NASA Moon Tree Gifted to Lipscomb Academy

After reviewing more than 1,300 applicants, Lipscomb Academy has been selected by NASA to receive a seedling that flew 270,000 miles from earth on the Artemis I mission.

Katie Batson, Lipscomb Academy sixth-grade science faculty, applied to NASA in August 2023 on behalf of the academy to be a recipient of a “Moon Tree”. In early April, Batson was notified by the NASA Office of STEM Engagement and the USDA Forest Service that Lipscomb Academy had been selected as one of the first 50 recipients of the gift. According to NASA, institutions were chosen based on how the trees would be nurtured and educationally promoted to their communities.

“Lipscomb Academy faculty continuously explores paths to make learning engaging, relevant, and applicable to real-life scenarios,” stated Dr. Brad Schultz, Lipscomb Academy head of school. “By staying updated on scientific advancements and actively pursuing opportunities like applying for Lipscomb Academy to be a Moon Tree recipient, Katie Batson demonstrates a high level of commitment to providing enriching experiences for her students and fosters a dynamic learning environment that extends beyond traditional classroom boundaries.”

On April 24, 2024, a three-foot-tall sweetgum Moon Tree arrived at Lipscomb Academy. Batson’s sixth-grade students helped dig the hole and planted the tree on the west side of the campus. The central location joins the two campuses of Lipscomb Academy and Lipscomb University, thereby allowing the Lipscomb community to appreciate and care for the tree together.

Sixth-grade science at Lipscomb Academy focuses on earth and space. With the gift from NASA, Lipscomb Academy students have had the opportunity to utilize the knowledge and skills they acquire from their academic curriculum in real-world situations outside of the classroom. In preparation for the Moon Tree, students have created detailed plans to care for the tree and investigated potential hazards to growth. Sixth-grade students are designing a custom plaque to be built by the upper school Design and Problem Solving class and installed at the base of the tree.

“Moon Trees provide tangible connections to space exploration and discovery. As a teacher, one of my main goals is to create meaningful and memorable learning experiences, so having a Moon Tree aligns with this perfectly!” stated Batson. “I hope it ignites our students' curiosity for years to come as we continue to research and watch it grow. The Artemis program is the future, and this living artifact makes it extremely relevant to our students and emphasizes the significance of science and inquiry.”

On Nov. 16, 2022, NASA launched the Artemis I mission, an uncrewed flight test of the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During its 26 day flight, the spacecraft Orion flew past the moon twice, getting within 80 miles of the lunar surface. Orion traveled 270,000 miles from Earth, 1,000 times farther than the International Space Station, intentionally stressing systems before flying crew on the next mission and surpassing the record for distance traveled by a spacecraft designed to carry humans previously set during Apollo 13. 

Inheriting from the tradition of the 1971 Apollo 14 launch, on board Orion were Moon Tree seedlings. After splashing down on Dec. 11, 2022, the seedlings were assessed to determine their potential for successful growth and were germinated in a nursery in Nebraska under the care of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.

As the sweetgum species can live up to 400 years, the Lipscomb Academy Moon Tree will be a lasting legacy for generations to come.