The "Moon Trees"
by Dave Williams (exerpt)
In this excerpt, Dr. David R. Williams, acting head at the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland,
describes the history of the "Moon Trees" program at NASA.
(1) Apollo 14 launched in the late afternoon of January 31, 1971, on what was to be our third trip to the lunar surface. Five days later Alan Shepard and
Edgar Mitchell walked on the Moon while Stuart Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper, orbited above in the command module
. Packed in
small
containers... were hundreds of tree seeds, part of a joint NASA/USFS project. Upon return to Earth, the seeds were germinated
by the Forest Service.
Known as the "Moon Trees", the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States (often as part of the nation's bicentennial in 1976
) and
the
world.
(2) The project began after Roosa was chosen for the Apollo 14 mission. Ed Cliff, Chief of the Forest Service, knew of Stuart Roosa from his days as a
smoke jumper and contacted him about bringing seeds into space. Stan Krugman of the Forest Service was put in charge of the project and selected the
seeds for the experiment. Seeds were chosen from five different types of trees: loblolly pine, sycamore, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir. The seeds
were classified and sorted, and sealed in small plastic bags that were stored in a metal cannister. Control seeds were kept on Earth for later comparison.
Roosa carried possibly 2000 or more seeds in the cannister in his personal kit, a small canvas pouch that stayed with him as he orbited the Moon in the
command module "Kitty Hawk" in February, 1971. Unfortunately, the seed bags burst open during the decontamination procedures after their return to Earth.
Which textual evidence best supports the inference that the "Moon Trees" came to be seen as a symbol of America's contribution to understanding the
moon?
OA. "[Roosa] then worked on the Space Shuttle program until his retirement as a Colonel in the Air Force in 1976, the time when many of
his trees were being planted."
B.
"Stan Krugman collected the seeds and an attempt at germinating some of the seeds was made in Houston."
OC. "A loblolly pine was planted at the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to the Emperor of
Japan, among others."
D.
"The seeds were classified and sorted, and sealed in small plastic bags that were stored in a metal cannister."