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Author
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Topic: The Explorers Club space- and lunar-flown flags
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Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3446
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 05-02-2009 09:01 PM
   
While I was at the Explorers Club on Saturday (May 2, 2009), I was checking out the framed flags they have in the Clark Room, which were carried on various expeditions. One was hidden behind the projection screen, and when I moved it aside, much to my surprise I found that one had been mounted onto a presentation board certifying that it been carried on Apollo 8!There was also a letter from Lovell to the Explorers Club noting that a larger flag was to have been deployed on Apollo 13, on the moon; and since the landing didn't take place, the flag remained folded in its plastic bag, and accompanied the letter to the club. There was another signed presentation, noting (I think) that another flag was carried to the moon by Apollo 15. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3446
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 05-14-2013 07:01 PM
The Explorers Club in NYC has on display a large (I believe 3x5 foot) flag from Apollo 13, still encased in plastic. If you go to one of their events (and they do have open to the public events), you can see it.According to the letter also on display, from Jim Lovell, "Since we were going to land during the Apollo 13 flight, the plan was to have a large flag which could be unfolded on the lunar surface. The enclosed plastic package contains that flag." Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43473
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-16-2013 03:09 PM
Lovell's large flag at the Explorers Club continued the tradition of the club's members bringing the flag with them on their expeditions. As mentioned, Lovell also donated a small Explorers Club flag flown on Apollo 8. The Lovell flags and other flown Explorer Club flags can be seen here. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3310
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 05-16-2013 10:25 PM
Not sure why they didn't just re-fly the larger Apollo 13 Explorers Club flag on a later mission to unfold on the lunar surface. They did have a smaller version of the EC flag on Apollo 15, as the photo shows. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43473
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-17-2013 08:15 AM
My guess is that it was because it wasn't NASA flying the flag for The Explorers Club, but Lovell. As best as I understand the tradition, the flags are entrusted with the club's members, such that the flag that flew with Lovell was assigned to him, not to NASA in general. |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 622
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 05-17-2013 03:55 PM
Yes, the member has to display the Explorer's Club flag on the particular scientific exploration expedition and later submit a flag report documenting the mission.This Apollo 15 Explorer's Club Flag presented to Club President Walter Wood was sold at Bonhams in April 2012. Out of curiosity, does anyone know if Explorer's Club flags were flown on every lunar landing mission and, if so, how many examples exist? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43473
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-22-2019 06:00 AM
collectSPACE Flag flown by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11 donated to Explorers ClubFor more than a century, explorers have traveled to the farthest reaches of, and off, our world, carrying with them a banner of the club that unites them all. Now, one such flag that accompanied what is perhaps the most famous exploration of them all is arriving back to where it began. On Wednesday (May 22), the red, white and blue, compass-adorned flag that was personally flown by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong on humanity's first moon landing mission is being presented back to The Explorers Club in New York City, 50 years after the historic expedition.  |
Chariot412
Member Posts: 156
From: Lockport, NY, 14094
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 05-22-2019 09:39 AM
Wonderful news. Very generous!  |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1336
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 05-22-2019 12:39 PM
That is awesome. |
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