RIAU24.COM – 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the first space flight to land a human on the Moon.
The mission was commanded by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and is one of the most memorable moments in human history.
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There were five other Apollo missions to the Moon in the following years, and each of them carried another flag, bringing the total number of American flags on the Moon to six.
Years have passed and many may wonder if the flags managed to stay in space for so long, and under what conditions they were.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter managed to take pictures of five of the six flags in 2012, and it’s clear they’re still there. Unfortunately, the sun’s rays over the years have most likely bleached all the colors of the American flag.
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Most likely they were all in a pale white state. The moon does not have an atmosphere that can absorb sunlight like the one on Earth. This means that these flags are constantly in strong sunlight.
UV degradation can crack or destroy a lot of material, and scientists are starting to worry that it might happen to flags planted on the Moon’s surface. The flag is made of rayon, which is a material that is prone to sun degradation.
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