Submitted by Pure_Candidate_3831 t3_y1jf42 in space
Comments
AmishRocket t1_irxsb0k wrote
To help share humanity’s historic accomplishment, President Nixon gifted flags and lunar samples to all member nations of the United Nations as well as each of the fifty U.S. states. The flags were aboard the command module Columbia with Mike Collins as it orbited the moon.
RoterFuchs1994 t1_irxwssu wrote
How much weight would that have added?
Icy-Conclusion-3500 t1_irxyh2z wrote
Pretty small flags, lightweight material, I’m guessing only a few pounds.
AmishRocket t1_irxyrqd wrote
I don’t have that info. But that’s why most of the trinkets like this flag stayed with Mike Collins. The lunar lander didn’t have the capacity (room or fuel) to take them all the way to the moon’s surface and back. I mean, Buzz and Neil left lots of equipment and waste on the lunar surface just so they’d be able to get the lunar samples back to rendezvous.
freiheitfitness t1_irxyxri wrote
The entire flag kit (which included 25 US flags along with 6x4” flags of 136 nations, UN Organization, 50 United States) was .75lbs.
giant2179 t1_irxz9ej wrote
Here's my best guesstimate: the flag looks pretty small, maybe 9" max on each side. The lightest weight cotton cloth for handkerchief is around 3 oz/sq yd. (135 countries+50 states)/16 flags/sq.yd.*3oz/yd=34.7oz or roughly one kilogram. So not a lot, but not trivial in terms of space travel. Also much lighter than one lunar flag kit for the American flag that was planted, which weighed 4.3kg https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Flag_Assembly
skeith2011 t1_irxzob2 wrote
So a cotton shirt weighs about 5oz on average, which is 0.3125 pounds. Let’s say that the flag would take only 20% (i.e. 1 shirt makes 5 flags) of the shirt fabric to make one, which gives 0.0625 pounds.
In 1969 when Apollo 11 launched, there were 126 nations in the UN. Adding the 50 states gives a total amount of 176 flags on board the spacecraft.
176 flags times 0.0625 pounds per flag gives 11 pounds total. Kind of a negligible amount.
EskimoPrisoner t1_iry53le wrote
“That’s it! We’re adding another dash to the line!”
RoterFuchs1994 t1_iry783k wrote
Less than a pound? That's amazing.
criffidier t1_iryamv9 wrote
Amazing feat considering Taiwan does not exist.
This msg brought to you by president xi
baitXtheXnoose t1_iryb34k wrote
I recently visited the Archeological museum in Athens, Greece and they had had the Greek version of this! I thought it was very cool to see.
Federal_Bedroom_5743 t1_iryb9bf wrote
btw, Taiwan was not and is not part of the United Nations.
Imadope_1960 t1_iryehuv wrote
Were they also there when Buzz and Neil were on board?
4thDevilsAdvocate t1_irygwzd wrote
Indeed. There's no such thing as Taiwan.
There's China, and then there's West China.
TheKingPotat t1_iryhlbm wrote
The republic of china (now entirely in taiwan) was one of the founding members and used to hold the seat on the security council today held by the people’s republic of china
Federal_Bedroom_5743 t1_iryiu5y wrote
I assume the US took the wrong/old flag since they never recognized the PRC at the time.
AmishRocket t1_iryiusu wrote
Taiwan, as the Republic of China, was a founding member of the UN in 1945. Like everything else between Taiwan and the Peoples Republic of China, things got complicated over the ensuring years.
Edit to add: the US didn’t have formal relations with PRC in 1969. Nixon reestablished formal relations in 1972.
PeekaB00_ t1_iryqbbo wrote
Only for the same president to revoke recognition of Taiwan 10 years later.
Neganova t1_iryso3l wrote
Both the article and even the thumbnail on Reddit show the correct flag of Taiwan, used then and used today: white sun on blue background and a field of red.
Dismal-Philosopher-4 t1_iryum41 wrote
The US has only recognised communist China since 1978 so I assume they considered this the Chinese flag at the time.
