The flag, which was seen flying on the airless Moon, courted several controversies to the extent that some even denied the Moon landing ever happened. But, there was science behind it.
Fifty-five years ago, millions around the world were glued to their television screens as two humans prepared to set foot on an uncharted world.
Over 3,80,000 kilometres away, the lander began its descent. Minutes later, the historic call came: “On Tranquillity Base, the Eagle has landed.”
Humanity had reached the Moon. On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong made history as he stepped down the ladder and onto the lunar surface, followed closely by astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
The two spent the next few hours collecting samples, basking in the sunlight of the powdery landscape, and exploring the Sea of Tranquillity, Apollo 11’s landing site. They also proudly planted an American flag on the Moon’s surface.
The flag, which was seen flying on the airless Moon, later courted several controversies to the extent that some even denied the Moon landing ever happened. But, there was science behind it.
FLYING A FLAG ON THE MOON
Nasa engineers faced a unique challenge when designing the American flag that would be planted on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
The task of creating a flag that could “fly” in the airless lunar environment fell to Jack Kinzler, chief of technical services at Nasa’s Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center).
Kinzler and his team devised an ingenious solution to make the flag appear to wave on the Moon’s surface. They created a telescoping flagpole with a horizontal crossbar at the top.
The flag was attached to this crossbar and hemmed along the top edge to create a sleeve. This design allowed the flag to be extended outward, giving the impression of a flag flying in a breeze, despite the lack of atmosphere on the Moon.
The flagpole itself was made of anodised aluminium tubing, chosen for its lightweight properties and durability in extreme temperatures. The team also had to consider the flag’s material, opting for a nylon fabric that could withstand the harsh lunar environment and the intense sunlight.