Six American flags were planted on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. The first one, planted during Apollo 11, likely fell over within minutes of liftoff. The others are a more complicated story.
These were ordinary nylon flags put in a setting nobody had designed flags for: no atmosphere, compacted lunar soil, and a rocket engine firing a few feet away. More than fifty years later, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has returned images of the Apollo sites, but it cannot tell us the current color or condition of any piece of fabric.
Quick Facts About the American Flags on the Moon
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Flags planted | Six U.S. flags, one at each successful Apollo lunar landing site |
| Landing missions | Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 |
| Years planted | 1969 to 1972 |
| Flag material | Standard 3-by-5-foot nylon flag with a modified top hem |
| Why it looked like it waved | A horizontal support rod held the top edge out from the pole. |
| Apollo 11 status | Likely knocked down during Lunar Module liftoff, based on Buzz Aldrin's recollection and the absence of a clear LRO shadow |
| What LRO imagery indicates | Shadows at five sites overall; the clearest flag-shadow evidence is at Apollo 12, 16, and 17 |
Why the Moon Flags Look Like They Are Waving
The Apollo 11 photos show a flag that looks like it's flapping in a breeze. No breeze existed. The Moon has no atmosphere. A flag left on its own would hang flat against the pole.
NASA's Lunar Flag Assembly used a standard 3-by-5-foot nylon flag with a hem sewn along the top edge. A horizontal aluminum rod ran through that hem and held the fabric out from the pole. The full assembly, including its protective case, weighed 9 pounds 7 ounces. The rod did not always extend fully, and the cloth retained folds from being packed, which created the ripples visible in the photographs.
Apollo 11: The Flag That Probably Fell First
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted the first U.S. flag at Tranquility Base. It was positioned fairly close to the Lunar Module Eagle, where the crew was working around surface equipment and a television camera while also trying to drive a pole into compacted lunar soil.
When they lifted off, Aldrin later wrote that he watched the flag fall over. That was his eyewitness account. Available liftoff footage begins after the Lunar Module was already airborne, so the moment itself was not captured on camera.
NASA's historical account treats Apollo 11's flag as presumably no longer standing, and LRO analysis has found no clear flag shadow at the site. Later missions planted their flags farther from the Lunar Module, which may help explain why Apollo 11 is the one case where the flag almost certainly came down.
What Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Images Can Show
possible flag shadows at the Apollo sites. Image: NASA/LRO.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been imaging the Apollo sites since 2009. It can show the Lunar Module descent stage, astronaut paths, rover tracks, experiment packages, and shadows from objects still standing on the surface when lighting conditions are right. It can't read a flag's stitching or confirm whether any color remains in the fabric.
At Apollo 12, NASA published a three-dimensional visualization that marks the flag's shadow alongside astronaut paths, the experiment package, and the Surveyor 3 spacecraft. Comparing images taken under different lighting conditions against known deployment maps produces strong evidence for upright flag assemblies at Apollo 12, 16, and 17.
Apollo 14 and 15 are less clear. Both sites have multiple possible shadow sources, and the detailed record is more cautious. A shadow in a lunar image can indicate an upright object without telling you anything about the condition of the cloth attached to it.
The Six Apollo Flags, Mission by Mission
| Mission | Landing year | What the evidence indicates |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo 11 | 1969 | Aldrin saw the flag fall. LRO shows no shadow. It was likely knocked down. |
| Apollo 12 | 1969 | LRO shows a strong, repeated shadow at the site. One of the clearest cases. |
| Apollo 14 | 1971 | Multiple shadow sources make the site unclear. No confirmed flag shadow. |
| Apollo 15 | 1971 | TV footage showed it standing after liftoff. LRO evidence is unclear. |
| Apollo 16 | 1972 | LRO shows strong shadows at the mapped location. |
| Apollo 17 | 1972 | LRO shows strong shadows. This was the final Apollo flag. |
Are the Flags Still Red, White, and Blue?
Probably not, though nobody has photographed the fabric closely enough to confirm it. The flags were nylon, and they have been sitting in unfiltered ultraviolet radiation and extreme temperature cycles for over fifty years. NASA's historical discussion treats significant fading and physical deterioration as likely outcomes, not confirmed observations.
A pole or a shadow can remain visible in orbital imagery even if the cloth is torn, bleached, or mostly gone. The fabric's current condition is unknown, and it will stay that way until something gets close enough to look.
What Would Finally Settle It
A future lander or crewed mission could answer what LRO cannot: whether the cloth is still attached and what color remains. Better orbital imagery at favorable lighting angles could also help, particularly at Apollo 14 and 15 where the evidence is weakest.
For now, the evidence puts upright flag assemblies at five sites, with Apollo 12, 16, and 17 being the strongest cases. Apollo 11's flag almost certainly fell. The fabric's condition at any of the sites remains an open question. If flag history interests you, read the story of Grace Wisher and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many American flags are on the Moon?
Six. One was planted at each of the six successful Apollo lunar landings: Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. They were symbolic gestures, not territorial claims.
Did the Apollo flags really wave?
No. The Moon has no atmosphere. A horizontal support rod held the top edge of each flag out from the pole, and folds from packing gave the cloth a rippled look in photographs.
Did Apollo 11's flag fall over?
It almost certainly did. Aldrin recalled watching it fall as Eagle lifted off, and LRO imagery has found no clear flag shadow at the site. The moment was not captured on the available liftoff film.
Are the Moon flags still red, white, and blue?
Unknown. More than fifty years of ultraviolet exposure has almost certainly caused significant fading, but no close-up imagery exists to confirm the current state of the fabric.
Does planting a flag on the Moon mean the U.S. owns it?
No. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits national territorial claims on the Moon. The Apollo flag plantings were symbolic.
Explore More American Flag History
For more on the Stars and Stripes, visit The History of the American Flag: How It Came to Be.
Sources
- NASA: The Apollo Program
- NASA History: Flag Day, Flying High: The Stars and Stripes in Space
- NASA / Apollo Lunar Surface Journal: Six Flags on the Moon, What Is Their Current Condition?
- NASA: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Begins Moon Mapping Mission
- NASA: The Apollo 12 Landing Site
- NASA Apollo 15 Press Kit: Flag, Lunar Module Plaque