Apollo Flags Still Standing

[Eric Mc]

Well, most of them anyway.

The LRO spacecraft has confirmed that most of the flags planted on the moon by the Apollo astronauts are still standing. It was reported by Armstrong and Aldrin during their lift off from the lunar surface that the rocket blast from the Lunar Module ascent engine had knocked their flag over - and this has also been confirmed by LRO.

The picture below shows the Apollo 16 flag and its shadow.

[Simpo Two]

Apart from being blown over on take-off, how could they fall over later?

[Eric Mc]

Moonquake? (They do get these on the moon)

Fluke impact from meteorite? (Less likely but possible)

Degradation of support pole due to ultraviolet light or fracturing of pole due to thermal fluctuations causing it to crumple under its own weight. Thermal fluctuations on the lunar surface are from around -100 degrees C to plus 100 degrees C.

It was assumed by many that the nylon flags may have turned to dust and powder due to ultraviolet rays and the extreme bright light but it seems they have survived reasonably intact. I am pretty sure all the coloured dyes from the flag have been bleached out by now.

[Willy Holloughby]

Simpo Two said:

Apart from being blown over on take-off, how could they fall over later?

[Guvernator]

They aren't still banging that old drum are they? Everyone know's that the Lunar landings didn't actually happen (except on some made up film set somewhere).

[Eric Mc]

Guvernator said:

They aren't still banging that old drum are they? Everyone know's that the Lunar landings didn't actually happen (except on some made up film set somewhere).

You are relatively new here, aren't you

[Brother D]

Eric Mc said:

You are relatively new here, aren't you

(I'm sure he is)...

One of the most depressing things growing up as an adult are meeting people who no matter how much fact and evidence are put in front of them, will never believe the logical answer based in real-world physics over a physics-defying conspiracy theory sprinkled with paranoia. And the surprise that these people are apparently 'educated'.

Don't get me started on 9/11 conspiracy theories.

(I think I am alone in having near seizures when people spout illogical 'facts').

[Guvernator]

To be honest it was extremely tongue in cheek. Of course the Lunar landings really happend. The cover up of the aliens they met there however is another story

[Eric Mc]

We try to keep this lunar landing hoax discussion off the science forum if at all possible. It can be discussed ad nauseum in places like The Lounge if necessary.

I really hate it when a sensible post about Apollo gets hijacked by this non-debate.

[longshot]

Happier?

[Pints]

This is interesting. It would be fantastic if a colour photograph of the flag was able to be taken so that we'd have some answers to the ideas above regarding discolouration of the flag, etc.

[Eric Mc]

The resolution of LRO isn't quite good enough to pick up that type of detail - unless they bring the spacecraft down even closer to the surface - and then you start geting motion blur.

[Pints]

I certainly wasn't expecting anything from this lot but perhaps sometime in the future.

[Eric Mc]

Pints said:

I certainly wasn't expecting anything from this lot but perhaps sometime in the future.

Although LRO has provided some nice images of the Apollo sites, they are only a by product of its main mission, which is to phoptograph the surface of the moon in the finest detail it has been imaged up to now.

The same will be the case for any other future lunar missions. There is little scientific return to be obtained from photographing sites already visited by humans.

[The Major]

Brother D said:

(I think I am alone in having near seizures when people spout illogical 'facts').

I think you might die if you watch the simpsons on sky then. thats with the new zeebox sponser.

[jmorgan]

Tis interesting it is still up. I thought it would have crumbled by now. Seeing how some plastic turns brittle in the sun, wonder how flimsy it now is? Not bad for off the shelf I suppose.

[Guvernator]

Eric Mc said:

There is little scientific return to be obtained from photographing sites already visited by humans.

Yes but it would sure shut all those pesky Lunar conspiracy theorists up!

[Eric Mc]

Guvernator said:

Eric Mc said:

There is little scientific return to be obtained from photographing sites already visited by humans.

Yes but it would sure shut all those pesky Lunar conspiracy theorists up!

NASA has better and more productive things to do with its (curently very limited) budget than use it to battle nutcases.

[Guvernator]

Eric Mc said:

NASA has better and more productive things to do with its (curently very limited) budget than use it to battle nutcases.

I agree that in this time of austerity, their money could be put to much better use. Having said that though, NASA haven't exactly been known for saving money in the past. Most would say many of their previous experiments could only be termed as esoteric and not great value for money in the grand scheme of things. Spiders on drugs and space roses being just a couple of the examples I can remember off the top of my head.

In fact you could take it a step further and say the whole Lunar landing program was a bit of a waste of money. Yes some of the offshoot technology that was created to make the whole thing happen was very useful but what purpose did landing a man on the moon actually serve other than enabling a couple of guys to jump really high and gather some rocks?

[Eric Mc]

Apart from galvanising the entire US scientific and engineering industryand learning some fundamental information about the formation of the Solar System and the history of the earth and moon.

Can we start another thread if we want to discuss the merits or otherwise of the Apollo programme? This was only a post about the current state of the flags - which I thought some PHers would find of interest.