Astronauts placed six different American flags on the moon during the Apollo program. What became of those flags in the years since, and why were they controversial?

55 years ago today, Apollo 11's flag raising on the ancient lunar surface took all of 10 minutes during Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's two-and-a-half hour moonwalking adventure in July 1969.

Apollo 11 astronauts watched the Earth rise above the moon’s horizon on July 20, 1969. NASA / JSC. A camera was rolling as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin climbed down from the Eagle lunar lander ...

The American flag planted on the Moon by the Apollo 11 crew was likely purchased at a Houston Sears store by a NASA secretary. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. 7 The Mission Continues.

The final flag to be planted during the Apollo series of missions is also still going strong, too. That one broke ground on the moon on December 11, 1972, thanks to the efforts of Eugene Cernan ...

Buzz Aldrin takes a few steps on the moon before posing beside the deployed United States flag during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for ...

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands on the moon facing a U.S. flag during the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969. Sample from this mission were gifted to Ireland and later destroyed in a fire.

In this photo provided by NASA, astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin poses for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.