Whose footprints are still on the Moon?
Quick Answer
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's footprints from the 1969 Apollo 11 landing remain on the Moon. With no wind or water erosion, they could last over a million years β disturbed only by micrometeorites.
The Full Story
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left the first human footprints on the Moon on July 20β21, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission. Because the Moon has no atmosphere, no wind, and no liquid water, these footprints experience virtually no erosion. They could persist for over a million years, gradually degraded only by micrometeorite impacts and cosmic radiation. In total, 12 astronauts walked on the Moon across six Apollo missions (11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) from 1969 to 1972, all leaving footprints that remain today. The last person to walk on the Moon was Eugene Cernan (Apollo 17, December 1972). The lunar regolith (soil) is fine and powdery β about 1 cm deep β and retains impressions extremely well because the angular dust grains lock together without moisture.
Key Facts
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Footprints That Will Outlast Civilization β The Moon's Eternal Marks"