Claim: We did not go to the moon

Question

The appearance of the flag looked fake. I read this claim through an article names, "The Moon Lanidng Were Faked". It provides claims that the flag's movement shows the precened of wind which is imposible in space.

Answer 1

I do believe that it is easy to say that the moon landing was fake. Many conspiracy theories make you think more about it and start to believe what they are saying. However, there is a lot of evidence proving otherwise. This article shows evidence that the moon landing did happen.

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/moon-landing/

Comments

This topic is very controversial and very easy to believe Conspiracy theories although I think there’s a lot of evidence to justify that we’ve been to the moon.

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@gracecochran33 nice job including an explanation and a source link. Also, don't forget to add a rating, such as "false, misinformation" if you have the evidence to support that. In addition, in your explanation you should state specifically the "evidence proving otherwise" within your explanation rather than redirect to a source link.

@Breannad strong fact-checks are comprised of an explanation and supporting evidence, source links, and a rating. Also, going forward, please "answer" the fact-check rather than comment on someone's answer. By doing so, you can receive upvotes and be selected as the best answer.

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This was a very interesting take, and I enjoyed reading your comment. I agree the spread of disinformation, especially regarding conspiracy theories, is easy to be taken seriously. So, no wonder so many people believe this claim. However, I think you could have benefited from reciting the facts that prove this claim to be false. It would overall strengthen your argument.

Answer 2

While the moon landing was real, it's possible the fake moon landing conspiracy developed because rural and underprivileged communities were unable to access quality footage of Neil Armstrong's moon landing in action. Since the 60s, optical anomalies in the images from the Apollo program have repeatedly been used as haphazard evidence of the faked moon landing and conspiracy theories unfortunately continue to be fueled by mass media stories. While the evidence proving the moon landing actually happened is astronomical, polarized disputers continue to breathe life into the conspiracy.

Here is an article explaining in detail how this conspiracy was derived and why it continues (hint: it's not because of actual evidence): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/yes-united-states-certainly-did-land-humans-moon-180972161/

Comments

The claim that the moon landing was real, but the fake moon landing conspiracy arose due to limited access to quality footage in rural and underprivileged communities is an interesting perspective. I think it's valuable your research reveals this argument; I have never heard about this before (and I love conspiracy theory tiktoks and youtube videos)! I think you could have elaborated for the potential motivators for spreading this information, but explaining how members within some of these communities have come to that conclusion is helpful. It's crucial to critically assess the reliability of the evidence presented. Furthermore, I think you should consider adding more sources elaborating on your argument. I think this is a sufficient fact-check, I agree it is exaggerated and misleading.

Answer 3

This is false. The TIME article cited is quite clear that it is not validating these theories--instead, it covers the 'faked moon landing' as part of a series on "10 of the world's most enduring conspiracy theories." Emphasis on conspiracy. The most reliable, base source to validate the moon landing are the photos from Nasa's website, showing without a doubt the validity of this achievement. The question of the flag moving despite the lack of wind was debunked quite succinctly: the flags movement mirrored that of the astronaut planting the flag. See the BBC for more details.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-11/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z3x6b7h#:~:text=Conspiracy%3A%20waving%20flag&text=When%20the%20astronauts%20were%20trying,same%20position%20once%20they%20left.

Answer 4

Contrary to this claim, the original moon landing was indeed real, and the various expeditions which followed it were equally verifiable. It is always good to be cynical, but in cases such as this we have evidence (such as data regarding radiation exposure and extensive footage/coverage) to support the historical moon landing. While the tweet found on this cite addresses what have become people’s real concerns, the message itself is an excellent example of disinformation—a falsehood spread to intentionally deceive an audience in the interest of a political goal. When learning new information, it is important to pull from a variety of credible sources (ideally not tweets or organizations known for consistent bias) to avoid falling victim to propaganda and conspiracy theories such as this. 

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-11/

https://www.iop.org/explore-physics/moon/how-do-we-know-we-went-to-the-moon