Pete's One Knot Flag

Sketch Dedicated to Martina Lotzmann

Sketch completed 10 October 2003
Drawing Copyright by Ulrich Lotzmann. All rights reserved.
Click on the image for a larger version.

The following is adapted from the Apollo 12 Lunar Surface Journal.

Previously, Al drove the bottom section of the flagstaff into the ground. Now, while Al works with Houston to try to fix the broken TV camera, Pete has the top section with the flag already attached and is trying to raise the crossbar and get it to latch into place.

116:16:17 Conrad: Hey, Al?
116:16:19 Bean: Yes, sir.
116:16:20 Conrad: That part has already sheared this thing.

[Bean - "It's the pin that holds up the horizontal member."]
[Conrad - "That's why our flag's hanging down."]
[Bean - "It went up and it never snapped in place."]
116:16:25 Bean: Never touched it.
116:16:27 Conrad: Okay.
116:17:05 Conrad: Oh, lord. (Pause) Need to jury rig (garbled under Gibson)...
116:17:43 Conrad: Al?
116:17:44 Bean: Yes, sir.
116:17:45 Conrad: What I need is a piece of (duct) tape.
116:17:48 Bean: Good luck.
[The J-mission crews had rolls of gray duct tape on the Rover, which came in very handy for repairs of this sort.]

Ulli notes that, during the Apollo 12 Post Mission Crew Press Conference on 12 December 1969, Pete coined the description "One Knot Flag".

The reference is to a flag hanging limply on a vessel traveling at a very modest speed of one knot.

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