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As early as February 2026, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission and send four astronauts on the first lunar flight in over 50 years.
But some internet-dwelling conspiracy theorists aren't convinced by the official narrative.
As the space agency unveils new details for the mission, lunar conspiracy theories have reignited and spread like wildfire on social media.
The focus of many commenters' ire is the fact that it has been over 50 years since NASA launched a mission to the moon.
Given that Artemis II won't actually land on the moon, some conspiracy theorists have been left unsure why NASA seemingly can't replicate a feat first achieved in 1969.
While this has boosted long-debunked claims that the original moon landings were faked, some commenters have gone even further.
The wild theories posted online claim that humans have never even been to space, while others even claim that space itself is somehow 'fake'.
Taking to X, one sceptically-minded commenter joked: 'I hope they have better CGI'.
As NASA unveils the details for the Artemis II mission, lunar conspiracy theories have reignited and spread like wildfire on social media. Pictured: Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969
As early as February next year, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission and send four astronauts (pictured from left: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen) on a 10-day trip around the moon in the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years
However, on social media, NASA's announcement of the mission's details ignited a wave of conspiracy theories that spread like wildfire over X, formerly Twitter
One internet-dwelling conspiracy theorist joked that NASA's rocket launches were as fake as 'pro wrestling in zero gravity'
Early next year, four NASA astronauts will launch from Earth aboard an Orion spaceship powered by the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Over 10 days, the crew will travel 5,700 miles (9,200 km) past the moon, testing the onboard systems and gathering data on their bodies' reactions, before returning to Earth.
During this time, they will reach the furthest point from Earth ever travelled to by a human and become the first people to travel to the moon in over 50 years.
Rather than landing on the moon, the mission's goal is to test the systems that will be used in the Artemis III lunar landing, currently planned for mid-2027.
However, these details failed to register with the legions of conspiracy theorists who saw the lack of landing as an admission that NASA had never been to the moon.
On X, one commenter wrote: 'I believe that the American missions of the 1950s are fake unless modern humans land on the moon. It's been over 70 years and we still can't go to the moon?'
'So NASA are going to the moon again but they are not actually landing what a load of fake BS,' another chimed in.
One commenter complained that this was 'one of the reasons I don't believe that humans have ever been to the moon.'
The Artemis II mission is not intended to land on the moon, but rather to test out the spacecraft and systems that will be used for the first crewed landing in the Artemis III mission
However, the fact that Artemis II will not feature a lunar landing left some commenters confused as to why the space agency seemingly cannot replicate a feat it first completed in 1969
One commenter complained that they could no longer believe in the reality of anything NASA does or claims to do
NASA's Artemis Mission Timeline
Artemis I
- Uncrewed lunar flight test
- Launched November, 2022
Artemis II
- Crewed Lunar Flyby
- Launch planned for April, 2026
Artemis III
- Crewed Surface Landing
- Launch planned for mid-2027
Artemis IV
- Building First Lunar Space Station
- Launch targeting September 2028
Another vented: 'It befuddles me how people can still believe NASA after 60+ years of fake moon landings and a bunch of excuses since.'
And one commenter even joked: 'Watching these launches is like watching pro wrestling in zero gravity. Everyone knows it's fake, but the show must go on.'
But for those already deeply involved in the world of NASA conspiracy theories, this announcement of the Artemis II mission triggered a flurry of bizarre claims.
Most strangely of all, the lunar mission seemed to prompt many commenters to deny the existence of space itself.
In a wild rant, one commenter wrote: 'The first task of any elected President is to sign over the budget for NASA, the National Academy of Space Actors. Money plays a role but the ultimate reason for fake Space is to hide God & dismiss Creation with Pseudoscience.'
'NASA spends $60M per day of tax payers money to make fake videos about them floating in space,' another claimed.
Another added: 'Space is fake. We never went to the moon. The first astronauts were diving actors. NASA in Houston is a movie set.'
However, like so many online conspiracy theories, many commenters had one big reason for doubting the existence of the space missions: The Flat Earth theory.
Another conspiracy theorist claimed that the lack of a lunar landing in Artemis II was one of the reasons they 'don't believe that humans have ever been to the moon'
The news of the mission pushed some conspiracy theorists into wild rants about secret societies, flat Earth, elaborate cover-ups and the moon landings
One particularly frustrated conspiracy theorist wrote: 'Earth isn't a spinning space ball; it's a fixed plane covered by a firmament they've desperately tried to hide with fake space missions and NASA's $60 million a day budget scam.'
They continued to rant: 'The moon landing? Filmed on a soundstage by Freemason puppets under Operation Mockingbird control.'
While another complained about 'the lying NASA who lied to the world about the Earth being flat.'
Although there is obviously no basis in reality for any of these claims, the number of people who believe in anti-scientific conspiracy theories remains extremely high.
Studies have found that between 10 and 12 per cent of Americans believe that the Moon landings were faked.
Interestingly, while rates of support for other conspiracy theories have remained stable, NASA conspiracies have become more popular.
According to one study from the University of Miami, the number of Americans who believe the moon landing was faked almost doubled from six per cent to 10 per cent between June 2020 and May 2021.
How do we know the moon landings weren't fake?
Physical evidence
When the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon, they did more than jump about and take a few photos.
The crew placed a retroreflector array on the lunar surface consisting of 100 glass prisms which act like a giant mirror.
This allows observatories on the Earth to bounce lasers off the moon and accurately determine its exact distance from Earth.
Additionally, the Apollo missions brought back 382 kg (842 lbs) of rock samples from six different lunar sights.
These have been repeatedly analysed by independent scientists, showing that they have a unique chemical composition which is different to the rocks on Earth.
Observations at the time
In addition to this evidence, we also have contemporary observations which show the exact moment the lander touched down on the moon.
At the Jodrell Bank radio telescope in Cheshire, Sir Bernard Lovell and his team accurately recorded the precise path of the lunar lander.
These recordings are so precise that you can even see the precise moment that Neil Armstrong took manual control of the lander.
This gives us fantastic evidence from the time that shows the lander touching down on the moon.
The weakness of counter arguments
Another key reason we know the moon landings are real is the lack of any evidence that suggests they are faked.
One of the most common conspiracy claims is that the shadows in a photo taken by Neil Armstrong are not parallel.
But even on Earth, it is easy to observe situations where two parallel lines do not appear parallel whenever a low sun is shining over uneven ground.
People also question how the flag planted on the moon could be waving as if in the wind.
However, a closer examination of the flag in the photo clearly shows that there is a metal pole keeping it held up.
The flag is crumpled after being stored for four days en route and remains wrinkled precisely because there is no wind and little gravity on the moon.
Finally, to keep a fake moon landing secret and prevent any evidence from escaping would require the complicity of thousands of scientists, officials, camera crews, and set builders for over five decades.
The idea that this is possible for any government on Earth is simply much less plausible than the idea that a rocket carried a crew to the moon.
