Buzz
The Moon landing was a remarkable achievement, and the technology behind it was groundbreaking. However, the mission was made even more complicated due to the involvement of human astronauts.
During that period, astronauts and rocket engineers were often seen as almost superhuman. In truth, they were just as human as the rest of us, which meant that not everything aligned with NASA’s public image or PR strategy.
10. Playboy Playmate Images Were Sent To The Moon
Alan Bean and Pete Conrad had been on the Moon for about two and a half hours during Apollo 12's second moonwalk when Bean turned to the next page in his checklist book. What he saw was not what he expected.
On one side was the usual list of tasks, but on the other side was a topless woman smiling at him. Specifically, it was a picture of Miss December 1968 from Playboy magazine. A caption read: “Don’t forget—describe the protuberances.”
Conrad had a similar surprise, and both astronauts discovered a second Playboy picture later in their checklist books. The mischievous additions were made by Dave Scott, the backup commander, and the books also featured cartoons by Ernie Reyes, head of NASA’s pre-flight operations.
The two astronauts remained silent about it; they knew everything was being recorded, and many American taxpayers (or at least some) wouldn't have appreciated practical jokes in the middle of a multi-billion-dollar Moon landing mission. However, they couldn’t help but giggle. In fact, their laughter was so frequent that some on Earth started to worry they might be experiencing some sort of “space rapture.”
9. An Art Installation Was (Probably) Smuggled to the Moon
Apollo 15 astronaut Dave Scott left behind a small metal sculpture called “Fallen Astronaut,” which served as a tribute to astronauts and cosmonauts who had lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration. However, we must rely on the word of an anonymous individual that another piece of art made its way to the Moon.
This piece is known as the “Moon Museum,” and it traveled 250,000 miles without NASA’s knowledge. American sculptor Forrest Myers conceived the idea of sending a miniature art gallery to the Moon. After contacting NASA and receiving no response, he decided to smuggle it there instead.
He and five other prominent artists created designs that could be etched onto a small ceramic piece. The most memorable image came from Andy Warhol. Depending on how you interpret it, it could be seen as a rocket in flight, a stylized representation of the initials AW, or a crude depiction of a penis and testicles, the kind of drawing you might expect from an adolescent boy. Regardless of the meaning, Myers etched these images onto a ceramic wafer typically used for telephone circuitry. The wafer measured only 0.75 inches by 0.5 inches—about the size of a thumbnail.
The base of the lunar module was wrapped in layers of gold foil for thermal insulation. Myers connected with a technician working on the module, who agreed to hide the small artwork inside these blankets. Two days before Apollo 12’s launch, Myers received a telegram that simply read ‘Your (sic) on A.O.K. All systems go’, signed “John F.”
Thus, the Moon Museum likely resides on the Moon's surface. However, no one has been able to identify John F, and the only way to confirm its presence would be for someone to return to the Moon and dismantle the bottom half of the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM).
8. The Bathroom Facilities On Apollo Spacecraft Were Far From Ideal
On Apollo missions, relieving oneself required wearing a condom-like device connected to a hose. The astronaut would then open a valve that sucked the urine straight into space’s vacuum. Sadly, this system wasn’t completely leak-proof, but the crews all agreed it was far better than the method for dealing with solid waste.
This method involved the delicately named “fecal bag.” Whenever an astronaut needed to use it, the other two would retreat as far as possible. (This wasn’t far, considering the Command Module was just 13 feet in diameter.) The astronaut would strip off clothes and attach the bag to his backside. Then came the finger. Gravity plays a crucial role in Earth-based toilets, making waste drop into the bowl, but in zero gravity, things just float. Each bag had a small pocket at the top, called a “finger cot.” The astronaut would use his finger to ensure proper separation and make sure waste went into the bag.
The entire process typically took 45 minutes, and accidents were common. Here's a transcript from Apollo 10:
Tom Stafford: Oh—Who did it? John Young: Who did what? Gene Cernan: What? Tom Stafford: Who did it? Gene Cernan: Where did that come from? Tom Stafford: Give me a napkin quick. There’s a turd floating through the air. John Young: I didn’t do it. It ain’t one of mine. Gene Cernan: I don’t think it’s one of mine. Tom Stafford: Mine was a little more sticky than that. Throw it away. John Young: God Almighty
At least one astronaut, Bill Anders from Apollo 8, took enough Imodium to prevent any bowel movements throughout the entire flight. Anders claimed to have set a distance record of three-quarters of a million miles without a single trip to the bathroom. He also mentioned that he had a distinct waddle when walking across the aircraft carrier deck after splashdown.
7. Three Bottles of Brandy Were Onboard Apollo 8
Apollo 8 began its journey back to Earth on Christmas Day. After completing a TV broadcast, the crew opened their locker expecting their next meal. Instead of the usual bland space food, they found three foil pouches wrapped in festive green and red ribbons. They were labeled “Merry Christmas.” Inside each pouch was a full Christmas dinner, complete with real turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce.
At the time, Apollo 8 was still more than 200,000 miles away from Earth. While Christmas dinners in space have become a regular tradition on the International Space Station, Apollo 8 still holds the record for the longest distance at Christmas by a considerable margin.
The astronauts found another surprise in their locker: three miniature bottles of brandy. Frank Borman, the mission commander, took one glance at them and ordered they be put back unopened. Borman, having investigated the Apollo 1 fire, was likely more aware than anyone of the potential dangers inside a spacecraft so far from Earth. Consuming even a small amount of alcohol simply wasn't an option under his command. However, the astronauts were allowed to keep their tiny bottles of brandy. Jim Lovell later sold his at an auction in 2008, where it fetched nearly $18,000 for the brandy that had been to the Moon.
