, work and learn,” said NASA Associate Administrator Mike Kincaid.

“What an amazing journey these future moon trees have had, and we are excited for them to begin their final journey towards it Permanent homes on campuses and institutions across the country.”Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said. “We hope these trees will remain standing for centuries for the public to enjoy, inspiring future generations of scientists and land managers.”