Moon Tree Dedication in Flagstaff Sparks Memories and Future Aspirations
On May 5, a unique event took place at Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory, where a moon tree was dedicated with the help of U.S. Senator Mark Kelly. These moon trees trace their lineage back to seeds carried into space by astronaut Stuart Roosa during the Apollo 14 mission in the 1970s. Roosa, who previously served as a smokejumper with the U.S. Forest Service, took hundreds of seeds on his voyage, which were later germinated by the Forest Service.
Among these seeds, one took root near Mississippi State University. At the observatory, Rosemary Roosa, Stuart Roosa’s daughter, joined Senator Kelly and others to honor a young American sycamore related to this original moon tree.
Senator Kelly, drawing from his own experiences as a former NASA astronaut, reflected on the significance of the moon tree. He remarked that it serves as a reminder of Roosa and other pioneering space explorers, including Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut. “I never met Stuart Roosa, but I did meet Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell [another Apollo 14 astronaut], and those are the guys that I looked up to as a kid and that inspired me at a very young age,” Kelly shared with KNAU following the ceremony.
Following the recent Artemis II mission, Kelly expressed his hope that it will inspire a renewed interest in lunar exploration among Americans. He also speculated that the first person to set foot on Mars could be from Flagstaff, suggesting that “they might even be sitting over there,” emphasizing “the power of exploration.”
Kelly is also committed to ensuring the future of space exploration. He plans to challenge the proposed 23% budget cut to NASA by the White House in the upcoming congressional appropriations process. “The president’s request for NASA is inadequate,” Kelly stated, adding that such a reduction would dramatically impact scientific research, which he believes is crucial for innovation, industry development, and job creation.
According to Kelly, President Donald Trump “won’t get the final say” in these budgetary matters, indicating a continued commitment to advocating for NASA’s needs.
—
Read More Arizona News
