Did NASA or the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) specifically image the Apollo 11 flag in 2009 and later?
Executive summary
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) began returning images of Apollo sites in July 2009 and has since captured higher-resolution passes that show lunar module descent stages, rover tracks and, in several cases, distinct shadows interpreted as flag shadows — but not for Apollo 11 (LROC team and NASA statements). LROC images from low-altitude campaigns (2009–2011) clearly revealed flag shadows at Apollo 12, 16 and 17 and LROC team summaries state “all of the sites, except Apollo 11” show standing flags [1] [2] [3].
1. LRO imaged the Apollo sites beginning in 2009 — and improved resolution followed
The first LRO images of the Moon were published in July 2009 and that initial campaign included targeted narrow-angle camera (NAC) images of five Apollo sites; later low-altitude passes in 2011 produced even higher-resolution imagery (~0.5 m/pixel at ~50 km and better during low-altitude months) that became the basis for detailed comparisons with Apollo-era surface features [4] [5] [6].
2. Which flags LRO “specifically imaged”: clear shadows at some sites, Apollo 11 an exception
The LROC science team and NASA have said LROC imagery shows shadows consistent with upright flag assemblies at several Apollo sites while noting no such flag shadow is visible at Apollo 11. LROC principal investigator Mark Robinson wrote that the American flags are “still standing and casting shadows at all of the sites, except Apollo 11,” a conclusion repeated in NASA and media accounts [1] [7] [2] [3].
3. Timing matters — 2009 captures and higher-resolution 2011 low-altitude passes
Early mapping-orbit images in July 2009 revealed many artifacts; a month-long low-altitude campaign (including November 2011 low passes) produced the highest-resolution LROC images of the sites and are the images most often cited when analysts point to flag shadows and other small features such as boot prints and rover tracks [5] [6] [8].
4. How scientists infer “flag” presence from orbital photos
At LROC’s resolutions the fabric detail of a small flag is below the pixel scale, but the team uses the presence of a small localized shadow that circles the pole with changing solar incidence to infer a vertical object — interpreted as the flag assembly — and to differentiate it from other artifacts. Multiple LROC posts and NASA write‑ups emphasize detecting shadows and matching them to known flag locations from Apollo maps [2] [9] [6].
5. Apollo 11: no flag shadow seen, consistent with astronaut accounts
Both contemporary LROC commentary and NASA material note the Apollo 11 flag does not show a discernible shadow in LROC images and that this accords with Buzz Aldrin’s account that the flag was knocked over by the ascent exhaust when Eagle lifted off. LROC pages explicitly say the Apollo 11 flag is the lone exception among the sites imaged [1] [2] [3].
6. Disagreements, uncertainties and limits of the imagery
Sources agree on the basic result for multiple sites but differ in how confidently they name which flags remain erect beyond the three best-confirmed cases. Some outlets list three clearly (Apollo 12, 16, 17); others extend that to five as later commentary and summaries interpret weaker shadows or image enhancements [9] [10] [11]. Importantly, LRO’s orbit was raised in 2011, changing best achievable resolution, and fabric detail can be lost or bleached by decades of UV — sources warn that even a “standing” flag could be a brittle, whitened remnant [4] [10].
7. What the sources do not claim or show
Available sources do not mention any LRO image that resolves cloth weave or flag colors; they rely on shadow signatures and contextual matching with landing-site maps [2] [6]. Available sources do not report a single LRO image that unequivocally shows the Apollo 11 flag upright; instead NASA and LROC state no flag shadow is evident at Apollo 11 [1] [3].
8. Why this matters: history, public doubt, and scientific transparency
The LROC imaging campaign served both scientific and historical aims: to map potential future landing sites and to document human artifacts on the Moon. That the LROC team and NASA have publicly posted images, time-series movies of shadows, and explicit caveats about resolution addresses conspiracy claims while also revealing the limits of orbital imaging — a careful balance between confirming human presence and acknowledging what the data can and cannot show [2] [6].
Sources cited: LROC team and media coverage summarized here: Space.com (LROC/Robinson statements) [1], BBC [7], LROC posts and image pages [2] [12], NASA Science and Flag Day history pages [8] [3], and coverage of low-altitude 2009–2011 imaging campaigns [5] [6].