Flags on the Moon: Icons of Rivalry and Unity
At a glance:
Two countries, the United States of America and China have placed physical moon flags, representing a great scientific achievement and not ownership of land.
There are other countries that have explored the moon in the past, and still do presently, but have not placed a physical flag on the lunar surface.
Flags on the moon tend to degrade overtime due to UV radiation exposure.
This one was suggested by one of our fans! And honestly, it’s a great one, learnt a lot researching this. The United States of America, with their Apollo space programme, was the first country to physically place a flag on the Moon, specifically with the famous Apollo 11 mission. However, there are more than one flags on the Moon’s surface.
The flags:
1. The United States of America
The Apollo programme ran for 11 years and allowed 12 astronauts to walk on the Moon’s surface. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to land on the Moon, they placed the first physical flag of the United States there.
Photo taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Flag_Assembly
Interestingly, the decision to carry a flag came during the later stages of the space exploration project. President Richard Nixon, in his inaugural address, described the Apollo programme as “...not as new worlds to be conquered, but as a new adventure to be shared,” lending it an international tone. At one point, NASA even considered planting a United Nations flag. However, an internal survey revealed that NASA officials overwhelmingly preferred to plant the American flag, a sentiment that was widely supported by the public.
To address the flag’s purpose, NASA formed a Committee on Symbolic Activities for the First Lunar Landing. They ensured the flag planting would not interfere with the mission’s safety and clarified that the act was symbolic and did not imply territorial claims, in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Ultimately, the flagpole’s height was decided to be between 71 cm and 170 cm. The flag itself cost $5.50, while the tubing for the pole cost $75. An additional horizontal pole was added to give the illusion of the flag “flying” in the Moon’s airless environment.
The United States deployed flags during six Apollo missions: Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Here are some interesting anecdotes:
Apollo 11: Placing the flag proved harder than expected due to the Moon’s dusty surface, which made inserting the pole difficult. The flag was placed 8.2 metres from the spacecraft. However, the blast from the rocket’s exhaust during liftoff knocked it over.
Apollo 12: The flag was positioned at an angle because the latch mechanism struggled to keep it straight. This design flaw was addressed in subsequent missions.
Apollo 13: The mission was aborted due to a malfunction, and the flag intended for deployment was destroyed during the spacecraft’s return to Earth.
Today, it is highly likely that all the flags left on the Moon have been bleached white due to unfiltered ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
2. China
China is the only other country to have physically placed a flag on the Moon. Their lunar exploration programme, the Chang’e Project (named after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang’e), is ongoing, with an ambitious goal of launching a crewed lunar mission by 2029–30.
Photo taken from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55192692
During the Chang’e 5 mission in 2020, a Chinese flag was placed on the Moon. Officials designed this flag to withstand extreme conditions, crafting it from a composite material capable of enduring temperatures from -150°C to +150°C. Additionally, the Chang’e 6 mission carried a stone flag made of basalt, a volcanic rock found both on the Moon and Earth, which was also placed on the lunar surface. Both flags were deployed during unmanned probe landings for sample collection.
Are There More Flags?
Several other countries—including the Soviet Union, India, Israel, and Japan—have sent probes to the Moon. While their national flags are displayed on these probes, no physical flags have been planted on the Moon’s surface yet. Can the presence of these probes be considered equivalent to a flag “on the Moon”? Perhaps it’s open to interpretation.
In 1970, President Richard Nixon ensured no country was left out of the Moon landing celebrations. Alongside the large American flag planted on the lunar surface, the Apollo 11 spacecraft also carried miniature flags representing all 50 U.S. states, U.S. territories, and every United Nations member country at the time. Nixon later arranged for commemorative plaques to be distributed to 135 recognised countries, all U.S. states, and the United Nations. Each plaque included a button containing a miniature flag that had travelled to the Moon and back, as well as a small sample of lunar dust.
For example, you can view the Romanian flag at the time from this initiative.
Taken from: https://www.rciusa.info/post/the-lunar-gifts-of-president-nixon---the-history-of-romania-in-one-object
Conclusion
The Moon has become a stage for humanity’s symbolic achievements, with flags serving as markers of exploration and ambition. While only a handful of physical flags currently “fly” on its surface, future missions from various countries may add to this celestial collection. Who will be next to plant their flag on the Moon?
