Flags in space

Last modified: 2015-06-28 by rob raeside
Keywords: space | gravity | atmosphere |
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• Flags of space-related entities
• Flag use outside the Earth
  • Flying flags in the absence of atmosphere
  • Flying flags in the absence of gravity
• Flags brought to space
  • U.S. Flags on the Moon
  • Soviet Union space flag

• Flags of planets
• Fictional flags (many science fiction settings refer to flag use in space)
• FOTW Vexillological reference
• FOTW Topical Index

• Флаги в космосе (Flags in Cosmos), in Victor Lomantsov’s website.

Flags of space-related entities

• ESA, European Space Agency
• ESO, European Southern Observatory
• Interkosmos (Soviet Union, 1978-1988)
• JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (United States)
• Soviet Union space flag
• Space Shuttle flags (United States)
• U.S. Army Space and Missile Command

Each US mission also had a distinct mission patch, which sometimes incorporated the flag of a foreign astronaut’s country.
Josh Fruhlinger, 11 Nov 1996

This is exactly the same usage as in Soviet space missions (Interkosmos being in charge of those including non-Soviet astronauts). Some of those patches (of any country, it seems) were used on flags, too.
António Martins, 05 Jun 2007

Flag use outside the Earth

Flying flags in the absence of atmosphere

The problems of flying a flag in the vacuum of space are fairly obvious. Most people know that the US flags planted on the moon were made of cloth or nylon and were rigged with a wire along the top and/or bottom so that they looked like they were “waving”.
Josh Fruhlinger, 17 Nov 1996

In the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum theer is a major exhibit is a Lunar Module on a simulated lunar surface, complete with astronaut mannequin and flag. The flag, which was similar to those used in the 1969-1971 lunar missions, has only been at the site since the museum’s 1976 opening, and already it is quite noticeably faded. Here, the sun’s rays are filtered by miles of atmosphere and the plexiglass roof of the museum. I dare say that the unfiltered UV rays hitting the lunar surface have fully destroyed all the flags left by the Apollo crews by now.
Nick Artimovich, 18 Nov 1996

Flying flags in the absence of gravity

In several press confrences held on Mir, the Russian space station, flags were on the wall behind the speakers. It appeared that they were ordinary cloth or nylon flags affixed to the wall at all four corners to make sure they didn’t drift away.
Josh Fruhlinger, 11 Nov 1996

Flags brought to space

See also:

• U.S. Flags on the Moon
• Soviet Union space flag

Several press confrences were held on Mir, the Russian space station when the American Dr. Shannon Lucid was on there, and Russian and American flags were on the wall behind the speakers.
Josh Fruhlinger, 11 Nov 1996

After seeing pictures of the Venus landers Venera 9 through 14, which landed on the surface of Venus from 1975 to 1982, all had small flags of the Soviet Union on them on one place or another, just as the American flag was on the Viking Mars lander.
Jaymz Schmidt, 19 May 2001

Spirit, which is now on Mars, has several US flags on it, as well as a tiny little Israeli flag next to the name of Ilan Ramon.
Mike Fleischner, 07 Jan 2004

In a museum in Brussels there is a small (large desk size) Belgian flag in the exhibit with the moon rocks on display. According to the text (as best as I can remember) the astronauts brought flags from many nations with them on the trip. These were then presented to the respective nations at various functions.
Nathan Bliss, 18 Nov 1996

Foreign astronauts on American ships wore shoulder and chest patches of their nation’s flags.
Josh Fruhlinger, 11 Nov 1996

This is exactly the same usage as in Soviet space missions (Interkosmos being in charge of those including non-Soviet astronauts).
António Martins, 05 Jun 2007

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