From keepsakes to trash: what’s left on the Moon

American flags

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Six American flags were planted on the Moon by the Apollo missions as symbolic gestures of national pride and achievement. The astronauts also left behind small flags from other nations as a gesture of international goodwill and cooperation in space exploration. Over the years, exposure to the harsh lunar environment has likely caused them to fade significantly.

Lunar Module descent stages

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

To this day, the lower halves of the Lunar Modules used in the Apollo missions remain on the Moon. These stages housed equipment and provided a stable base for the astronauts to ascend back to the Command Module, and so they remain on the surface as silent monuments of human exploration.

Scientific instruments

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Various scientific instruments used by the Apollo missions were left behind, including the seismometers of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). These instruments provided valuable data on the Moon's seismic activity, magnetic field, and environment for years after their deployment.

Astronaut boots

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Alongside their footprints, Apollo astronauts left behind their Moon boots to reduce weight for the return journey. These boots were specifically designed for the lunar surface, and are a testament to the careful planning and engineering of the Apollo missions.

TV cameras

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Several TV cameras were deployed on the lunar surface to broadcast live footage back to Earth, and were ultimately left there. These cameras provided humanity with its first live images from another world, capturing historical moments such as the famous Apollo 11 moonwalk.

Gold olive branch

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

A gold-plated olive branch was left by the Apollo 11 astronauts as a symbol of peace. This small, delicate item represents humanity's hope for a peaceful and united future, even as we venture into space.

The Fallen Astronaut memorial

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

A small aluminum sculpture and plaque was left by the Apollo 15 crew to commemorate the astronauts and cosmonauts who died in the pursuit of space exploration. The memorial, which was created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, honors their sacrifices and contributions.

Apollo 14’s golf balls

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

During the Apollo 14 mission, astronaut Alan Shepard (pictured) famously hit two golf balls on the Moon using a makeshift club made from a lunar excavation tool. These golf balls remain on the lunar surface, a playful yet iconic symbol of human presence and ingenuity.

Apollo 12 plaque

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

The Apollo 12 mission left a plaque similar to Apollo 11’s but commemorating their specific mission and honoring the achievement of landing in the Ocean of Storms. The plaque includes the names of the three Apollo 12 astronauts.

Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

The Solar Wind Composition Experiment (SWC) was deployed during various Apollo missions with the aim to collect particles from the solar wind using aluminum foils on the lunar surface. The foils were left behind, but the experiment provided crucial data about the Sun's composition.

Descent stage ladders

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

The ladders attached to the Lunar Module descent stages still remain on the Moon. These ladders were critical for astronauts to safely climb down to the lunar surface and back up to the ascent stage.

Soviet lunar landers

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Over a span of nearly 20 years, the Soviet Union successfully landed several unmanned Luna missions on the Moon. These robotic landers, such as Luna 16 (pictured) and Luna 20, returned samples to Earth and left behind their descent stages.

Spacecraft

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Several spacecraft, including parts of the Saturn V rockets (pictured) and ascent stages of Lunar Modules, were intentionally crashed into the Moon after completing their missions. These impacts helped calibrate seismometers left on the Moon.

Film gear

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Various pieces of camera gear, including lenses and film canisters, were left on the lunar surface. These containers helped capture some of the most iconic images of the Apollo missions.

Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan (pictured) wrote his daughter’s initials, "TDC," in the lunar dust, creating a personal and touching legacy on the Moon. These initials are a unique human mark on the lunar surface.

Lunar portable magnetometer

American flags, Lunar Module descent stages, Scientific instruments, Astronaut boots, TV cameras, Gold olive branch, The Fallen Astronaut memorial, Apollo 14’s golf balls, Apollo 12 plaque, Solar Wind Composition Experiment foils, Descent stage ladders, Soviet lunar landers, Spacecraft, Film gear, Gene Cernan’s daughter’s initials, Lunar portable magnetometer

Another object left by astronauts on the Moon was a portable magnetometer. Used to measure the magnetic field on the lunar surface, this instrument helped gather data on the Moon’s magnetic properties and contributed to understanding the Moon's interior structure.

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