Why was the flag of America flying on the moon surface?

Question

When astronauts landed on the moon and they put the flag of america it kind of flied, how could that be when there is no air on the moon?

I saw the picture from a long time but if you think i were wrong please attach the picture of the flag on the moon.

Answer 1

It's not flying.... it's secured with wired mesh to hold it that way, to give the appearance that its flying. Like you said, there's no air on the moon...

Answer 2

i heard that the lunar landing might have been faked

Answer 3

i personally have no idea... as far as i know it shouldn't have been waving in the fashion it did...

but, even solar winds can 'push'.... that's what electromagnetic field, generated by the core of the earth does... it prevents solar winds from blowing away the atmosphere...

there's also plans on the drawing board to use giant solar sails that will catch the solar winds to re-direct incoming asteriods...

10 diffrent reasons why the flag waves and i get thumbed-down for being one of the few NOT clamiing to know why?

Answer 4

U are wrong . The NASA Eng new that there was no air to move the flag so they put a support in the top edge of the flag to hold it out where U could see it...

Answer 5

There's a pole at the top of the flag holding it up.

Answer 6

There was a rod strung through the top of the flag to hold it out as if it were waving.

Answer 7

It was designed to look like it was flying.  The Apollo program was first and foremost a propaganda stunt to beat the Russians.  The flag had to look real and inspiring.  A limp real flag would not serve anyone's purposes.  So it was supported on top and any vibration in the pole would cause the material from which it was constructed to flap a bit.  Obviously its designers did too good of a job.  They fooled several thousand very gullible Americans into believing the Apollo program was a fake. Isn't it a wonder that the Russians were fooled by this obvious trick?  Are the Russians silly and foolish and stupid?  Isn't it wonderful that you discovered this ruse when the Russians could not.  You are just so clever and smart.  Or something.

Answer 8

The flagpole had a hinged crossbar running through a hem in the upper edge of the flag.  After the pole was planted in the ground, the astronauts lifted up the crossbar, which locked into a horizontal position with a latch next to the hinge.  Except on Apollo 12; the latch didn't work right and the flag hung there quite limp.

The people who say it is "waving in the breeze" can't really explain how they're able to determine that from a still photograph.  Waving implies motion.  Once you understand the horizontal rod holding it outstretched, there's no reason to suspect the wind is holding it up.  And when you see photo after photo -- running into the dozens -- of the flag in EXACTLY the same position, you realize it's not "waving" at all.

EDIT 1:

In addition to the Apollo 12 latch failure, there was a problem with the flagpole on Apollo 11.

The horizontal rod also telescoped.  The astronauts were supposed to pull it out to its proper length.  Due to a manufacturing error, the rod was given the wrong anodization coating.  Coatings are required for metal parts that slide against each other in space, because without them a phenomenon called "cold welding" or "vacuum welding" occurs:  the lack of oxygen prevents oxides from forming on metal surfaces, and this causes surfaces to chemically bond from the energy of sliding.  Normally in air enough oxide forms instantly to keep parts from being too chemically "sticky."

As the crew pulled out the rod, it cold-welded and stuck.  So they were only able to pull it out part way.  This annoyance contributed to the crumpled look of Apollo 11's flag.  In retrospect people decided they liked it better that way, so later crews adjusted the length for best appearance.  But some of the folds and wrinkles in Apollo 11's flag are because the rod didn't entirely do its job.

Answer 9

The flag was fluttering because the flag pole was vibrating.

Answer 10

It;s hard to explian but wen the flag was put it up teh americans didnt want it 2 just stay down they wanted it sticking up and they put 2 metal rods in it so it wuld stay up right...like and F shape so wen they put it in the ground the metalrods sort of shook or vibrated and it caused it to shake a little giving it the affect of flying

This is wat my science teacher told me somayb you should do further research

Goodluck

xx

Answer 11

Man, didn't I just get through answering a question about the moon landing? I've said it multiple times:

The flag was not really "waving". It was crumpled because it had been folded up inside the lunar module since take off. It was spread out because NASA specially designed it to display the stars and stripes by putting in a horizontal bar. The only time it moved was when an astronaut touched the springy bar.

Answer 12

The flag did NOT fly: it was supported by a rod sewn along the top precisely because in a vacuum it WON'T fly. Can you imagine making the historic first steps on the Moon, broadcast live to the world, and putting up a flag that hangs limply down the flagpole?

This rod is terribly obvious in any of the TV or film of the flag setup from any of the six landings, and is quite clear in several of the photographs.

Also, ask yourself this: if you were faking a scene set somewhere with no air, would you allow a huge breeze to blow across your set and blow a flag around?

Answer 13

i don't know about the flag... maybe they have the F shape rod holding the flag... BUT... i really curious about the shadow... seem like a fake one coz the source of the light seem too close to the astronaut... IF the shadow prove the picture was fake then maybe the flag is REALLY WAVING....

Answer 14

It APPEARS to be flying because the flag contains a wire-structure within designed to make it look like it's flying even tho it's in a vacuum.

Answer 15

because its floating (gravity effect) not flying

Answer 16

Because it was all filmed in a holiywood studio! Man on the moon, bah. They hadn't even invented Space Invader machines!

Answer 17

there is many theories about how it was all fake in the first place. No idea.

BTW- "flied" is not a word

Answer 18

There are many people that think it was staged.

I don't really know.

Answer 19

It was designed by Jack Kinzler, Chief of Technical Services Division from Marshall Space Center.  The flag was on a pole, and they inserted a horizontal crossbar into it to make it appear to be waving.  A 3 x 5 ft. nylon flag was altered by sewing a hem along the top. The crossbar, hinged to the pole, went through this hem, and a loop sewn around the bottom of the flag secured it to the pole.

Answer 20

they starched it and put a metal rod to support it

Answer 21

There was a rod holding the thing up.  That was explained in 1969 or did you not hear it?  

http://www.clavius.org/

Answer 22

There was a support rod holding the flag up.

Answer 23

Gravity on the moon is less than 1/10th of that on earth.

This means that the flag will "fall" down at less than 1/10th the acceleration of that on earth. Also only 1/10th the stiffness of the material is required to keep it upright.

Combining these effects the flag almost hovers as it slowly collapses under its much reduced effective weight.

Hope this helps you understand a bit. Cheers.