Did You Know?


The flag erected on the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 landing was purchased at a local Sears store for $5.50.

The flag erected on the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 landing was purchased at a local Sears store for $5.50.

While we recently celebrated the 50rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, there are still many asking what happened to the flags on the moon. Those of a "certain age" (yours truly included) recall exactly where they were when Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin descended onto the Sea of Tranquility and placed their flags.

Among the many Kodak moments from that mission, Armstrong and Aldrin promptly erected an American flag near the descent module Eagle. The deploying of the Lunar Flag Assembly, as it was known officially, would be repeated by each subsequent pair of moonwalkers.

Over the years, many have wondered what became of those historic banners. NASA officials never intended for the 5-by-3-foot nylon flags to last indefinitely. In fact, they didn't really have a plan for the flag-raising until about three months before Apollo 11's launch. As recounted in NASA Contractor Report 188251, the historic flag was purchased, literally, off the shelf for $5.50 at a local Sears store.


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