Moon trees among the most famous space experiments NASA has ever conducted in history. A before report from Science Times reported that about 500 seeds were sent into space aboard the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 to determine the growth of those seeds that experienced microgravity differently from those that did not experience microgravity at all.
The Apollo 14 mission orbited the moon 34 hours before returning to Earth. When they returned, NASA revealed that they had combined these seeds with seeds unknown to their peers. About 83 of these seeds grew into trees, now known as Moon Trees.
Most are in the US, two of which are located in South America and one in Europe. NASA has recently shared a map showing these places 50 years after its launch into space.
The collection of Moon Trees includes Douglas fir, loblolly pine, red woods and sycamores.
Moon Trees: A Living Testament of Apollo 14
The Apollo 14 mission is celebrating 50 years this year. This is the third lunar mission and the first to land in the lunar highlands. Along with the astronauts, NASA also sorted and sorted seeds to see if they were affected by microgravity. At the same time, they also kept seed-like varieties on Earth as a comparison.
Although nearly 500 seeds were sent into space, MailOnline reported that many of them were impossible for testing because the canister that was blown open during the decontamination process when the team returned to Earth .
“The resulting seedlings have been planted all over the United States (often as part of the country’s bicentennial in 1976) and all over the world. They stand in praise of the astronaut Roosa and Apollo program, “NASA said.
Pilot model commander Stuart Roosa performed the scientific observations, experiments and studies while in lunar orbit on the seeds.
Command Model Pilot Stuart Roosa conducted scientific observations, experiments and studies in lunar orbit.
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Detailed map of moon tree location
Professor Michele Tobias of the University of California Davis created a detailed map of the Moon Trees locations that NASA sent around the world.
Do you have a moon tree in your back garden?
Find out if one grows near you >> https://t.co/SPkcUHgqIq pic.twitter.com/6fERspnnpT
– NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) February 4, 2021
In a 2016 interview, he said he learned about the Moon Trees while watching a program of Huell Howser on KBIE Public Television. It showed one of the places in the Moon Trees on the territory of the California State Capitol.
“I later learned from my aunt that my grandfather was part of the telemetry team that recovered the Apollo 14 mission that carried the seeds that grew into Moon Trees, so something connected with this idea, “Tobias said.
According to NASA, former President Gerald Ford said in a telegram to the U.S. Bicentennial Moon Tree planting rituals that Moon Trees was carried by the Apollo 14 mission crew, which is a symbol of the amazing human achievements and scientific, which is a fitting honor for NASA that brought out the best in American patriotism and determination to succeed.
Today, experiments in space continue, and several space agencies around the world plan to further explore the Moon, Mars, and the cosmos outside the Solar System.
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Check out more news and information about Moon Mission on Science Times.