[deleted] t1_iryz4qi wrote
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Mitthrawnuruo t1_iryz9ef wrote
The agree with him. Taiwan is the lawful government of the Republic of China, which makes up not only the island, but the Main Land.
[deleted] t1_iryzx7b wrote
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[deleted] t1_irz01s9 wrote
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AmishRocket t1_irz0xdt wrote
Ten years later? That wasn’t Nixon. That was Jimmy Carter.
The51stDivision t1_irz4lyd wrote
Not just the US, but the entire United Nations. The Republic of China was on the Security Council until 1971. So during the time of Apollo 11 this flag (for the western world) represented China.
AmishRocket t1_irz7o3f wrote
On the command module, yes.
Funicularly t1_irzbk14 wrote
How long do you think the presidency is?
AmishRocket t1_irzfatd wrote
Yes, but …
They had other material in the official kits as well, such as beta crew patches, additional flags, etc. And each astronaut was allowed a small inventory of personal artifacts for which there isn’t a manifest. Considering Neil and Buzz left their boots on the lunar surface due to weight concerns, you get an idea of how critical every pound was.
After the enormous treasure and lives lost to get the crew to the moon, they returned with less than 50 pounds of lunar rocks and soil crammed into their little capsule. Precious little. (There is a legend that all three were told if any of them gained five pounds before the flight, they would be scrubbed from the mission.)
Emble12 t1_irzgmdy wrote
How did they get the boots outside if there wasn’t an airlock on the LM?
[deleted] t1_irznycs wrote
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[deleted] t1_is03jym wrote
madgoblin92 t1_is0blvs wrote
"The flag of China" at that time. This was the de jure flag of China during the Apollo mission. It's aghast how little Reddit understands the history of China but likes to stir up political debates and gives political opinions on China.
jonasthewicked t1_is0jpa8 wrote
That you Roger Waters?
Just a joke, no need to get mad.
danzelectric t1_is0lw1z wrote
Most called them moon boots. They slipped over the shoes worn in the spaceship, like galoshes for the rain
Emble12 t1_is0m31l wrote
Ah, so they weren’t pressurised?
AmishRocket t1_is0n1oq wrote
Nope. The boots were overshoes. Something like galoshes that gave them extra protection and traction while walking on the moon. (But I like to think they could just toss things out of the lunar lander’s screen door. /s)
danzelectric t1_is0n7g6 wrote
Right. Google apollo 11 boot images.
DeepSpaceGalileo t1_is0p0wh wrote
11 pounds is not at all a negligible amount when going to space
ordenstaat_burgund t1_is0u78j wrote
So it was the flag of China, not Taiwan. Which back then was a one party dictatorship ruled by the Chiang family.
ordenstaat_burgund t1_is0x0pd wrote
It’s not though. Kinmen, Matsu, and Taiping islands are not near Taiwan but still occupied by it.
ShitwareEngineer t1_is1hrtr wrote
The entire module was depressurized.
[deleted] t1_is1i4he wrote
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TheKingPotat t1_is1ljg5 wrote
Ive never actually heard of those islands before. I just knew taiwan cus thats the big population area
ordenstaat_burgund t1_is23it7 wrote
The ROC government held onto many islands including Hainan and Zhoushan which they lost in late 50s to the PRC.
That’s why the ROC still has 2 provinces today, Province of Taiwan and Province of Fujian. If they had kept Hainan and Zhoushan too, ROC today would have had 4 provinces.
The recent news about “Chinese drones invading Taiwanese airspace” was actually a civilian DJI flown from Xiamen to Kinmen (which are 1.5km apart). In fact any time a commercial airline flies out from Xiamen, it’s “violating Taiwanese air space.” Kinmen is 150km away from the island of Taiwan.
PeekaB00_ t1_is2udzq wrote
Oops, I was thinking of when Nexon visited China in 72.
[deleted] t1_isb80dg wrote
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AaliyahK12 t1_irxpq55 wrote
China probably claims that little corner of the museum too.