Who was the first person to play golf on the Moon?
50 years ago, an Apollo 14 astronaut played golf on the moon. Here's the inside story. | Space 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.
How was the golf club made on the Moon?
He used a retractable telescopic aluminum and teflon shaft, which usually attaches to an instrument which collects rock and dust samples on the lunar surface, as the shaft of the golf club with the idea of crafting an attachable clubhead he would fasten to the end when he finished collecting the sample for his experiment.
Did Shepard play golf on the Moon?
Like any good astronaut, Shepard simulated his golf shot long before making it to the moon. He would regularly haul his more than 200-lb. (90 kilograms) spacesuit to a local bunker to practice his shot while suited up, away from the public eye, just to make sure he could land it, USGA said.
Did an Apollo 14 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. (Image credit: NASA)
Who hit the first golf ball on the moon?
Alan ShepardAlan 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.
When was golf first played on the moon?
1971What was the first sport played on the moon? That would be golf. In 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard swung a makeshift 6-iron on the moon's surface — and missed the ball. His second swing, however, connected, and the golf ball went flying "miles and miles and miles," as Shepard put it after his swing.
Did Armstrong 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!
What happened to the golf ball Alan Shepard hit on the moon?
Though it took Shepard a minute to get the hang of it, he eventually sent his second ball flying for what he believed was “miles and miles and miles.” Now, a NASA digital image restorer thinks he's relocated one of those balls, and as it turns out, it didn't go for miles.
Who brought golf clubs to the moon?
Alan ShepardThe Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead, weighing 16.5 ounces, that was carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon, as seen at the USGA Golf Museum.
What 2 sports have been played on the moon?
It happened on the moon. Forty years ago this Sunday, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell took an entirely different kind of "giant leap for mankind," playing sports on the lunar surface. Shepard famously hit golf balls with a modified six-iron, and Mitchell threw a javelin.
Has anyone golfed on the moon?
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.
Why are there 3 golf balls on the moon?
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.
How far did the astronaut hit the golf ball on the moon?
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).
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.
Why did Alan Shepard not go on Apollo 13?
Shepard, Mitchell and Roosa were originally scheduled to fly Apollo 13 and were bumped to give Shepard more training time in the simulators before his return to space flight following treatment for Ménière's disease.
Where is the golf club that was on the moon?
the United States Golf Association MuseumYou might think both the sock and club would have ended up in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, but the club on display there is actually a replica. The real Shepard club along with that traveling sock are actually held by the United States Golf Association Museum in Far Hills, New Jersey.
Throwback to when golf was played on the Moon
Golf is probably one of the most dynamic and one of the toughest sports to master. Creating history, Alan Shepard, the commander of Apollo 14, found a way to hit his six-iron on the surface of the Moon. He was carrying his six-iron with him and took out some time during the landing to hit two balls on the surface of the Moon.
Where is the six-iron kept?
The rather historical six-iron which Alan Shepard used to hit the golf balls on the surface of the Moon was with him until 1974. However, he later donated the six-iron to USGA Museum in Liberty Corner, New Jersey. Notably, he donated the club to the museum on the recommendation of Bing Crosby, a member of the USGA committee in 1972.
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Bazif Qadri is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing BSC Economics Hons, Bazif is a golf enthusiast. Not only a fan, but he is also an avid golfer himself.
Who hit the first golf ball on the moon?
That distinction belongs to a NASA astronaut. Apollo 14 commander Alan B. Shepard hit two golf balls on the surface of the Moon on Feb. 6, 1971. Shepard talked to the United States Golf Association (USGA) about those infamous shots. “I shanked the first one; it rolled into a crater about 40 yards way,” said Shepard.
Did the astronauts take golf clubs on Apollo 13?
Maggie Lagle, a historian for the USGA, told Fox News that NASA did not have a sense of humor after Apollo 13 and would not have let Shepard take a golf club on the mission, so Shepard snuck a club and balls into space with him.
Did Bing Crosby donate his club to the USGA?
Singer Bing Crosby helped convince Shepard to donate his club to the USGA’s museum in New Jersey. “Alan was a very avid golfer and he would actually participate in the Bing Crosby golf tournament,” said Lagle.
Who was the only person to play golf on the moon?
The only sport ever “played” on the surface of the moon. by: By Jonathan Weintraub. Alan Shepard, an astronaut from the Apollo 14 mission, who was sent to the moon with two more crew members in 1971, has tried and succeeded in batting a golf ball on the moon. We don’t really know how far his ball reached. Shepard claims he saw the ball flying “many ...
How far did the golf ball go in the air?
He believes that the ball flew for 70 seconds in the air and went as far as 4,000 meters, which is 8 times the Guinness world record for golf!
