Why did he put a flag on the moon?

Answer 1

He was making a point. "We got here first so we put our flag here".

Just in case you did not already know, the only reason for the space race in the 1960s and the moon landings was to demonstrate which country could throw the largest hydrogen bomb, the farthest distance, the most accurately, without actually having to throw one! All part of The Cold War strategy.

Answer 2

There was actually a lot of debate on whether or not a flag should be planted on the moon because of an international treaty (formally known as the "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies", informally known as "The Outer Space Treaty") which explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet.

It was eventually decided that it was ok to place the flag there as it was a celebration of one of the greatest achievments of mankind, and the US was very proud. They placed the flag in honor of the 400,000+ Americans that worked to make the landing possible. Unofficially, I'm sure it was also planted as a specific gesture towards the USSR against whom the US was engaged in the Space Race.

Answer 3

It didn't. There is no wind on the moon. It was held out by a rod sewn into the top edge. The astronauts deployed the flag to look as though it was caught by a breeze... but photos taken many minutes apart show that the cloth was not moved at all. The "flapping" footage is in fact footage of the astronauts twisting the flagpole back and forth to get it deeper in the lunar soil. Please note it moves in a pendulum motion, as there was no air for it to catch and "billow".

The flag is not stiff! When the astronaut puts the flagpole into the ground, he has to twist it to get it into the dirt. Because there is NO AIR RESISTANCE (no drag or friction from the air) on the moon, the flag can easily move from the momentum of the planting action, ie. "flap", and it appears to blow in the wind. Check this out: http://www.videosift.com/video/Flag-Waving-Mythbusters-Bust-Moon-Landing-Conspiracies

This is just one of those things, like pictures taken in bright sunlight "mysteriously" not showing stars, that is used by the Apollo Hoax Hoaxers to fool others into thinking Apollo was a hoax.

Answer 4

As a symbol of exploration accomplishment. Explorers traditionally put up flags as a gesture that they had taken possession in the name of their government. However, when the astronauts on Apollo 11 put up the flag, a reminder was read out (in all nations except the USA!) that the US was not taking possession of the Moon, the flag just symbolized the achievement. It is believed by some that the reason the announcement was not read in the US is that the government preferred that the US citizens believe the US had taken possession of the Moon! After all, they had paid for it.

Answer 5

Because he was the first human there. It was symbolic of achievement. Early explorers would plant the flag to show they were taking possession of the area, for the benefit of their government. That is why, outside of the US, an announcement was read to the effect that the USA was not staking a claim on the Moon. Again, it was just done as a symbol, not a land grab.

Answer 6

The US flag on Apollo 11 did not blow in the wind, because there is no wind on the Moon, and in fact no air. The motion of the flag (a rectangle of material) is residual motion from when it was planted, because in a vacuum there is nothing to dampen out these movements. This only resembles "waving."

When the astronauts blasted off to leave the Moon, the flag was agitated by the exhaust gases and dust from the Lunar Module's rocket, and again "waved" about for some time before stopping.