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Apollo 11 Moon Landing: Fact or Fake?

By: Zoe’ Champion

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” -(Neil Armstrong,

personal communication, July 20th, 1969). On July 20th, 1969, Apollo 11 became the

first mission to take that giant leap and bring man to the moon… or did it? There are

many conspiracy theories that are open to interpret, and there are a wide variety of

opinions. The reason the first moon landing being projected as a hoax is such a

believable conspiracy is because of the convincing and incriminating evidence that

could prove the theory to be true. Through the many political and analytical arguments,

it is believed by many that the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1969 did not happen taking

political research, scientific research, and public opinions into play.

In the midst of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were in a

heated battle which is infamously known as the Space Race. “The Space Race was a

competition between the USA and the USSR to explore space using artificial satellites

and manned spacecraft” (“Space Race.” National Cold War Exhibition,

www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/schools-colleges/national-curriculum/space-race).

Both sides competed to have the best technology in space, and were both determined

to be the first to accomplish space travel. In 1955, the United States and the Soviet

Union announced that they would be launching satellites into orbit. The Soviet’s took the

lead by becoming the first to launch a successful satellite (Sputnik I) into orbit in 1957

(Simple History. “The Space Race (1955-1975)”,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvaEvCNZymo , Video). In response to this, the

United States launched a satellite of its own, the Explorer I, in 1958 (History.com Staff.
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“The Space Race.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010,

www.history.com/topics/space-race). This back-and-forth competition between the US

and the Soviet Union went on for quite some time. In 1959 the USSR launched the Luna

2 (first space probe to hit the moon), in 1961 John F. Kennedy made the claim that the

US would land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. In February of 1962, John

Glenn became the first man to orbit the earth. Finally, on July 20th, 1969, Neil

Armstrong became the first man to walk on the surface of the moon. The moon landing

and the space race are very exciting points in American History. However, based on the

fact that the USA wanted to beat the USSR desperately in the heated Space Race, it

could have been very possible that the landing was faked. A huge motive for NASA to

fake the landing was the entirety of the Space Race. John F. Kennedy made the bold

claim that the US would land man on the moon by the end of the decade…was it

coincidence that the technology to take man to the moon was made in that period of

time, or was it a big fake? It has been said by some scholars that the 1969 Apollo 11

mission was successful taking man to the moon. However, doubters have said that the

U.S. government, desperate to beat the Russians in the space race, faked the lunar

landings, with Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin acting out their mission on a secret film set,

located anywhere from high in the Hollywood Hills or deep within Area 51 (“Conspiracy

Theories.” Time, Time Inc., 20 Nov. 2008,

content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1860992,0

0.html). Despite all of the convincing theories, the only thing that can be proved to be

faked is the evidence provided in photos and videos. There truly is no actual form of

verification that the lunar landings were anything but a hoax, but the evidence seen in
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some of the footage is highly incriminating. While the Apollo 11 mission appeared to be

successful to most people in the year 1969, there are factors and sketchy pieces of

evidence that have made some believe otherwise in the years following that the landing

was faked by NASA and the United States Government.

The 1969 moon landing could have quite easily been faked. Multiple theorists

stick with their belief that the entire mission or even all six Apollo missions were filmed

in a secret movie set location or a military base (“Conspiracy Theories.” Time, Time Inc.,

20 Nov. 2008,

content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1860992,0

0.html). Another tricky detail that has been pointed out by multiple theorists that believe

the mission was faked comes from a few of the photos from the moon landing. In a

picture of one of the astronauts in the mission, a small studio light is seen in the

reflection of his helmet. Some have said even the smallest image of a studio boom mic

could be seen as well in the helmet reflection. Theorists have spent countless hours

observing the filmed footage of the landing and have questioned thoroughly if it was real

or not. The command module of the Apollo 11 Saturn V launch vehicle weighed 13,000

pounds (“About the Spacecraft.” About the Spacecraft | National Air and Space

Museum, airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/apollo-to-the-moon/online/apollo-11/about-the-

spacecraft.cfm). No dust or even the slightest evidence of a landing mark was made

when the module officially hit the moon. Judging by the supposed weight of the vehicle,

theorists have argued that some sort of disruption to the surface would have been

caused if it had truly been that heavy. According to

http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/15-questions-about-the-moon-landings.html, “A
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rocket or jet powered vehicle descending in a dusty landscape on Earth will blow up

billowing clouds of dust particles which slowly descend, buoyed up by air resistance”

