The sweetgum tree outside of UTA鈥檚 planetarium stands about 4 feet tall.
It survived its first winter in 2024 and was prepped for this year鈥檚 cold just before Winter Storm Fern landed in North Texas this weekend. The university鈥檚 staff are 鈥渇antastic鈥� when it comes to keeping the tree watered and properly cared for, said UTA planetarium coordinator McKenna Dowd.
鈥淚t鈥檚 thriving, it鈥檚 doing really well,鈥� Dowd said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 new growth on it all the time.鈥�
The sapling was just over a foot tall when the in April 2024 from the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
It was one of the nearly on the Orion spacecraft as part of the 2022 .
The mission鈥檚 uncrewed lunar flight test launched Nov. 16, 2022, and landed back on Earth Dec. 11, 2022. It was the first in a series of missions ultimately intended to land astronauts on the moon and Mars to increase space exploration.
NASA鈥檚 Office of STEM Engagement partnered with the Forest Service to fly five tree species aboard the spacecraft as part of a conservation education initiative. The species included loblolly pine, American sycamore, giant sequoia, Douglas-fir and the Texas native sweetgum.
Artemis I mission map. (NASA) The program was inspired by the 1971 Apollo 14 mission that carried trees into 34 lunar orbits before returning to Earth.
Educational institutions were encouraged to apply to be a 鈥渕oon tree鈥� custodian, Dowd said. UTA was one of the 236 locations that ultimately received a tree from USDA Forest Service facilities, where the seeds were grown into seedlings following the mission and before being granted to applicants.
鈥淚鈥檓 absolutely, incredibly grateful that we have such a living, historic reminder of space exploration right here on campus,鈥� Dowd said.
While final publications have not yet been published, preliminary findings show the seeds were not as impacted by space travel as scientists believed them to be, Dowd said.
The seedlings, including UTA鈥檚 sweetgum, attest to the dedication of universities and institutions everywhere to studying life, space and conservation and their relationship to each other.
鈥淭his living artifact will serve as a tangible representation of our dedication as a campus to scientific advancement, environmental stewardship and global collaboration,鈥� Dowd said.
She describes the research at UTA鈥檚 College of Science as 鈥渋ncredible.鈥�
Dowd pointed to UTA鈥檚 physics department, its weather research center and energy physicists as a few of many examples that make the university a premier R1 research institution, contributing to the field of science as a whole.
鈥淚 believe, really, that the presence of the moon tree will not only enrich our campus, but also contribute to the broader legacy of the Artemis program, showcasing unwavering commitment to excellence, exploration and research,鈥� Dowd said.
With three windows spread through April, Artemis II could . On that mission, four astronauts will spend 10 days in space, orbiting the moon and testing critical spacecraft ahead of Artemis III.
The third installment of the mission aims to land astronauts near the southern portion of the moon, a region yet to be explored by humans.
Also on that mission: samples of the soil of the Artemis I 鈥渕oon trees鈥� planted at NASA鈥檚 10 centers.
As NASA rolls out the mission, Dowd looks forward to the tree鈥檚 growth, its inspiration on UTA鈥檚 students and continued involvement of nature in exploration of space.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l see it again in the future,鈥� Dowd said. 鈥淏ecause all of this is really important as we continue space exploration, especially with the moon and then, in the future, to Mars as well.鈥�
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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