The five-star red flag on the moon is still bright! Why is it so?

Landing on the moon is a milestone event in human history. On July 20, 1969, after landing on the moon, American astronaut Armstrong solemnly planted the American flag, which became one of the most classic moments in human history. However, as time goes by, the American flag on the moon has now turned white, and only the five-star red flag is still bright. Why is this the case?

American flag turns white

First of all, it should be made clear that the flag on the moon is affected by the extreme environment. The surface of the moon has no atmosphere and magnetic field protection, so it is exposed to extreme environments such as sunlight, cosmic radiation, and micrometeorite impacts, all of which will cause damage to the flag.

Secondly, the American flag on the moon is not made of ordinary flag materials. In order to adapt to the extreme environment of the moon, NASA chose a special material to make the flag. This material is nylon, and it has been enhanced for durability and radiation resistance. However, even with the use of special materials, it is impossible to completely avoid the impact of environmental factors.

Finally, the reason why the American flag on the moon has turned white is because it has been exposed to the extreme environment for nearly 50 years. On the moon, each lunar day is about 29.5 Earth days, and each lunar day has 14 days of daylight and 14 days of darkness. Such an extreme environment has caused the red and blue pigments of the American flag to lose their color, while the white pigment has suffered minimal damage.

The five-star red flag on the moon

In contrast, China successfully sent Chang'e 5 to the moon in December 2020 and brought the five-star red flag to the moon. So far, the five-star red flag is still in good condition on the moon. This is because China's lunar rover took full account of the extreme environment of the moon when it was designed and manufactured, and used more adaptable materials to make the flag.

This five-star red flag, which is 2 meters long and 0.9 meters wide, was specially made by the research team of Wuhan Textile University. Although it does not look very big, it uses a number of patented technologies, such as "high-efficiency short-process embedded composite spinning technology" and "ultra-fine powderization of high-quality natural polymer materials and their high-value-added recycling technology", and also uses high-performance aramid fiber materials.

According to official introduction, the material of the five-star red flag carried by Chang'e-5 is a special textile. The main characteristics of this material are lightness, softness, radiation resistance, high and low temperature resistance, anti-static, etc., which are very suitable for use in the space environment. The five-star red flag uses digital printing technology, and the color is sprayed by the nozzle controlled by the computer to achieve fine printing of the national flag pattern. This printing technology can not only ensure the clarity of the national flag pattern and the authenticity of the color, but also greatly reduce the weight and volume of the national flag, making it easier to carry on the Chang'e-5 probe.

In general, the flag on the moon is an object full of challenges and tests. Even with special materials and designs, it is impossible to avoid damage in extreme environments. However, with the development of science and technology, we believe that humans will be able to develop materials and technologies that are more suitable for the extreme environment of the moon in the future, make more durable and beautiful flags, and move towards deeper space exploration. At the same time, the flag on the moon is also one of the symbols of human exploration of the universe. It witnesses the historic moment of human exploration of the universe and has important historical and symbolic significance.

Human exploration of the universe

In addition to the flag on the moon, humans have left many other signs and monuments in the universe, such as the "Moon Love" sculpture on the Apollo 17 spacecraft in 1972 and the golden record carried by the Voyager probe launched in 1981. These signs and monuments not only represent human exploration and progress of the universe, but also let us feel the awe and mystery of the universe.

In future explorations, we look forward to seeing more signs and monuments left on more distant planets. At the same time, we also hope that humans can pay more attention to environmental protection and resource utilization in the process of exploring the universe, protect the ecological environment and resources of the universe, and establish a more harmonious and sustainable relationship between humans and the universe.