T or F: MICHIGAN flag on the moon?

Submitted by superstringer on

I am turning to the robust knowledge base of the MGOBLOG faithful.

There apparently is a rumor that a UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN flag is on the Moon, put there by one of our esteemed alumni who was walking on it while under the employ of NASA.  There is apparently a rumor that this rumor is untrue.  And a rumor that, while there may have been a MICHIGAN flag on one of the Gemini or Apollo spacecraft, it never made it to the Moon.

Anyone know the truth here?  I don't want google search links.  I want someone who knows a guy who is friends with a sister of the father of the ex-brother-in-law who used to walk the fish and the cat of the engineer who put the flag on the spacecraft.  Or something like that.

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go16blue

August 20th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^

If I recall correctly it was the Apollo 15 (all 3 astronauts had Michigan degrees), and it has never been confirmed or denied by the astronauts. It would certainly be possible for them to have placed a Michigan flag on the moon, but they haven't outright said that they have for some reason (I can't imagine they could get in trouble for it), so it remains Michigan legend. There's another rumor going around that they started a Michigan alumni chapter on the moon, which would make UM the only university with a chapter there (obviously).

Joined: 04/28/2010

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RadioMuse

August 20th, 2012 at 8:34 PM ^

Due to contamination risks they could get in trouble for placing a flag on the moon.  It's the same reason NASA goes to great lengths to sterilize everything they send to Mars (for example).  They want to prevent spreading microscopic life forms to other places where we might find them later and believe that we've found life on Mars or the Moon, when all we really found were the carcasses of Earthbound micro-organisms that WE LEFT THERE.

Never-the-less I've heard nothing but mixed reports about the flag, but the alumni chapter on the moon is definitely true.  The Apollo landing craft carried two of the three astronauts down to the moon and appartly they decided to make that much official

I've definitely seen plenty of space-station or shuttle pictures with astronauts proudly flying Michigan flags though.  So there's might be something to it...

Joined: 03/20/2012

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CasBMW

August 21st, 2012 at 11:05 AM ^

You are incorrect. There are various extremophiles that exists with the lack of "atmosphere" and heavy radiation. In fact various organism strive because of radiation. Some are not known to the public whatsoever. 

Tardigrades are one of few known organism on Earth to survive the open space vacuum and solar radiation at once.  Can survive being heated up to 424 Kelvin or chilled to 73 Kelvin. Has survived  briefly over absolute zero.

 

Edit: Not saying living organism are presnt at the moment on the moon, just stating the fact that some organisms found on Earth has the possibilty of surviving in those harsh conditions.

Joined: 07/01/2011

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FrankMurphy

August 20th, 2012 at 6:25 PM ^

I remember when I was in UG ('98-'03), a couple of students somehow managed to sneak into the steam tunnels and got caught by DPS. There was a min-controversy over it because DPS was so pissed off by the incursion that they handcuffed the kids and treated them like felons before releasing them. 

Joined: 08/19/2008

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Horace Prettyman

August 20th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^

I've been in the steam tunnels. They connect almost every building on campus. The large concrete cylinders around campus that people post fliers on are the ventilation ducts, as the tunnels can get extreamly hot. But they are also a complete maize and students have almost died from dehydration after getting lost in them.

Joined: 07/14/2010

MGoPoints: 270

MGoPatio

August 20th, 2012 at 11:28 PM ^

I've been in them too (offically). Temps can reach 140 degrees in many places. It is not easy to find your way around.

As for the trip from the President's house to Fleming, it's not a totally straight line. It also passes by the Museum of Art where there's a litle more security. Oh yeah, I pass President Coleman on her way to work every few weeks. I have yet to see her spin the Cube.

Joined: 07/31/2012

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DingoBlue

August 20th, 2012 at 4:48 PM ^

and while he told us at the time that there is no Michigan flag on the moon, the all-Michigan Apollo crew did leave some kind of mark behind in honor of their alma mater.  I think he provided some speculation as to "you are restricted in what you can take with you and bring back, but the stuff that's there can be moved around." (paraphrased)

Joined: 02/21/2012

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SteveInPhilly

August 20th, 2012 at 4:54 PM ^

I seem to remember there was an interview a couple years ago with one of the astronauts on the crew and he debunked the myth. Someone could probably find a link for it.

Joined: 08/26/2010

MGoPoints: 606

Harperbole

August 20th, 2012 at 4:55 PM ^

I always questioned whether they'd really be allowed to do such a thing but regardless I'll continue perpetuating the myth. It's a sure way to draw the deserved attention to the overwhelming presence of UofM grads that have been there.

Joined: 06/22/2012

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Wolverine In Exile

August 20th, 2012 at 5:00 PM ^

1) there is no M flag on the moon (1st hand sources)

2) there is an odd rock formation that someday when resolution gets good enough on Lunar imagers or another manned mission lands there, will be undeniably recognized as a certain letter  of the alphabet... (1st hand sources)

3) there have been multiple M flags on the moon & outer space, that have returned with the crewman that brought it there. I have one of the orbiting flags from a mission I was involved with.

4) there is at least one classified satellite project I'm aware of that has a block M etched in the 6061 aluminum interior electronics box surface. Not telling which one or who did it. (cousin of my jeweler's niece who knew Sammy Davis Jr's hairstylist)

Joined: 11/08/2008

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WingsNWolverines

August 20th, 2012 at 6:18 PM ^

Apollo 15 landed? I guess it was a myth but the fact that the whole crew were Michigan alumni is good enough for me.

Joined: 04/27/2011

MGoPoints: 587

Njia

August 20th, 2012 at 6:47 PM ^

"Touchdown! No flags!"

 

Seriously, for those of us who attended the College of Engineering's special alumni gatherings for Homecoming last October, we got to meet Al Worden, who was the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 15 mission. Amazing guy.

Joined: 09/15/2009

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M Fanfare

August 20th, 2012 at 7:04 PM ^

I wish the university would make an updated commercial, this time starring the Gemini 4 mission which also had an all-U of M crew and conducted the first American spacewalk. In fact, the Gemini 4 mission has a better claim to being an "all U of M crew", since both of the crew had actually earned Michigan degrees (Ed White, B.S.E. 1959 and James McDivitt, M.S.E. 1958), while the Apollo 15 crew were all U of M affiliated, but not are were technically alumni. Alfred Worden had an M.S.E. degree from Michigan ('63) as did James Irwin ('57), but David Scott only had an honorary U of M degree. However, he did attend Michigan as a freshman before transferring to West Point.

I am proud as hell that my alma mater can claim such great men as the 5 crewmen of Gemini 4 and Apollo 15. Space, bitches. Space.

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