This is Space Salute, NASA photograph AS15-88-11866, taken by Apollo 15 commander David Scott in August 1971. It shows his crewmate Jim Irwin saluting the flag on the Moon, with the Lunar Module Falcon, the lunar rover and Hadley Delta behind him. Our Apollo 15 Salute poster and photo print is made from NASA's archival scan of the original 70 mm film frame, restored by the authors of the Apollo photo book Apollo VII-XVII.
Apollo 15 (AS15-88-11866)
The Apollo 15 flag photo
Apollo 15 touched down on 30 July 1971 at Hadley-Apennine, on the edge of Mare Imbrium, between the peaks of the Apennine Mountains and the long, winding valley of Hadley Rille. Scott and Irwin lived on the surface for three days in Falcon while Al Worden circled the Moon in Endeavour. They were the first crew to drive the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which let them range much further from their spacecraft than they could have walked.
On this astronaut salute poster, Irwin stands at the flag with his hand raised to his helmet. Falcon fills the middle of the frame and the rover is parked to the right. The mountain behind them is Hadley Delta, rising about 4,000 metres above the plain, its base around 5 kilometres away. The view is almost due south.
There is a small detail worth finding: a bright rectangle of light on the rover's dish antenna, sunlight bouncing off the mirrored top of the rover's TV camera. Scott shot three pictures of Irwin at the flag, using Irwin's camera. This last frame is the one that became a classic of the Apollo programme.
Restored from the original Apollo 15 film
Most Apollo 15 posters are printed from small web files that have been copied, compressed and colour shifted many times over. Ours starts from NASA's archival scan of the original film frame. We removed dust and scratches by hand and corrected colour and exposure against the film itself. Nothing is added or invented: the photo print shows what Scott's camera recorded at Hadley, as close to the film as we can bring it.
It is the same restoration that appears in our book Apollo VII-XVII, reviewed by CNN, TIME, BBC Sky at Night Magazine and The Planetary Society.
The astronauts in the picture
James "Jim" Irwin (1930-1991) was a US Air Force test pilot. Apollo 15 was his only spaceflight; as Lunar Module Pilot he became the eighth person to walk on the Moon. The photographer, David Scott, commanded the mission after earlier flights on Gemini 8 and Apollo 9, and was the seventh person to walk on the Moon.
Apollo 15 Salute poster or framed print?
This is the unframed version: an Apollo 15 Salute photo print in three square sizes, 12 x 12, 20 x 20 and 28 x 28 inch (30, 50 and 70 cm). It is giclée printed on heavyweight 240 gsm photographic paper with a satin lustre finish, the paper professional photographers use, and printed right to the edge with no white border. Each print is made to order, rolled in tissue paper and shipped in a sturdy tube, insured and tracked. That makes it a sturdier Jim Irwin flag poster than standard poster paper, and easy to frame yourself.
Want it ready to hang? The same restoration is available as a framed Apollo 15 Salute print, mounted and framed by hand in black, white or natural wood.
Apollo 15 Salute poster FAQ
Who is saluting the flag in this photo?
Jim Irwin, Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 15. The photograph is NASA frame AS15-88-11866, taken at the Hadley-Apennine landing site in August 1971.
Who took the photograph?
Mission commander David Scott, with a Hasselblad camera on 70 mm colour film.
Is this the original NASA photo?
Yes. The poster is made from NASA's archival scan of the original film frame, cleaned and colour corrected by hand. Nothing is added or invented.
What is the vehicle on the right?
The Lunar Roving Vehicle. Apollo 15 was the first mission to take one to the Moon, and Scott and Irwin drove it on all three of their moonwalks.
What sizes is the Apollo 15 Salute poster available in?
12, 20 and 28 inch square (30, 50 and 70 cm). The image is printed to the edge, without a border.
Is this a poster or a photo print?
Both, in a way. It is sold unframed like a poster, but it is a giclée photo print on 240 gsm satin lustre paper, heavier and finer than standard poster paper. If you would rather have it framed, choose the framed Apollo 15 Salute print.
Photograph details
Photograph: AS15-88-11866
Mission: Apollo 15
Date: August 1971
Photographer: David Scott
Camera: Hasselblad, 70 mm film
Source: NASA archival film scan
Restoration: Apollo Photo Prints, from the book Apollo VII-XVII
