April 26, 2024 — 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.
"With the planting of an Artemis Moon Tree today at the governor's
mansion, North Carolina is firmly planting the roots of exploration for
generations to come," said Koch, who is targeted to launch in late 2025
as a member of the Artemis II crew.
As I have reported, One of the first Generation of "Moon Trees" is healthy and growing on the Alabama Capitol grounds!
NOW.... I HOPE Alabama will be able to obtain one of the new generation of Moon Trees to joint the existing one on the Alabama Capitol Grounds!!!
NASA is notifying the selected institutions in waves, with the first now
underway, followed by groups in the fall of this year, spring 2025 and
fall 2025. The agency plans to keep a record of the recipients on its website, noting the species of tree they received and their planting cycle.
Moon Tree hosts will also be invited to engage with the public at quarterly virtual gatherings beginning this summer.
A full list of the first, almost 50 recipients has yet to be made public, but according to a social media post, Mary Chapa Academy in Greenfield, California received a sapling on Thursday (April 25).