Posted on 07/30/2012 7:11:53 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
(LRO slewed 19° down-Sun allowing the illuminated side of the still standing American flag to be captured at the Apollo 17 site.)
An enduring question ever since the manned moon landings of the 1960s has been: Are the flags planted by the astronauts still standing?
Now, lunar scientists say the verdict is in from the latest photos of the moon taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC): Most do, in fact, still stand.
"From the LROC images it is now certain that the American flags are still standing and casting shadows at all of the sites, except Apollo 11," LROC principal investigator Mark Robinson wrote in a blog post today (July 27). "Astronaut Buzz Aldrin reported that the flag was blown over by the exhaust from the ascent engine during liftoff of Apollo 11, and it looks like he was correct!"
Each of the six manned Apollo missions that landed on the moon planted an American flag in the lunar dirt.
Scientists have examined images of the Apollo landing sites before for signs of the flags, and seen hints of what might be shadows cast by the flags. However, this wasn't considered strong evidence that the flags were still standing. Now, researchers have examined photos taken of the same spots at various points in the day ...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I haven’t heard of anything to blow it down. Not much wind in the Sea of Tranquillity.
So, are these LRO photos of the Apollo sites going to quiet down the conspiracy theorists? I’m sure there will be diehards, but I don’t think they will have much traction.
Just wait till the Chinese go and play capture the flag and stick theres in its place
If the worst happens and Obama stays in our White House for four more years (God forbid!), it’s nice to know that our flag will still fly somewhere. I’d take a planet with no atmosphere over one ruled by a communist thug. I wonder how close we are to being able to settle the moon as a private expedition.
Unless of course the gargomytes trample it down.
ping
Didn't you even read the thing?
That is pretty amazing! They’ve kept the Burbank studio set intact all those years?
On a visit to the JPL she asked if the Mars Rover would be able to show "the flag the astronauts planted there before".
I wonder when obama is going to pay the Russians, the Chinese, or some private company to go get that flag back. Then he can apologize to the whole world. And the universe.
I can foresee the day when the US taxpayer will foot the bill for an "international" mission to Mars, maybe we'd get a Rainbow flag.
To date, the Apollo missions have been the high point of the American experiment.
More refernce ...
Six Flags on the Moon:
What is Their Current Condition?
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ApolloFlags-Condition.html
US flags still standing? Wait till the kenyan CSer piece of filth hears about this!
Actually, the first flag was placed there by the Blackstronauts, if I may say, or point out, or state, if you will.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H8TJv0C58Q
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