July 20, 1969, the date on which the Apollo 11 spacecraft landed on the moon, entered history. And after Neil Armstrong took “a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind” and Buzz Aldrin joined him shortly thereafter, the two spent about two and a half hours exploring, photographing and collecting samples. satellite before planting a US flag on its surface and returning to Earth.

This flag - made of ordinary nylon and measuring approximately 1.5 meters in height by 90 centimeters in length - was not the only one to be left on the moon's surface, as subsequent missions followed the same example. However, do they remain intact after all these years?

Common material

According to the staff of Today I Found Out, Buzz Aldrin himself said he saw the first flag left on the moon drop when Apollo 11 engines were fired for the return trip. Moreover, considering the harsh environment on the satellite - virtually devoid of atmosphere, let alone the scorching lunar dust - everyone had always believed that the flags had probably faded and completely disintegrated.

Incidentally, the intention was not even for the flags to last forever. According to Today I Found Out, the first was bought for $ 5.50 (about $ 35 today - or about $ 78 equivalent) from the oldest US flag maker, Annim, New York. Jersey. The other flags left on the moon during the Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 missions were also totally ordinary, of which anyone can buy.

Surprise!

Shadow of the banner left by the Apollo 12 mission

The last flag was left on the moon in 1972, and although no one has roamed the satellite surface since then, several probes have been sent there. With technological development over the years, such equipment has become increasingly accurate, and isn't it that in 2012 the LROC probe - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - clicked on images that confirm that most of the flags are still there, steady and strong?

Shadow of the flag left by the Apollo 16 mission

After evaluating the high-resolution images sent by the spacecraft at different times of the day - and studying shadow movement - NASA concluded that all flags except the one left by Apollo 11 and possibly the one left by Apollo 15 remain standing. And while these two were not detected by the LROC, if the others survived, it would not be too much to assume that the ones that fall continue to exist as well.

Shadow of the flag left by the Apollo 17 mission

However, with respect to the general condition of the flags, there seems to be a consensus that the colors have disappeared and the fabric has turned white. Certainly, the flags were not the only traces left by the astronauts that were clicked by the LROC. The spacecraft also found a lot of equipment and tracks scattered across the lunar surface.