Did Alan Shepard really hit a golf ball on the Moon?
50 years ago astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon which he claimed travelled "miles and miles", but now we know just how far it really went. Sign up for our daily newsletter! An imaging specialist has been able to calculate how far astronaut Alan Shepard really hit a golf ball on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission 50 years ago.
How far did the golf ball really travel on the Moon?
50 years ago astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon which he claimed travelled "miles and miles", but now we know just how far it really went. Sign up for our daily newsletter!
How far did Shepard's golf balls travel?
Saunders concluded that the first golf ball Shepard hit traveled roughly 24 yards, while the second golf ball traveled 40 yards. Shepard's fondness for cheeky irreverence had popped up occasionally during his successful pre-NASA naval career, most notably when he was a test pilot at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.
Did an astronaut play golf on the Moon?
50 years ago, an Apollo 14 astronaut played golf 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.
How far did Alan Shepard's golf ball go?
One mile, perhaps, space historian Robert Pearlman estimated. But the ball reportedly was in the air for more than 30 seconds, exemplifying “the difference between the Earth's and the moon's gravity,” Michael Trostel wrote at USGA.org.
How far did the golf ball that was hit on the moon Travel?
He was exaggerating, according to new analysis from the United States Golf Association (USGA). Based on data from the crew and a modern-day moon mission, the group found that the first ball traveled 24 yards (22 meters) and the second about 40 yards (37 m).
What happened to the golf ball that Alan Shepard hit on the moon?
Shepard brought two balls with him. The first ball he only skimmed, and it was easily recovered by colleague Edgar Mitchell in a nearby crater. By the second ball, Shepard had gotten the hang of it and sent it flying. That ball then remained missing for half a century.
Is there still a golf ball on the moon?
There are two golf balls on the moon, placed there by Alan Shepard, a NASA astronaut in the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. Not necessarily the types of things you think about when thinking of the moon, but several astronauts have left little Earth souvenirs on the moon.
What is the fastest golf ball ever hit?
After accepting an opportunity to work at the best testing facility in the world at Titleist Performance Institute, Winther became the fastest golfer ever recorded with a highly impressive ball speed record exceeding 225 mph.
Can you hit a golf ball from the moon to the Earth?
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. The moon's gravity is weaker than Earth's, but still quite strong.
How far can you hit a golf ball on Mars?
With an initial golf ball velocity of 82.7 m/sec and launch angle of 12 degrees, the distance traveled by a golf ball on Mars would be 748 meters or 818 yards! So there you have it.
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!
Did Neil Armstrong leave a bracelet on the moon?
Roger Launius, the former NASA chief historian and a former senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum, agreed, saying, “there is no evidence to support the assertion that he left a bracelet of his daughter on the moon.” Though apparently fiction, the moment is a critical one.
How far would a 300 yard drive go on the moon?
McIlroy regularly drives golf balls over 300 yards (274 meters) at speeds of over 180mph and at a pitch angle of 15 degrees. But just how far would his shots travel if one of the Majors took place on the moon? Dr Sarzi said: “Without air friction McIlroy's typical drive would go further out to some 330 meters.
Can you throw a rock from the moon to Earth?
You could, but it wouldn't be super easy. First of all, you have to get off of the Moon. The escape velocity of the Moon is around 2.38 km/s, which is a good estimate of what you would need to leave the Moon's sphere of influence. About 700 m/s of that is the orbital velocity.
What brand of golf ball is on the moon?
Our most sincere thanks for the Daisy golf balls by Victor ….. They are out of this world!” The display also features a Victor Daisy golf ball from around 1971 and a video showing the famous 6-iron shot. Shepard took two golf balls on his moon walk and hit them both. The balls bear the Daisy logo.
How far did the first golf ball shepard hit?
Saunders concluded that the first golf ball Shepard hit traveled roughly 24 yards, while the second golf ball traveled 40 yards. Shepard's fondness for cheeky irreverence had popped up ...
Who hit the golf balls on the moon?
NASA / JSC / ASU / Andy Saunders. Fifty years ago this week, NASA astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. made space history when he took a few golf swings on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission, successfully hitting two golf balls across the lunar surface. Space enthusiasts have debated for decades just how far that second ball traveled.
What did the clubhead shepherd bring on board Apollo 14?
