Images Show Apollo Moon Flags Still Standing

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Images Show Apollo Moon Flags Still Standing

Posted by samzenpus on Monday July 30, 2012 @08:34AM from the planted-to-last dept.

TheNextCorner writes "Images taken by a NASA spacecraft show that the American flags planted in the Moon's soil by Apollo astronauts are mostly still standing. Each of the Apollo missions planted an American flag in the soil at their landing sites. Scientists had previously examined photos of the Apollo landing sites for the flags, and had seen what looked like shadows cast by them on the lunar surface. Now, researchers have studied photos of the landing sites taken at different points during the day (and under different illuminations) and have observed shadows circling the points where the flags are thought to be."

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Amazing! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-30 08:36 · Score: 5, Funny

You'd think that the flags would've been knocked over by all that lunar wind by now.
1. Re:Amazing! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-30 08:40 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Or the desert wind rolling north from Mexico...
this is interesting and all... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-30 08:42 · Score: 5, Insightful

...but it would be even MORE interesting if they WEREN'T there anymore.
We might even have a reason to go back and checkout what/who was moving our flags around :)
1. Re:this is interesting and all... by goodmanj · 2012-07-30 09:05 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Why wouldn't they be standing? Because of the exhaust from the lunar module ascent stage's rocket engine. The LM blew all kinds of crap around when it took off, and kicked up dust on the surface. Here's a video of the Apollo 17 lunar liftoff, taken from the lunar rover's remote controlled camera.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iziumcklDbM
2. Re:this is interesting and all... by Art+Challenor · 2012-07-30 09:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Technically, there's nothing that shows they are the SAME flags, just SOME flags.
Re:But...but... by Moses48 · 2012-07-30 08:47 · Score: 5, Funny

oblig http://xkcd.com/1074/
Whew! by partiklehead · 2012-07-30 08:47 · Score: 5, Funny

What a relief!
Imagine having to go all the way back there and fix it.

--
disclaimer: I am a you row pee'n
Re:But...but... by wjousts · 2012-07-30 08:52 · Score: 5, Funny

Do we really have to bring them back? Seems easier not to.
Coincidentally... by Airballp · 2012-07-30 08:59 · Score: 5, Funny

Top ranking NASA officials also used the phrase "mostly still standing" to describe the state of the U.S. space program.
Re:But...but... by Coisiche · 2012-07-30 21:37 · Score: 5, Funny

And these photos just provide more ammunition to them if they spin it correctly.
Take the Apollo 16 site image. The lunar rover is parked some 100 metres from the LEM but everyone knows that an American would never park their vehicle that far from their destination.
...
(Yeah, I know Young parked it there so the on-board camera could be used to capture the capsule ascent.)