posted 02-09-2026 07:07 AM               

Astrolab FLIP lunar rover to carry US flag smuggled to the moon on Apollo 15

A small American flag that in 1971 was smuggled to the surface of the moon is now set to return there, this time in an official, albeit one-way, capacity. The flag's new journey mounted on a robotic rover has the endorsement of the astronaut who unknowingly enabled its earlier roundtrip.

Astrolab, the Hawthorne, California-based moon and Mars mobility company, is flying the flag on its FLIP (Flex Lunar Innovation Platform) rover, which is set to launch to the lunar south pole as soon as this summer. Astrolab chief executive officer Jaret Matthews recently oversaw the flag's preparation for the mission.