The clubhead Shepard brought on board Apollo 14 in a sock and the implement he attached it to. The stick is part of the United States Golf Association Moon shot collection in its museum. USGA Digital Archive. Previous Slide Next Slide. On February 6, Shepard brought out the club and two balls.
How far did the Apollo 14 golf ball travel?
50 years ago, the Apollo 14 astronaut hit a golf ball that traveled roughly 40 yards. Enlarge / This image consists of six photographs taken from the Apollo 14 Lunar Module, enhanced and stitched into a single panorama to show the landing scene, along with the location from where Alan Shepard hit two golf balls.
How far can a golfer hit the moon?
Saunders, whose forthcoming book is entitled Apollo Remastered, estimates that a professional US Open golfer like Bryson DeChambeau could, in theory, hit a ball as far as 3.41 miles on the Moon, with a hang time of 1 minute 22 seconds—much farther (and longer) than Shepard's feat. As he told the BBC:
Where did Bob Hope golf?
The idea for Shepard's golfing stunt came out of a 1970 visit by comedian Bob Hope to NASA headquarters in Houston. An avid golfer, Hope cracked a joke about hitting a golf ball on the Moon, and Shepard thought it would be an excellent means of conveying to people watching back on Earth the difference in the strength of gravity. So he paid a pro named Jack Harden at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston to adapt a Wilson Staff 6-iron head so that it could be attached to a collapsible aluminum and Teflon sample collector. Once NASA's Technical Services division added some finishing touches, Shepard practiced his golf swing at a course in Houston while wearing his 200-plus-pound spacesuit to prepare.
Who was the commander of Apollo 14?
Grainy footage of Apollo 14 commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. playing golf on the Moon on February 6, 1971.
Who hit golf balls on the moon?
The Derry Fire Department posted two pictures of Shepard on Facebook. “50 years ago today Derry Native and Apollo 14 commander, Alan B. Shepard, famously hit two golf balls on the surface of the Moon on February 6, 1971!
When did the first astronauts go to the moon?
New Hampshire politicians and organizations paid tribute to Shepard and the Apollo 14 mission on social media over the weekend. Shepard was the first American astronaut launched into space in 1961. Ten years later, he commanded NASA’s eighth crewed mission to the moon. Apollo 14 launched on Jan. 31, 1971.
When did Apollo 14 launch?
Apollo 14 launched on Jan. 31, 1971. Shepard and crewmate Edgar Mitchell landed on the lunar surface on Feb. 5, and Shepard, Mitchell and command module pilot Stuart Roosa returned to earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Feb. 9.
When did the 6 iron hit the golf balls?
According to NASA, he used the head of a 6-iron attached to the handle of a sample-collection tool to hit the two golf balls on Feb. 6, 1971.
Who was the first American to go to space?
Derry native Alan Shepard, who attended Pinkerton Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy, plants a flag on the moon in 1971, 10 years after becoming the first American in space. NASA. Facebook.
Who played golf on the moon 50 years ago?
But one “out of this world” moment trumps them all – that time 50 years ago when astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. played golf on the moon.
Why did the Shepard ball stay airborne longer than it would have been on Earth?
The absence of aerodynamic forces on the ball, and lack of the spin-induced “magnus effect” caused by the ball’s dimples, meant that it followed a perfectly parabolic flight. It also stayed airborne longer due to lower gravitational forces pulling it back to the ground.
What is the moon bunker?
The moon is effectively one giant, un-raked, rock-strewn bunker. There were no “preferred lies” as a fully-suited astronaut would struggle to tee the ball up on the surface. The pressurized suits severely restricted movement, and due to their helmet’s visors, they struggled to even see their feet.
Why did the ball stay airborne longer?
It also stayed airborne longer due to lower gravitational forces pulling it back to the ground.
Who tossed the first ball of the solar wind experiment?
Sitting near Shepard’s first ball is a pole from a solar wind experiment, tossed by crewmate Edgar Mitchell. (NASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders)
Who was the pilot of Apollo 13?
CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) Fred Haise, who was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 13, applied some astute commentary from his position in Mission Control: “Looked like a slice to me, Al.”. The location of the first “shanked” ball can be seen in the crater to the right.
Is Golf Journal a quarterly publication?
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How far did the ball go on the moon?
But in the Moon's airless environment with just one-sixth the gravity of Earth, Shepard later estimated that his modest pitch shot carried the ball about 200 yards (600 feet).
What is the most famous golf swing ever taken?