(“15 Questions about the Moon Landings.” Image of Armagh Planetarium,

www.armaghplanet.com/blog/15-questions-about-the-moon-landings.html). This being

said, some indication or form of dust building up under the module should have been

clearly seen. When in reality, no trace of dust was left behind. NASA and multiple

scholars have claimed that the moon’s atmosphere is completely different from Earth’s

atmosphere and the dust behaves differently. What could be a possible explanation, still

leaves others curious and still in question about it. Another observation that has been

pointed out from images made from the moon landing includes a rock that has a very

clear depiction of the letter ‘C’, which could have been a prop in a studio. There have

been zero scientific explanations for this whether it be coincidental or not. This is one of

the top theories that has led multiple to believe that the landing was filmed in a secret

location. A theorist even led Neil Armstrong himself to question the entire event. An

interview described on https://www.theonion.com/conspiracy-theorist-convinces-neil-

armstrong-moon-landi-1819570978 says, “Armstrong explained he was probably so

focused on piloting the lunar module that he failed to notice that one of the moon rocks

visible in footage of the landing appears to have the letter 'C' stamped on it. An

emotional Armstrong said that the only possible explanation for this detail was that the

rock actually came from NASA's prop department” (The Onion. “Conspiracy Theorist

Convinces Neil Armstrong Moon Landing Was Faked.” The Onion, Www.theonion.com,

31 Aug. 2009, www.theonion.com/conspiracy-theorist-convinces-neil-armstrong-moon-

landi-1819570978). This is just one of many details that have been noticed and
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observed that made many, including Armstrong himself, question if man really did land

on the moon. Another bizarre conspiracy that seems quite convincing is the theory that

filmmaker and director Stanley Kubrick was hired by the government and NASA to help

fake the Apollo 11 mission, by filming the event in a secret location. After his amazing

work with his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, “the government believed that if anyone

could fabricate a believable-looking studio-produced telecast, Kubrick was the guy”

(ScreenPrism. “ScreenPrism.” Wild Film Theories: Did Stanley Kubrick Fake the Moon

Landing and Use "The Shining" to Confess?, screenprism.com/insights/article/does-the-

shining-hint-that-stanley-kubrick-faked-the-apollo-11-moon-landing). Those who believe

that the moon landing was a complete phony have been led to believe this theory: what

was seen on television on July 20th, 1969, was not footage of man on the moon, but a

carefully edited and staged production by Kubrick with a lighting technique known as

front projection- a strategy in which he was very familiar in working with. Tying this into

Kubrick’s film The Shining, there are multiple easter eggs and details hidden in plain

sight which reference to space craft and even the Apollo 11 mission itself. For example,

in the movie, in a scene in which a worker at the hotel is explaining the menu to another

character, the menu has eleven lines on it, which many believe is an Apollo 11

reference (SpiritusDeVeritus. “The Shining Code 2 0 (Complete Film).” YouTube,

YouTube, 23 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBaAfl4SuI4). Another example is

the character Danny Torrance’s attire: a sweater with spaceships covering it, which is

worn in the movie. It makes complete sense that Stanley Kubrick could have filmed the

mission, with his evidence from his movies and his excellent screenwork put into action.
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As well as theorists, many scientists have questioned the 1969 Apollo 11

mission, due to some details depicted in videos and images that don’t even seem

scientifically possible. One observation that has been pointed out from images and

videos that were made on the moon includes a shadow behind one of the astronauts. A

claim that has been made that “Multiple-angle shadows in the moon photos prove there

was more than one source of light, like a large studio lamp” (Manual, Byline. “Apollo

Moon Landing Hoax Theories That Won't Die.” Space.com, Space.com, 25 July 2017,

www.space.com/12814-top-10-apollo-moon-landing-hoax-theories.html). This could be

an indication that ties back to the studio location theory: multiple forms of lighting were

used which created shadows from many angles. As well as the studio theory, this ties

back into what could be an explanation for the reflection of the boom mics and studio

lights in the reflection of the helmet’s of the astronauts. Another video that is absolutely

bizarre, shows the flag that was placed on the moon waving in zero gravity. There is no

air on the moon… how could the flag possibly wave? (“How Do We Know The Moon

Landing Really Happened?” The National Space Centre, spacecentre.co.uk/blog-

post/know-moon-landing-really-happened/). Some parts of the video have shown that

the flag waves only when the astronausts are touching it, however, this doesn’t keep

many from questioning and wondering how it is waving in the first place. Another detail

noticed by many is, where are the stars in all of the pictures? According to the Sloan

