Boise State’s Department of Physics has acquired an Artemis Moon tree, which they will plant on campus on the evening of Friday, Sept. 5.
Moon trees are trees grown from seeds that have journeyed to the Moon and back. Upon their return, NASA grows seedlings and distributes the trees to worthy applicants all around the country.
Idaho received several Apollo Moon trees in the 1970s, when Apollo 14 carried seeds on its lunar journey. At least one is still standing: the loblolly pine planted at Boise’s Lowell Elementary School in 1977.
Apollo 14 was the only flight to carry Moon tree seeds in the Apollo program, which ended in 1972 with Apollo 17. However, in 2019 NASA has revived the prospect of manned lunar missions with the Artemis program.
The first mission, Artemis I, launched in late 2022, carrying a fresh crop of seeds as it made an unmanned flight around the moon and back to Earth. Now the Department of Physics has received their own Douglas fir seedling from that flight.
“It’s this real, tangible connection to the space program,” said Brian Jackson, the Boise State physics professor who led the effort to bring an Artemis Moon tree to campus.
The new Moon tree represents Idaho’s deep roots in lunar exploration. The Apollo astronauts trained at Craters of the Moon in central Idaho. NASA astronaut, teacher and former Boise State distinguished educator in residence Barbara Morgan is also an Idahoan.
Now is an exciting time to plant Boise State’s Moon tree. The planned Artemis missions include Artemis III, which will send astronauts to the Moon’s south pole in search of water ice, and Artemis IV, which will build the first lunar space station.
“This is kind of the renaissance of space exploration,” Jackson said. “Hopefully this is a new birth of space exploration for us.”
Parties interested in the Artemis Moon tree planting should attend the First Friday Astronomy talk by astronaut and Boise State distinguished educator in residence Steve Swanson at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 5 in the Education Building, Room 112. At the conclusion of Swanson’s talk, the audience will make the short walk to the Moon tree planting site near the greenhouses.