Artemis Moon Trees
NASA and the USDA Forest Service have partnered to send tree seeds to space on Artemis I and bring STEM education that connects Artemis I programming to Earth science, conservation education, data literacy, and citizen science to educators and youth nationwide. Seeds that orbited the Moon are from loblolly pine, Douglas-fir, giant sequoia, American sycamore, and sweetgum trees. Those seeds were germinated by the Forest Service, and some of them are being planted across the country now!
Artemis I Mission
Artemis I splashed down on December 11th! The tree seeds have been offloaded and sent to Forest Service nurseries to be planted. Read more about the progress of the Artemis mission.
What Are Moon Trees?
The original Moon Trees are trees grown from seeds that traveled to space aboard Apollo 14 in 1971 with astronaut Stuart Roosa, a former Forest Service smokejumper. After returning to Earth, these seeds were germinated and planted, resulting in the first generation of Moon Trees. Learn all about the first generation of Moon Trees in this article from NASA.
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#1 Tree Seeds Are Selected
The seeds that orbited the Moon on Artemis I are from loblolly pine, Douglas-fir, giant sequoia, American sycamore, and sweetgum trees. The seeds were packed in special "seed raviolis" for their space journey. -
#2 Tree Seeds Go To Space
The project flew approximately 1,200 seeds from five tree species aboard Orion. The seeds, which left the Earth on Nov. 16, 2022, orbited the Moon, and traveled 268,563 miles from Earth before splashing down on Dec. 11. -
#3 Forest Service Scientists Germinate the Seeds
Kayla Herriman is x-raying tree seeds that traveled 43,051 miles beyond the Moon. The seeds completed their epic journey on NASA’s Orion spacecraft as part of the NASA’s Artemis program. USDA Forest Service scientists, including Herriman, now want to know how space travel may have affected the seeds. -
#4 Artemis Moon Tree Seedlings Are Planted
Soon, Artemis Moon Tree seedlings will be ready to plant! Stay tuned for more information!
Planting Artemis Moon Trees
Moon Trees Land at U.S. Capitol
June 4 was out of this world, marking the planting of one of the new Moon Trees, a sweetgum seedling, on the U.S. Capitol grounds. It is now “the most unique tree here as part of our arboretum,” according to Capitol Grounds and Arboretum Director Jim Kaufmann. The sweetgum seedling was grown from tree seeds sent aboard the Artemis I mission as part of a NASA and USDA Forest Service collaboration.
Read the article.
Coeur d’Alene Nursery Manager Aram Eramian was busy during a week in late April helping schools around the Spokane, Washington area plant their Artemis Moon Trees. These seedlings are American sycamores that were germinated and grown at the Coeur d’Alene Nursery in Idaho. The schools were selected after completing a proposal process. View more photos of Artemis Moon Tree plantings here.
Moon Trees: Past, Present, & Future
During the Apollo 14 mission, astronaut Stuart Roosa chose to take tree seeds in his personal preference kit around the Moon as an ode to his days as a USDA Forest Service smoke jumper. When these seeds were returned to Earth they were germinated, planted around the world, and became known as “Moon Trees.” More recently during the Artemis mission, NASA chose to once again send tree seeds around the Moon. The short documentary film: “Moon Trees: Past, Present, and Future” explores the incredible story of Moon Trees, and how they have inspired multiple generations to reach for the Moon.
Featured Resources
Natural Inquirer is excited to partner with the Forest Service to provide a variety of Moon Trees educational resources. We will be updating this site as new education products become available. We will also be adding links to additional NASA educational opportunities related to Moon Trees.
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In this module, we will explore trees and what they need, and we will learn how tree seeds have gone to space. Below you will find articles, videos, and activities...Learning Module – Countdown to Moon Trees
In this module, we will explore trees and what they need, and we will learn how tree seeds have gone to space. Below you will find articles, videos, and activities... -
Artemis Moon Tree Cards Order FREE packs of Artemis Moon Tree Cards!
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Moon Trees LIVE is a virtual learning adventure about Moon Trees, Artemis I, seed science, tree species, and so much more. Below you will find videos for Moon Trees LIVE...Moon Trees LIVE
Moon Trees LIVE is a virtual learning adventure about Moon Trees, Artemis I, seed science, tree species, and so much more. Below you will find videos for Moon Trees LIVE... -
Check out one of our newest coloring sheets! It features our Natural Inquirer rocket bee and information about the Artemis Moon Trees. Pair this with any of our Moon Tree...Moon Tree Coloring Sheet
Check out one of our newest coloring sheets! It features our Natural Inquirer rocket bee and information about the Artemis Moon Trees. Pair this with any of our Moon Tree... -
In this FACTivity, you will research plants growing in your USDA hardiness zone and make predictions about how climate change may impact what plants will grow in your hardiness zone...FACTivity – Grow Where You’re Planted
In this FACTivity, you will research plants growing in your USDA hardiness zone and make predictions about how climate change may impact what plants will grow in your hardiness zone... -
In this article, students will learn about how different planting elevations can affect Jeffrey and ponderosa pines’ survival, growth, and bud development timing.Grow Where You’re Planted – Testing How New Planting Elevations Affect Jeffrey and Ponderosa Pines
In this article, students will learn about how different planting elevations can affect Jeffrey and ponderosa pines’ survival, growth, and bud development timing. -
The first and second generation of Moon Trees sprouted out of a partnership between the USDA Forest Service and NASA. Learn more about the history of the Moon Tree projects,...Spotlight – Moon Trees
The first and second generation of Moon Trees sprouted out of a partnership between the USDA Forest Service and NASA. Learn more about the history of the Moon Tree projects,... -
One of the important jobs of the Forest Service is to oversee restoration projects for forests, grasslands, and watersheds that have been harvested, damaged by wildfire, or otherwise disturbed. An...Spotlight – Seed Extractory
One of the important jobs of the Forest Service is to oversee restoration projects for forests, grasslands, and watersheds that have been harvested, damaged by wildfire, or otherwise disturbed. An... -
NASA Blog on Artemis Moon Trees
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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...
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NASA Moon Tree Resources
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Teaching with i-Tree PLT Guide
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Moon Trees GLOBE Activities and Resources