In the annals of golf history, Alan Shepard's shots from the lunar sand may be the most famous swings ever taken. And after 50 years, image analysts have finally determined how far his golf balls went.
Was the bunker shot in the Apollo program bad?
Still, that's not bad for a one-handed bunker shot taken while wearing a bulky spacesuit in weak gravity. Plus, it served as one of the Apollo program's most memorable moments. When asked about the shot at a post-flight Congressional hearing, Shepard quipped, "I did this since I am patriotic and concerned about the security of the nation."
What was the clubhead shepard on Apollo 14?
The clubhead Shepard sneaked on board Apollo 14 in a sock and the implement he attached it to - this image is reproduced courtesy of the United States Golf Association which has the item in its museum as part of the Moon shot collection.
What was the name of the solar wind experiment that Edgar Mitchell hurled?
Movie footage from the Lunar Module in 1971 was used to identify both balls. The 'Javelin' was a pole from a solar wind experiment, hurled by crewmate Edgar Mitchell. Andy Saunders is an imaging specialist and author of the upcoming book Apollo Remastered.
Who hit the golf ball on the moon?
Credit: NASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders. NASA astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr hit a golf ball on the Moon in 1971… but where did it go? The answer has been revealed for Apollo 14’s 50th anniversary, thanks to 21st century tech. One small step for Man and a hole in one for Mankind?
Who used the golf ball for the moon shots?
Shepard never told anyone which brand of golf ball he used for his historic moon shots.. Credit: NASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders
What would have created a perfect parabolic flight for the ball?
Conditions on the Moon would have created “perfect parabolic” flight for the ball writes Saunders for Golf Journal (republished on the USGA website). That said, low gravity meant the club didn’t swing as it should.
Where is the replica of the golf ball in the crater?
The original club used for the cosmic swings can be seen at USGA’s museum. A replica is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC.
When did the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter fly over the area?
And it wasn’t just old reels of celluloid and videotape. In 2011 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flew over the area with an eager lens.
Where is the rock from the last men to walk on the moon?
Another Article From Us: Rock Collected by The Last Men to Walk on the Moon is Now in the Oval Office
Who is the author of Apollo Remastered?
The result, due to be published in Saunders’ book ‘Apollo Remastered’, brings sporting and indeed spacing enthusiasts a clear picture of Shepard’s elusive golf ball. Even the divots on the lunar surface are picked out. Shepard never told anyone which brand of golf ball he used for his historic moon shots.. Credit: NASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders.
Who was the only person to hit a golf ball on the moon?
Decades after the historic golf excursion, Shepard still had pride in the accomplishment. "So far I'm the only person to have hit a golf ball on the moon. Probably will be for some time," he told NASA in the February 1998 oral history, a few months before his death at age 74.
Who was the famous golfer who was convinced to play with the moon club?
Shepard was convinced to part with his precious moon club after the famed singer and entertainer Bing Crosby, a member of the USGA committee in 1972, wrote Shepard saying the museum would be "an ideal repository for the celebrated implement," Nenno said. Shepard and Crosby were already acquainted from playing together at Pebble Beach, California, a well-known golf haven for enthusiasts.
What was the golf club on the Apollo moon?
Why "unusual and interesting"? Technically speaking, the golf club was a Wilson Staff Dyna-Power 6-iron head attached to a sampling tool — a five-piece tool loosely held together by string when not fully assembled — that was made of aluminum and Teflon. Golf clubs usually don't come apart as Shepard's moon club did, but Shepard needed the modification to fold it into the cramped quarters of the Apollo lunar lander.
Why did Hope golf on the moon?
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. Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14 and a long-time NASA astronaut, used his connections to discreetly ask for help keeping ...
Where did the golf club that was tucked away go?
The rules surrounding giving space artifacts to astronauts were different in the 1970s, so Shepard kept the club before donating it to the USGA Museum in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, roughly an hour west of New York City, in 1974.
How far can a male golfer drive?
By comparison, a 2019 report using golf tournaments' gender categories shows that an average amateur male golfer on Earth can drive the ball 216 yards (198 m), and an average female golfer 148 yards (135 m), although those distances have increased significantly since Shepard's flight.
How far can a golfer drive the ball?
By comparison, a 2019 report using golf tournaments' gender categories shows that an average amateur male golfer on Earth can drive the ball 216 yards (198 m), and an average female golfer 148 yards (135 m), although those distances have increased significantly since Shepard's flight.
