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NASA STEM Artemis Moon Trees

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement partnered with U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services to fly five species of tree seeds aboard Artemis I as part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative.  

A deciduous tree stands tall behind a small plaque identifying it as an Apollo Moon Tree on a grassy mound in North Carolina

 

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Overview

More than a half-century ago, NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa, the command module pilot for the Apollo 14 mission and a former U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services smoke jumper, carried tree seeds into lunar orbit. The Apollo 14 Moon Trees were grown into seedlings by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services and eventually disseminated to national monuments and dignitaries around the world, with a large number distributed as part of the nation’s bicentennial event.  

In a nod to the legacy of Apollo 14, and a celebration of the future of space exploration with NASA’s Artemis Program, a “New generation” of Moon Tree seeds traveled into lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft. The seeds travelled thousands of miles beyond the Moon spending about 4 weeks in space before returning to Earth.  

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement partnered with U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services to fly five species of tree seeds aboard Artemis I as part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative.  

Through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) and NASA’s Artifact Module, museums, universities, federal agencies, including NASA Field Centers, and K-12 serving organizations were invited to apply for ownership of a Moon Tree seedling. Recipient selection is underway for organizations according to a distribution schedule aligned to four planting cycles: Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Fall 2025. 

Media

10 Images
A man stands in front of a grove of tall trees
grayscale view of lunar surface with a dark smudge in the center of the image
Seen here, is a nighttime rendering of the evolved SLS Block 1B Crew variant positioned on the mobile launcher. This configuration of the rocket, with the Exploration Upper Stage, will provide in-space propulsion to send astronauts in NASA’s Orion spacecraft and heavy cargo on a precise trajectory to the Moon. The evolution of the rocket to SLS Block 1B configuration with EUS enables SLS to launch 40% more cargo to the Moon along with the crew. Manufacturing both the core stage and Exploration Upper Stage is a collaborative effort between NASA and Boeing, the lead contractor for EUS and the SLS core stage. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission. The SLS rocket, NASA’s Orion spacecraft, Gateway, and human landing system are part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration. Under the Artemis program, NASA is working to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon to pave the way for sustainable exploration at the Moon and future missions to Mars. (NASA)

Moon Tree Stewards

As Moon Tree Recipients are confirmed, their status will be published by species and planting cycle below.

NASA Finds New Homes for Artemis Generation of ‘Moon Trees’ Across US

After careful review of hundreds of applications, NASA has selected organizations from across the country to receive ‘Moon Tree’ seedlings that flew around the Moon on the agency’s Artemis I mission in 2022, to plant in their communities. Notifications to selected institutions will be made in phases.

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Please direct inquiries to STEMMoontrees@mail.nasa.gov 

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