55 Years Ago, an Apollo 15 Astronaut Dropped a Hammer on the Moon
Nautilus · 2026-08-03
On August 3, 2026, marking 55 years since the original event, the Apollo 15 mission's famous hammer-feather drop experiment is recalled. During this lunar demonstration, astronaut David Scott simultaneously released a 1.3-kilogram geological hammer and a 30-gram falcon feather from the same height. In the Moon's vacuum, devoid of air resistance, both objects struck the surface at precisely the same instant, visually confirming Galileo's theory that in a vacuum, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass. This principle is obscured on Earth by air resistance, which Galileo circumvented with inclined plane experiments in the late 16th century. Scott's understated "How about that?" after the successful demonstration became a memorable moment, echoing Neil Armstrong's iconic first words on the Moon. Apollo 15 also notably featured the first and only stand-up Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the Moon, performed by Scott inside the lunar module *Falcon*.
*The full article also explores the broader scientific context of lunar missions and the legacy of such experiments.*