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how did golf balls get on the moon

by Tyree Stoltenberg Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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On February 6, 1971, the Apollo 14

Apollo 14

Apollo 14 was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to land on the Moon, and the first to land in the lunar highlands. It was the last of the "H missions," targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks.

commander Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard

Rear Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. In 1961 he became the first American to travel into space, and in 1971 he walked on the Moon.

hit two golf balls across the lunar surface. Credit: NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

The head traveled to the Moon in a sock. Once Shepard assembled his club, it wasn’t exactly plain sailing. 2 balls received a low gravity whack.

Alan Shepard, part of the Apollo 14 mission, stands as the only person to hit golf balls on the moon. During the mission, Shepard took a few swings and ended up leaving two golf balls to live on the moon forever. Apparently, he fitted an 6 iron head to the handle of a lunar sample collection device.

Full Answer

What happened to the two golf balls on the Moon?

Apr 08, 2020 · Apollo 14 leader Alan B. Shepard struck 2 golf balls on the Moon on Feb. 6, 1971. Shepard spoke to the United States Golf Association (USGA) about those notorious shots. “I shanked the first one; it rolled into a crater about 40 yards way,” stated Shepard. “The second one, I kept my head down.

How far does a golf ball travel on the Moon?

Alan Shepard, who was one of the few men who had the privilege of walking on the moon kind of misplaced a couple of golf balls on the moon. As a keen golf player, he fitted a 6 iron head to the handle of a lunar sample collection device and launched two golf balls which are still there today. He hit the balls with one hand as the suit made it impossible to use both hands, and this is how …

Did an astronaut play golf on the Moon?

Feb 26, 2021 · Most golfers really want to avoid sand traps, but NASA astronaut Alan Shepard had no choice but to deal with one when wielding a six-iron head on the moon's dusty surface 50 years ago this month ...

What happened to Shepard’s Golf Club on the Moon?

Mar 24, 2021 · In 1971, astronaut Alan Shepherd hit a few golf balls on the moon with an improvised golf club – the head of a 6-iron attached to the tool he was using to collect moon rocks. You can see Shepherd hitting the golf balls one-handed due to …

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Who brought golf balls to the moon?

On Feb. 6, 1971, 51 years ago to the day on Sunday, Shepard, the commander of the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, took out “a little white pellet that's familiar to millions of Americans,” he said to a television audience watching back on Earth.Feb 3, 2022

How many golf balls have landed on the moon?

There are two golf balls on the moon. They were taken there by Alan Shepard in 1971, during the Apollo 14 mission. Shepard was the first American into space, and the fifth person to ever walk on the moon… but most impressively, he was the first (and only) person to ever play golf outside of the earth's atmosphere!

What happens if you hit a golf ball on the moon?

On the moon, with a gravity acceleration six times smaller, the ball would travel six times further and land some 2km away, which is roughly 1.25 miles. “This is how far a professional golf player with modern equipment could hit a drive on the moon.Feb 12, 2021

Did they actually play golf on the moon?

It wasn't Neil Armstrong, it was Alan Shepard of Apollo 14 who played golf on the moon. The "club" he used was a contingency sample extension handle with a no 6 iron head attached. Each astronaut was allocated a certain amount of weight for personal items. Shepard used his to take the club head and three golf balls.

How many golf balls lost per year?

300 million golf balls
An estimated 300 million golf balls are lost or discarded in the United States every year, according to research by the Danish Golf Union. Because it can take golf balls 100 to 1,000 years to decompose, scientists say, they present a major environmental risk to the planet.Feb 15, 2018

How many people have walked on the moon?

12 human beings
Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin were the first of 12 human beings who walked on the Moon. Four of America's moonwalkers are still alive: Aldrin (Apollo 11), David Scott (Apollo 15), Charles Duke (Apollo 16), and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17).Apr 28, 2021

Can you jump off the moon?

Although you can jump very high on the moon, you'll be happy to know that there's no need to worry about jumping all the way off into space. In fact, you'd need to be going very fast – more than 2 kilometres per second – to escape from the moon's surface.Jul 25, 2019

Did Buzz Aldrin play golf on the moon?

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin attempted to play golf on the Moon. False. It was, in fact, Alan Shepard who took a golf ball to the moon on Apollo 14 – he hit it with a sample collector and it went out of sight!Feb 10, 2021

Can you throw a rock from the moon to Earth?

Even if all other conditions were identical to those on Earth, this alone would be enough to send it farther, but the lack of atmosphere and reduced gravity would contribute even more distance. To get the maximum horizontal distance, you would have to throw the rock at a 45-degree angle.Apr 25, 2017

Can you throw a baseball off the moon?

There is no air resistance on the moon to slow the ball's travel. The faster one hits a golf ball, the farther it moves as no fluid resists it. As for making a ball leaving the moon altogether, well, a human truly couldn't.

What did Alan Shepard do on the moon?

Alan Shepard smacked golf balls on the Moon — and now we know where they landed. When the Apollo astronaut said his second shot went "miles and miles and miles," that was a bit of an exaggeration. In the annals of golf history, Alan Shepard's shots from the lunar sand may be the most famous swings ever taken.Feb 15, 2021

How long would it take to fall from the moon to Earth?

If you cancelled out the moon's orbital velocity it would take a week to hit the earth. Hint: g isn't 9.8m/s that far out.Jul 30, 2019

Who hit the golf ball on the moon?

Here's the inside story. A still from video footage shows NASA astronaut Alan Shepard preparing to hit a golf ball on the moon. By this point in the moonwalk, the astronauts had already put away the still-photograph cameras. (Image credit: NASA)

Where did Bob Hope golf on the moon?

Shepard got the idea for his golf moonshot in 1970, when famed golfer Bob Hope visited NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC, now Johnson Space Center) in Houston , the training hub for astronauts, for a television special. Hope took his golf club everywhere, according to the USGA, and Shepard was inspired to do a quick golf session on the moon to demonstrate the moon's gravitational pull, which is one-sixth that of Earth, according to NASA.

Who was the commander of Apollo 14?

Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14 and a long-time NASA astronaut, used his connections to discreetly ask for help keeping the plan a surprise. Jack Harden, the pro at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, made the clubhead.

Who invented the moonshot?

Shepard got the idea for his golf moonshot in 1970, when famed golfer Bob Hope visited NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC, now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, the training hub for astronauts, for a television special. Hope took his golf club everywhere, according to the USGA, and Shepard was inspired to do a quick golf session on ...

Who is Elizabeth Howell?

Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Space.com who is one of the few Canadian journalists to report regularly on space exploration. She is the author or co-author of several books on space exploration. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota in Space Studies, and an M.Sc. from the same department. She also holds a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University in Canada, where she began her space-writing career in 2004. Besides writing, Elizabeth teaches communications at the university and community college level, and for government training schools. To see her latest projects, follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @howellspace.

How Many Golf Balls are on the Moon?

We don’t have the answer to life, the universe, and everything – but we do have the answer to this. There are two golf balls on the moon. They were taken there by Alan Shepard in 1971, during the Apollo 14 mission.

Final Thoughts

Golf is pretty tough. But playing golf on the moon? That’s a whole different ball game.

Why Are The Golf Balls On The Moon?

The reason why golf balls are on the moon is pretty simple – they were left there! On purpose, of course. It’s actually become quite the tradition for astronauts to leave souvenirs on the lunar surface – almost as a mark and sign of their successful venture.

What Other Items Are On The Moon?

Hammers, a Falcon feather, a Javelin, and a portrait of James Irwin – these are just some of the more interesting items that have been left on the moon.

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