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In February 1971, aboard the Apollo 14 Kitty Hawk Command and Service Module, Command Module pilot Stuart Roosa was conducting “scientific observations, experiments and investigations” in lunar orbit, while his fellow crew members, the Commander Alan Shepard and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell explored the Fra Mauro formation on the surface of the Moon.
A NASA History statement on February 4 said that 50 years ago aboard Kitty Hawk, in Roosa’s personal travel kit was “a box containing about 400 to 500 loblolly pine seeds, of sweet gum, redwood, Douglas fir and sycamore. . “
When the mission returned to Earth, NASA said, the seeds sprouted and became what were called “moon trees,” which can be found in the United States and around the world.
NASA quotes Acting NASA Chief Historian Brian Odom, who said in his statement: “The historic voyages of the Apollo program were about daring exploration and incredible scientific discovery. He added: “Apollo 14 has included the widest range of science experiments at this point in the program, but in the case of Roosa’s ‘Moon Trees’, this is what the astronauts took with them on their trip. lunar journey that left such an indelible mark. on the landscape back on Earth. “
According to the statement, this was a joint effort between NASA and the US Forest Service, with a dual objective – as part of an experiment “to determine the effects of deep space on seeds” and also to help raise awareness of the Forest Service and in particular the “wildland wildland firefighters called smokejumpers”, who have jumped from planes to fight the fires.
Where did the idea come from?
According to NASA, Ed Cliff, chief of the forest service, proposed the concept of Moon Tree.
Cliff, who knew that Roosa, in the 1950s – before he became a military aviator and astronaut – had served as a smoke bomb, contacted the astronaut with the idea, NASA said.
In charge of the project, Stan Krugman, a Forest Service geneticist, selected the seeds that flew on Apollo 14 in lunar orbit, NASA said.
There was an accident.
During the post-mission decontamination processes, the cartridge ruptured, mixing the seeds and compromising the environment for the experiment, according to NASA.
Although it was feared the seeds were dead, according to NASA, “they were sent to the forestry services offices in Gulfport, Mississippi and Placerville, Calif., To see if any of them could be sprouted and grown in. young trees. ” Some 450 young trees have been cultivated.
Where have the young trees gone?
NASA history noted that Moon Tree saplings were “donated to schools, universities, parks, and government offices, many as part of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial celebrations,” the locations being chosen, in part, to ensure compatibility of climatic conditions with tree species.
NASA quoted then President Gerald Ford, who said in a telegram to the US Bicentennial Lunar Tree Planting Ceremonies: “This tree that was carried by astronauts Stuart Roosa, Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell during their mission to the Moon, is a living symbol of our spectacular human and scientific achievements. It is a fitting tribute to our National Space Program which brought out the best of American patriotism, dedication and determination to succeed.
After decades of growth, NASA noted, the trees that made it to the moon, which were planted next to their terrestrial counterparts, are no different from those that never left Earth.
- Read more: Fifty years ago Alan Shepard exploded from an endless sand trap and we just found his bullet
Where have they been planted?
According to NASA, “A loblolly pine was planted in the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to the Emperor of Japan, among others. Trees have also been planted in Washington Square in Philadelphia, Valley Forge, the International Forest of Friendship, and various universities and NASA centers. A sycamore lunar tree grows at Koch Girl Scout Camp in Cannelton, Indiana, as well as at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. A list of Moon Tree locations can be found here.
There is a second generation of trees.
NASA explained that “the second generation trees, grown from moon tree seeds, are sometimes known as half moon trees and also grow all over the world.
One such half-moon tree can be found at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama – outside of a building that played a key role in the development of the Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo mission. 14, said NASA.
NASA had this to say: “All crops grown in space have Apollo 14 in their roots. Five decades after the mission that brought the seeds to the moon, the trees that grew from the seeds are living, leafy testimonies to mankind’s first trips to the moon, while the crops that grew on the moon space since allow the continued exploration of the cosmos by humanity. “
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