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 1 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 2 crew.
Koch's presentation marked one of the first deliveries to a new generation of Moon Tree stewards, whom NASA has selected from across the country. Koch's alma mater, White Oak High School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, is another of the chosen recipients.
"I used to dream about going to space by looking up through the pine trees, and so, it was just a really great symbol of our commitment to North Carolina, North Carolina's commitment back to NASA, and all the amazing universities here that produce people for the aerospace industry," said Koch according to The Daily News, the local newspaper in Jacksonville. "That whole Artemis generation that's coming up here and that we can't wait to see exploring space."
Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know
