How 12 men conquered the moon

Nasa landed 12 astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972: all missions left behind US flags and commemorative plaques.

APOLLO 11: 21 July 1969, Sea of TranquilLity.

Neil Armstrong, right, and Buzz Aldrin spent 21hr 36min on lunar surface; Michael Collins remained in orbit aboard command module Columbia.

Left behind: Descent stage of landing module Eagle, a camera, scientific instruments and medallions commemorating astronauts killed in Apollo 1 fire.

APOLLO 12: 19 November 1969, Ocean of Storms.

Pete Conrad and Alan Bean undertook two moonwalks during 31-hour stay; Richard Gordon stayed aboard command module Yankee Clipper.

Left behind: Descent stage of landing module Intrepid, a silver astronaut badge and pressurised moonwalk suits.

APOLLO 14: 5 February 1971, Fra Mauro.

Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell spent 33 hours on surface including two moonwalks; Stuart Roosa remained on command module Kitty Hawk.

Left behind: Descent stage of lunar module Antares, three golf balls hit by Shepard, lunar “rickshaw” cart with tools and seismological monitoring equipment that recorded later meteorite hits.

APOLLO 15: 30 July 1971, Hadley Rille.

David Scott and James Irwin travelled 17.5 miles on first Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV), Al Worden orbited aboard Endeavour.

Left behind: Descent stage of lunar module Falcon, LRV and a laser ranging retro-reflector measuring distance of the Moon from Earth

APOLLO 16: 21 April 1972, Descartes.

John Young and Charlie Duke spent 71 hours on moon, including 20 hours on three LRV explorations; Thomas Mattingly remained aboard Casper.

Left behind: Descent stage of lunar module Orion, LRV, gold-plated extreme ultra-violet telescope, panoramic camera, solar wind experiment equipment.

APOLLO 17: 11 December 1972, Taurus-Littlow Highlands.

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt made three moonwalks by foot and LRV, humans leaving moon for last time after 75hr stay. Ronald Evans orbited aboard America.

Left behind: Descent stage of lunar module Challenger, LRV, seismological equipment, mapping camera.