Two golf balls
Alan Shepard became the first man to play golf in space when he hit two golf balls on the moon’s surface in February 1971. He estimates that his second shot traveled more than 200 yards. The balls have not vanished and are still there. That is one hell of a record to hold!
A falcon feather
To test Galileo’s theory that ‘gravity pulls all bodies equally regardless of weight,’ astronaut Dave Scott simultaneously dropped a falcon feather and a hammer to see if they landed at the same time. And guess what, they did! The falcon feather, which was taken from the Air Force Academy’s real-life falcon mascot, is still on the moon. The bird has reached heights like none other, in a manner of speaking.
A family photograph
Before returning to Earth, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a photo of his family and a United States Air Force commemorative medallion on the moon’s surface. The back of the photo has the inscription stating that ‘this is the family of Astronaut Duke from Planet Earth’, which is signed by each member of the family — Duke, his wife, and their two sons. This is one family that has literally found its place in the universe.
A planetary geologist’s ashes
Eugene Shoemaker, a renowned planetary geologist, wished to visit the moon in his lifetime. Instead, an urn containing his ashes was placed there. A passage from “Romeo and Juliet” is wrapped around it on a piece of brass foil. Isn’t it romantic?