The Fallen Astronaut
On the Moon lies a small aluminium figure and a plaque with fourteen names. The astronauts left them there in secret.
What was reported
During Apollo 15's last moonwalk in August 1971, the commander, David Scott, placed a small aluminium figure, about 8.5 centimetres long, face down in the dust near their rover, beside a plaque. It listed the names of eight American astronauts and six Soviet cosmonauts who had died in the race to space.
The crew didn't mention it publicly until after they were home. It was made by the Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, and remains the only artwork placed on the Moon.
Explanations offered
The figure was deliberately simple, neither man nor woman, of no particular race. A disagreement later arose because copies were planned for sale, which the crew had not intended; NASA stopped it. A replica is in the Smithsonian.
- When
- August 1971
- Where
- Hadley Rille, the Moon (Apollo 15 landing site)
- Witnesses
- The crew of Apollo 15
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.