What was the first golf shot on the moon?
The first golf shot on the moon came to life, rolling into a crater about 40 yards away. He had the hang of it now. Shepard dropped a second ball and swung again. Keeping his head down as much as he could, he made contact a second time.
Who was the golfer that used golf to ride the moon?
The idea to use golf as the visual hit Shepard when famed comedian Bob Hope visited NASA prior to the mission. During the tour led by Shepard, Hope carried around an old driver and eventually used it for balance when he entered the moonwalker, simulating conditions on the moon.
How much does the moon club weigh?
The Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead, weighing 16.5 ounces, that was carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon as seen at the USGA Headquarters in Far Hills, NJ. (USGA/John Mummert)
Where is the moon club?
While Shepard died in 1998 at the age of 74, his legacy lives on in the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, where the moon club and the sock that contained the two golf balls brought to the moon are two of the museum’s most popular items alongside Bobby Jones’ famous Calamity Jane putter.
When was the second Apollo 14 mission?
kept his plan quiet. The mission came first. Apollo 14, Shepard’s second space flight as commander, was planned for Jan. 31 to Feb. 9, 1971. Two years after humans first landed on the moon, Shepard wouldn’t be the first astronaut in space or the first person to walk on the moon on this trip, ...
Who carried the moon club?
The Moon Club, a specially crafted 6-iron clubhead carried by Alan Shepard onboard the Apollo 14 mission to the moon as seen on August 30, 2007 at the USGA Headquarters in Far Hills, NJ. (USGA/John Mummert) “Miles and miles and miles,” Shepard said as he watched it sail. “Very good, Al,” Haise said. It wasn’t really miles.
Who was the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon?
A lover of golf who spent the later years of his life near Pebble Beach, California, Shepard brought two golf balls folded in a sock and a unique 6-iron of his own engineering to space 50 years ago, hoping to become the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon. USGA senior historian Victoria Nenno recounts the idea came to Shepard as he was ...
How long did the first Lunar Olympics last?
During their time on the lunar surface Shepard and Mitchell performed two extravehicular activities (EVAs) for a combined total of just over 9 hours.
Who landed on the moon in Apollo 14?
Luckily, Apollo 14 ran into no such problems. While astronauts Alan Shepard Jr. (1923-1998) and Edgar D. Mitchell (1930-2016) landed on the Moon on February 5, Stuart A. Roosa (1933-94) stayed in lunar orbit on the command module performing scientific experiments and taking photos to document the moon.
What was Apollo 14?
Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission of the Apollo program and the third to land on the moon. It was also the last of the H-missions in the program. The H-missions involved a precision landing and up to two-days being spent on the moon with two moonwalks on the lunar surface.
What was Apollo 14's mission?
Apollo 14's Mission. While on the moon, Shepard and Mitchell were to fulfill the major mission objectives that Apollo 13 was unable to do at the Fra Mauro formation. These objectives were to survey and collect samples from the Imbrium Basin, deploy and activate the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), ...
Why was the last mission unable to land on the moon?
However, due to the last mission being unable to land on the moon changes were made so that a larger amount of lunar material and scientific data could be collected. This was made possible by the addition of the modular equipment transporter (MET).
What did Mitchell throw?
Meanwhile, Mitchell took a lunar scoop handle and threw it like it was a javelin. In a 2011 interview with ABC to discuss the 40th anniversary of the event, Mitchell said that his javelin throw went further “by about 4 inches” then Shepard's golf shot.
How long did the golf ball stay on the moon?
Having hit the golf ball in the moon's low gravity environment, the ball likely remained above the surface for more than a minute. During that time, the ball might have traveled more than two miles. Nobody actually calculated the precise distance the ball traveled.
Why does a golf ball travel farther on the moon?
On the moon, a golf ball will travel much farther because the comparatively weak surface gravity will accelerate it back to the surface more slowly.
What happens when you strike a golf ball?
So if you strike a golf ball up at an angle, it will describe a parabolic arc ascending to a high point, at which its vertical velocity is momentarily zero, and then descending back down to the surface. On Earth, a golf ball doesn't remain in the air for long as the planet's gravity quickly pulls it back down.
How fast does the Moon escape gravity?
The moon's gravity is weaker than Earth's, but still quite strong. The moon's escape velocity is about 5,310 miles per hour! In order to escape its gravity field, an object would have to at least move at this velocity. Not even the strongest human could launch a golf ball at such a speed.
How far would a golf ball have landed from the impact point?
They estimate it might have landed between two and two and a half miles from the impact point.
Can you hit a golf ball on 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. The moon's gravity is weaker than Earth's, but still quite strong.
