Moon landing conspiracy theories

Moon landing conspiracy theories have existed since shortly after Apollo 11 landed on the lunar surface. They point to odd features or perceived inconsistencies in the photographs brought back from the moon to support their claims. However, most of these inconsistencies can be easily explained away.

Common examples include a flag that appears to be waving, a lack of stars in the sky from the moon’s surface, and fuzzy shadows. The flag carried to the moon by astronauts is suspended by a rigid arm, which allows it to remain unfurled and stiff in zero gravity. The cameras utilized by the astronauts could not function at an aperture that allowed them to capture both the stars and the brightly illuminated lunar surface. Finally, the lunar surface itself is reflective, diffusing light from the sun and altering shadows.

Background

The moon landing has its roots in the Cold War, which began in the 1940s. Following the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two strongest world powers. Each nation strove to keep an economic, military, and technological advantage over the other to prepare for a potential war. Both the United States and the Soviet Union were particularly concerned with being the first nation to achieve true space age technology.

The United States government felt that it was lagging behind the Soviet Union in the Space Race. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy argued before Congress that the United States should commit itself to successfully carrying out a moon landing by the end of the decade. In October 1968, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) worked with the federal government to launch the first manned Apollo mission. Dubbed Apollo 7, the mission successfully allowed an astronaut to orbit the Earth. It also tested many of the technologies that would be necessary to carry out a moon landing.

That same year, Apollo 8 allowed astronauts to travel past the dark side of the moon. Apollo 9 tested more equipment necessary for a moon landing in Earth’s orbit, and Apollo 10 allowed three astronauts to orbit the moon. Following the success of Apollo 10, NASA believed it was ready to attempt to land on the moon.

On July 16, 1969, NASA launched Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Center. It carried astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins into lunar orbit. Aldrin and Armstrong entered the lunar module, which separated from the command module and descended to the lunar surface. Armstrong became the first human to ever walk on the moon, and Aldrin became the second. The pair planted an American flag, placed a plaque, took photographs, and conducted some scientific tests. The astronauts safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969.

Overview

Soon after the moon landing was achieved, rumors began to circulate that the landing had been faked. Conspiracy theorists asserted that the US government was so desperate to win the Space Race that it had been willing to fake a successful trip to the moon. In support of these accusations, conspiracy theorists pointed to several perceived problems with the photographs taken by Armstrong and Aldrin on the moon. However, most of these claims can be easily debunked.

Many conspiracy theorists argue that the shadows cast by the astronauts, spacecraft, and lunar surface are incorrect and inconsistent for a scenario in which all of the light is coming from a single focal point, such as the sun. They note that the shadows seem fuzzy or incorrectly placed. However, lunar soil is distinctly different from that on Earth. Unlike Earth’s soil, the surface of the moon is partially reflective. This diffuses the light coming from the sun, altering the appearance and placement of shadows on the surface.

In another complaint, conspiracy theorists point out that the flag placed by Armstrong and Aldrin appears to be waving, even though no wind should be present on the lunar surface. However, the astronauts did not plant a normal flag. NASA was aware that a traditional flag would hang limply on the moon, but wanted to clearly show the American flag in pictures. For this reason, astronauts on lunar missions carry a flag with an aluminum arm sewn into the fabric. This arm holds the flag outright, regardless of wind conditions.

Some conspiracy theorists complain that the sky in the pictures brought back from the moon appears black. They argue that from the surface of the moon, people should be able to see a starry sky. They are partially correct, in that people standing on the moon’s surface can see distant stars. However, due to the aperture of the cameras used to take photographs on the lunar surface, any picture that was able to capture the small amounts of light from stars would not be able to clearly picture the astronauts or other features of the lunar surface. Because these objects were so much brighter than stars, they could not appear on film that also captured the stars.

Additionally, Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey impressed audiences with its realistic depiction of outer space. At the time, the film’s practical effects were considered cutting edge, and appeared similar to the photographs brought back by NASA from the moon. Many conspiracy theorists speculated that Kubrick had been enlisted by the government to film the fake moon landing. However, in reality, Kubrick had hired multiple aerospace engineers and specialized artists to ensure that his depiction of outer space was as realistic as possible.

One of the strongest counterarguments to moon landing conspiracy theories is the simple reality that thousands of people were employed to make the moon landings possible. For NASA to successfully carry out such a deception, thousands of people would have to be cooperating with the lie, and be willing to uphold the falsehood for the rest of their lives. Such a scenario is extraordinarily unlikely.

Bibliography

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