341. [Apollo 14] ALAN SHEPARD PLANTING THE U.S. FLAG AT FRA MAURO BASE Edgar Mitchell, 31 January - 9 February 1971, EVA 1 Printed 1971. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA AS14-66-9232]. With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context The return to the Moon—Apollo 14 plants the flag at Fra Mauro. A superbly composed photograph capturing the triumphant return of Apollo astronauts to the lunar surface—just nine months after the near-disaster of Apollo 13. The crew carefully staged this historic image, which was also recorded by the TV camera and the 16mm Data Acquisition Camera. Alan Shepard, Apollo 14 Commander, is seen steadying the American flag as it stands firmly in the lunar soil. The shadow of the Antares Lunar Module extends along the left, while the partial shadow to the right is cast by the erectable S-band antenna. In the foreground, Edgar Mitchell's shadow looms over the scene, as he photographs Shepard. The red stripes on Shepard's helmet, arms, and legs help distinguish him from Mitchell, who wore an unmarked suit. From the mission transcript when the photograph was taken: 114:43:55 Shepard:Okay. (To Mitchell) Take a picture this way (facing the 16-mm camera) and then we'll swing it (the U.S. flag) around so they can see it in the television. 114:44:01 Mitchell: All right. 114:44:02 McCandless (Mission Control): Okay, we can see it... 114:44:03 Shepard: Okay, let me turn it around a little... There we go. Literature A Man on the Moon, Chaikin, pp. 240-241 Apollo Expeditions to the Moon (NASA SP-350), Cortright, ed., chapter 8, appendix.