6. NASA Lost An Apollo Command Module, And The Russians Returned It To Them
In the summer of 1970, the U.S. icebreaker Southwind was navigating the Arctic Ocean. In an unusual thaw of Cold War tensions, the ship made a courtesy call at the Russian port of Murmansk. What happened next was truly strange.
Three American diplomats arrived to attend a formal ceremony. Then, the Russians presented a piece of American property. A conical object was lifted aboard the Southwind. In the remote north of Russia, there it was: an Apollo Command Module, its NASA logo clearly visible on the side.
The capsule was a dummy—a boilerplate. The recovery operations that were televised to millions after each Apollo mission had been meticulously planned, with naval units worldwide training for the possibility of retrieving Apollo capsules in their waters. This particular capsule had gone missing during one of these practice drills.
The Soviet Union's official account was that a trawler had discovered the capsule drifting in the Bay of Biscay. Whether by accident or through covert means, the USSR kept the capsule for at least six months. During this period, it was likely examined by engineers from the Soviet space program. However, it’s doubtful they gained any significant insights from it. Constructed from basic sheet metal by a company in Texas, the capsule had cost less than $15,000 to make.
5. Most Americans Were Unhappy About Spending Billions On Apollo
On May 25, 1961, President Kennedy addressed Congress, declaring, “I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon.” This wasn’t just a proclamation—it was a request for funding. Kennedy secured the necessary funds, but the idea was far from universally popular in America.
A Gallup poll conducted shortly after the speech revealed that 58 percent of the public were against the plan. Throughout the 1960s, Project Apollo’s public approval ratings were often low. Only one poll, in July 1969, showed a slight majority—just 53 percent—who felt that the cost of sending a man to the Moon was justified.
4. Buzz Aldrin Took Holy Communion On The Moon
After confirming it was safe to remain and before preparing for the first moonwalk, Buzz Aldrin addressed the world: “I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.”
This was followed by 30 seconds of silence over the radio. During this time, Buzz Aldrin opened a small plastic packet containing communion bread and poured a small amount of wine from a miniature chalice into a cup. Standing next to him, Neil Armstrong remained quiet while Aldrin took Holy Communion. The communion bread became the first food ever consumed on the Moon.
Aldrin had chosen communion as a way to express the significance of the Moon landing. He wanted to convey that the mission “transcended electronics and computers and rockets.” The chalice, bread, and wine were part of his limited personal items allowance.
NASA chose not to publicly announce Aldrin’s communion due to ongoing legal battles over religious content. During the Apollo 8 mission, the crew had read from Genesis while orbiting the Moon, which offended atheist activist Madalyn Murray O’Hair. She argued that the astronauts, as government employees, were violating the separation of church and state. To avoid further legal complications, NASA kept Aldrin’s communion private.
3. The High Potassium Diet On Apollo 16 Led To Uncomfortable Flatulence Issues
During the Apollo 15 mission, both Dave Scott and Jim Irwin experienced mild heart irregularities. Upon their return to Earth, it was concluded that a lack of potassium was the likely cause. As a result, astronauts on the following mission were given potassium-enriched orange juice. However, this led to an unexpected consequence that astronaut John Young humorously highlighted. A microphone had been left on by accident, broadcasting Young’s predicament to the entire world.
John Young: 'Got the farts again, Charlie. I don’t know why this keeps happening. Probably not... I think it’s acid stomach. Definitely.' Charlie Duke: 'Probably.' John Young: (Laughs) 'I haven’t had this much citrus in 20 years. And I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not touching it after another 12 damn days.'
Shortly after, Houston pointed out to Young that his microphone was still live.
Breaking wind in a spacesuit is definitely not ideal. Beyond the unpleasant smell, the primary gas released is methane, which is flammable—a dangerous situation in a spacesuit or inside a sealed spacecraft.
2. The Designer of the Saturn V Rocket Left the USA Amidst Allegations of War Crimes
Arthur Rudolph spent many years working alongside Wernher von Braun as his deputy. Throughout much of the 1960s, he served as the project director for the Saturn V program, managing the design and construction of the colossal rocket. He retired on January 1, 1969, knowing that his work had helped land astronauts on the Moon. However, in the 1970s and 80s, his past began to resurface.
Similar to von Braun, Rudolph had worked during World War II on the development of the V2 rocket for the Nazis. This took place at an underground facility and involved forced labor from a nearby concentration camp. It is believed that at least 12,000 individuals died while building the V2 rockets—more than the number of casualties caused by the rockets themselves—and some claimed that Arthur Rudolph was at least partly responsible for these deaths.
In 1984, Rudolph was compelled to leave the United States and relinquish his American citizenship. He spent the remainder of his life in Germany, never facing trial, but his legacy remained overshadowed by the dark cloud of his past actions.
1. Divers Who Opened Capsules After Splashdown Had To Be Ready For A Smell
A tiny, air-tight room, three astronauts, and twelve days without a shower—that's hardly a recipe for fresh air. Fortunately, the human mind can adapt to whatever odors it’s exposed to. So, by the end of a lengthy mission, the interior of a Command Module might still feel somewhat normal to the astronauts. However, this was not the case for the divers who were part of the recovery team.
Often regarded as one of the worst jobs in the space program, the divers who opened the hatch had to steel themselves for a serious olfactory assault. Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders recalled seeing a frogman stick his head inside the hatch. The man had a horrified expression and stumbled backward. Later, when Anders asked him about the capsule, the frogman clarified that it wasn’t the appearance of the capsule that shocked him, but the overwhelming stench.
