The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” as he takes the world’s first steps on the moon (“First Moon Landing Fast Facts”). Or did he? During the 1960s, John F. