Is the flag still on the Moon?
One small step for man, one giant leap for flag-kind.
Asked by: Harriet Fyfe, Falkland Islands
Six flags were planted on the Moon – one for each Apollo landing. Apollo 11’s flag was too close to the lander and was knocked over by the rocket exhaust when Armstrong and Aldrin took off again. But high resolution images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show that the other five are still standing. The flags were made of ordinary nylon though, so they have all long since been bleached white by the Sun.
Get more fascinating Q&As from BBC Focus magazine by following @sciencefocusQA
Authors
Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
Latest
