From space to soil: What are Moon Trees? NASA finds new homes for them

NASA has sifted through numerous applications, ultimately handpicking organizations scattered across the nation to be recipients of ‘Moon Tree’ seedlings. These seedlings, having journeyed around the Moon aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission in 2022, are now slated to be planted within various communities. The selection process involved stringent criteria focused on assessing the suitability of these institutions to nurture diverse tree species and effectively leverage educational opportunities surrounding the life cycle and growth of these trees within their locales.
The genesis of the Artemis I Moon Trees traces back to the original Moon Trees transported by NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa during the Apollo 14 mission, rooted deeply in history. These seeds had journeyed 270,000 miles aboard the Orion spacecraft, which included tree species such as sycamores, sweetgums, Douglas firs, loblolly pines, and giant sequoias. The initial batch of seedlings is slated for distribution to nearly 50 institutions across the US.

What are moon trees?

The concept of Moon trees germinated from seeds that voyaged into lunar orbit, initially borne by Apollo 14 in 1971 and subsequently by Artemis 1 in 2022. Edward P. Cliff, then Chief of the United States Forest Service, proposed this idea and persuaded Stuart Roosa, the Command Module Pilot on Apollo 14, to transport a small canister of seeds during the mission.

History of Moon Trees

Apollo 14’s journey commenced on January 31, 1971, with Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell undertaking lunar exploration while Stuart Roosa orbited above in the command module. Concealed within Roosa’s personal kit were hundreds of tree seeds. Upon their return to Earth, these seeds were nurtured by the Forest Service, giving rise to the iconic “Moon Trees” that were subsequently planted across the United States and globally, serving as a testament to Roosa’s contribution and the Apollo program’s legacy.

The initiative took shape following Roosa’s selection for the Apollo 14 mission when Ed Cliff approached him, drawing upon Roosa’s background as a former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper. Stan Krugman, entrusted with overseeing the project, meticulously curated seeds from five distinct tree species. These seeds were meticulously packaged, stored in a metal cannister, and carried aboard the spacecraft.

Despite an unforeseen mishap during the decontamination process upon their return to Earth, wherein the seed bags ruptured, exposing the seeds to vacuum, subsequent efforts to germinate the seeds proved fruitful.

Many of these seedlings, along with cuttings, thrived and were distributed to various entities during the nation’s bicentennial celebrations in 1975 and 1976. Notably, states received trees of southern and western species, with iconic locations such as the White House and international recipients including Brazil, Switzerland, and Japan participating in this commemorative endeavor.