Space

Rare footage shows how hard astronauts find it to walk on the Moon

  • Rare footage has emerged on X showing how hard astronauts find it to walk on the Moon
  • The clips, which are hilarious, were captured when the Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon in 1969
  • Astronauts use a hopping and walking method to make their way around the Moon’s surface, but it often results in them falling over

Published on Jan 31, 2024 at 7:50 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray

Last updated on Feb 01, 2024 at 1:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Alessandro Renesis

When the Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon in 1969, everyone looked on in awe.

The still images of astronauts standing proudly beside the American flag are as iconic as the ‘one small step for man’ trope.

But what we didn’t see is just how hard it actually is to walk on the Moon.

Rare footage shows how hard astronauts find it to walk on the Moon
Sahil Bloom / X

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We’ve heard how astronauts come back from space as ‘different people’, but we know very little about the reality of how they get from A to B on the Moon.

Trying to grip onto the rock’s hard surface whilst battling a lack of gravity and a heavy astronaut suit is no mean feat.

Little wonder it’s so hard to become an astronaut.

Rare footage shows how hard astronauts find it to walk on the Moon
Neil Armstrong / NASA / Wikimedia Commons
Rare footage shows how hard astronauts find it to walk on the Moon
NASA / Buzz Aldrin / Wikimedia Commons

But the above NASA footage, shared to X by Sahil Bloom, sheds some light on what it was like for the astronauts, albeit quite comical.

Think of the clips as a ‘bloopers’ reel or outtakes from the televised Moon landing because of how funny it is.

Although falling isn’t a great thing to happen, because there’s a lack of gravity on the Moon, astronauts don’t hit the ground with any force.

The gravity on the Moon is much weaker than it is on Earth – that’s why astronauts slowly bob around on the surface and take the odd tumble.

Rare footage shows how hard astronauts find it to walk on the Moon
NASA / Wikimedia Commons

Undoubtedly funny to watch, aerospace technologist James McBarron admitted that he was concerned about the first Moon landing and that when the astronauts fell, how they might ‘not be able to get back up’.

“The suit wasn’t that mobile, and it was a known concern. As it was, on later missions we did have several crew members who fell, but they were able to get up. It just took a little dexterity and creativity,” McBarron explained when speaking to Universe Today.

That explains why they used a hopping and walking method to make their way around the Moon’s surface.

They needed to be careful, though, as if they got too carried away, they’d end up falling over.

It transpires walking on the Moon is harder than it looks.

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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.