Digital Sky Survey, a total of 48 million stars were estimated in the galaxy, which is

about half of what astronomers expected to see (Howell, Elizabeth. “How Many Stars

Are In The Universe?” Space.com, Space.com, 17 Jan. 2018, www.space.com/26078-

how-many-stars-are-there.html). This being siad, where in the world are the stars in the
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background of all the photos taken in ‘space’? Some scientists have claimed and stated

that air blocks faint distant objects, which might not show up in film or photographs

(Manual, Byline. “Apollo Moon Landing Hoax Theories That Won't Die.” Space.com,

Space.com, 25 July 2017, www.space.com/12814-top-10-apollo-moon-landing-hoax-

theories.html). However, some scientists disagree, believing that the stars would appear

in the photos…like previously mentioned, there is no air in space! Science proves that

there is no air in space, period. According to

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1076, “there is no air as we know it in

space. On our earth, air is a mixture of gases, mostly nitrogen and oxygen and some

other gases. When you go higher and higher in the atmosphere, there are less and less

air molecules. At higher altitudes, the air is thinner” (UCSB Science Line,

scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1076). Fake or fact, all of the footage could be

studied for hours on end, but truly, it will never be accurately said that man definitely

landed on the moon.

Science, theory, and the true facts have previously been investigated, and still

will be for a long time to truly discover and debunk the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. When

studying the theorist’s claims, there is very convincing information that comes from

observations made that seem somewhat credible. Even scientists are on both sides:

one believing the moon landing was faked, and one believing that the mission was

completely successful and in fact did happen. However, this mission cannot truly be

debunked or deciphered when it comes to debating the facts. Technically, it has not

been revealed what the actual truth is, for all that is known is the videos and images that

were released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In

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closing, the United States Government and the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration could have faked the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon Landing due to multiple

pieces of evidence and reasoning. Maybe one day, someone will take one more “giant

leap for mankind” and discover the truth for the world to know.

Citations

UCSB Science Line, scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1076.

“15 Questions about the Moon Landings.” Image of Armagh Planetarium,

www.armaghplanet.com/blog/15-questions-about-the-moon-landings.html.

“About the Spacecraft.” About the Spacecraft | National Air and Space Museum,

airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/apollo-to-the-moon/online/apollo-11/about-the-

spacecraft.cfm.

“Conspiracy Theories.” Time, Time Inc., 20 Nov. 2008,

content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1860992,0

0.html.

Fox, Maggie. “Moon Landing Tapes Got Erased, NASA Admits.” Reuters, Thomson

Reuters, 16 July 2009, www.reuters.com/article/us-nasa-tapes/moon-landing-tapes-got-

erased-nasa-admits-idUSTRE56F5MK20090716.
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History.com Staff. “The Space Race.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010,

www.history.com/topics/space-race.

“How Do We Know The Moon Landing Really Happened?” The National Space Centre,

spacecentre.co.uk/blog-post/know-moon-landing-really-happened/.

Howell, Elizabeth. “How Many Stars Are In The Universe?” Space.com, Space.com, 17

Jan. 2018, www.space.com/26078-how-many-stars-are-there.html.

Manual, Byline. “Apollo Moon Landing Hoax Theories That Won't Die.” Space.com,

Space.com, 25 July 2017, www.space.com/12814-top-10-apollo-moon-landing-hoax-

theories.html.

ScreenPrism. “ScreenPrism.” Wild Film Theories: Did Stanley Kubrick Fake the Moon

Landing and Use "The Shining" to Confess?, screenprism.com/insights/article/does-the-

shining-hint-that-stanley-kubrick-faked-the-apollo-11-moon-landing.

“Space Race.” National Cold War Exhibition,

www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/schools-colleges/national-curriculum/space-race.

The Onion. “Conspiracy Theorist Convinces Neil Armstrong Moon Landing Was Faked.”

The Onion, Www.theonion.com, 31 Aug. 2009, www.theonion.com/conspiracy-theorist-

convinces-neil-armstrong-moon-landi-1819570978.
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SpiritusDeVeritus. “The Shining Code 2 0 (Complete Film).” YouTube, YouTube, 23 July

2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBaAfl4SuI4.