List of space junk left on the moon

Objects have been left on the Moon for various reasons. Sometimes, it is to make space for the Moon rocks to be brought back to Earth without affecting the return flight due to additional weight. On other occasions, sentimental reasons have prompted the act of leaving items on the lunar surface to commemorate the impressive human feat of stepping onto the Moon.

During the return journey of Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, unnecessary items were disposed of from the lunar module, including the tube containing the US flag, the TV camera used for transmitting footage to Earth, and the tools used for collecting moon rock and dust. This created a designated "toss zone" to the west of the Apollo 11 landing site, crucial for lightening the load before leaving the lunar surface.

Subsequent Apollo missions resulted in the accumulation of around 400,000 pounds of materials left on the Moon.

While some of the objects left behind on the Moon may appear to be space debris, studying their fate over time, including exposure to radiation and the lunar environment, could potentially provide new insights about space.

What has been left on the moon?

Human Waste

Ninety-six bags of human waste currently reside on the Moon's surface. While scientists are interested in studying how the lunar environment has impacted the waste, their primary goal is to eventually bring it back to Earth. At present, the bags remain on the Moon, awaiting future retrieval.

A Family Photo

During the Apollo 16 mission, astronaut Charles Duke left a framed family photo on the Moon's surface. The photo was inscribed with the following message: "This is the family of astronaut Charlie Duke from planet Earth who landed on the moon on April 20, 1972."

At the time of his moonwalk, Duke was 36 years old, making him the youngest person to have walked on the Moon. Although exposure to solar radiation may have caused the photo to fade over time, the sentiment behind the gesture remains unchanged. One could argue that Duke's status as "best dad ever" is well-deserved, considering he brought his children along on his journey to the Moon.

Flags

Like Duke's photo, the flags planted on the Moon have also suffered a similar fate of fading due to exposure to solar radiation.

The tradition of planting flags on the lunar surface to commemorate each Apollo mission began with Armstrong and Aldrin during Apollo 11 in 1969. Although the decision to plant a flag was made at the last minute, the image of the American flag standing on the Moon has become one of the most iconic symbols of the achievement.

As there is no wind on the Moon, the flags were designed with extendable metal poles to keep them upright and visible. However, over time, exposure to the harsh lunar environment has caused the flags to fade and lose their original colours.

Interestingly, the flag planted during the Apollo 17 mission had already been to the Moon and back on Apollo 11 before being hung on the wall of Mission Control. To replace the original flag in the office, a separate flag was taken to the Moon during Apollo 17 and later returned to Mission Control as a replacement.

Ashes - Gene Shoemaker

Gene Shoemaker was a renowned American geologist who made significant contributions to the study of terrestrial craters and the discovery of comets and planets. Following his death, his ashes were transported to the Moon inside a specially designed capsule on board the Lunar Prospector space probe. The capsule featured a quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:

"And, when he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night,

And pay no worship to the garish sun."

Shoemaker's interment on the Moon makes him the only person to have their ashes flown to Earth's natural satellite.

A tiny art gallery

Forrest Myers created a small ceramic wafer measuring three quarters of an inch by half an inch called the "Moon Museum." The wafer contained miniature works of art from six artists, including Claes Oldenburg, David Novros, and Andy Warhol. Despite NASA's refusal to transport the Moon Museum to the Moon, Myers claimed that he gave it to an engineer from the Apollo 12 mission, who attached it to a leg of the lunar module.

Since the landers remain on the Moon after the mission, it is believed that this piece of artwork is still on the lunar surface. However, there is no confirmation from NASA about whether the Moon Museum was actually transported to the Moon, and without a return trip, there is no way to be certain that it is still residing on the Moon's surface.

Feather and a hammer

According to the popular account, Galileo Galilei conducted an experiment in the late 16th century by dropping two objects of different masses from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that their speed of falling was not dependent on their mass.

In 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission, astronaut David Scott performed a comparable experiment on the surface of the Moon, giving credit to Galileo for his contribution to the success of the lunar landings. He dropped a hammer and a feather simultaneously, and the world witnessed as they descended at the same rate and landed on the lunar surface at the same time. Notably, the feather was taken from Baggin, the Air Force Academy's mascot falcon.

Fallen Astronaut

An aluminium sculpture called Fallen Astronaut was left on the Moon by the Apollo 15 crew. The sculpture, created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, depicts a human figure and was commissioned by David Scott, the mission commander. Scott claimed that the sculpture was meant to symbolize fallen astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts and was placed face down next to a plaque listing their names. However, Van Hoeydonck said that the sculpture was intended to represent all of humanity, not just those who died in the pursuit of space exploration.

Other memorials

In addition to Fallen Astronaut, various astronauts have left memorials on the Moon in honour of their colleagues. During the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong and Aldrin left behind an Apollo 1 mission patch as a tribute to the astronauts who lost their lives in a 1967 command module test.

On the other hand, during Apollo 12, astronaut Alan Bean left a golden olive branch in memory of astronaut Clifton C Williams, who was originally slated to serve as the lunar module pilot on the mission. Unfortunately, Williams died in a plane crash while flying a NASA T-38 jet trainer due to a mechanical failure.

Golf balls

During his Apollo 14 mission on the Moon, Alan Shepard played a one-man intergalactic golf game. He brought the head of a golf club, attached it to one of the tools, and hit two golf balls across the lunar surface.

Moon buggies and other lunar equipment

There is an abundance of technical gear and equipment that was left on the Moon, ranging from descent stages to Moon buggies. Interestingly, some of this equipment has been repurposed to commemorate the Moon landing. For instance, a plaque was attached to the leg of the Apollo 11 descent stage, which reads, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."

In addition, astronaut David Scott left a bible on the dashboard of a Moon buggy as a personal memento.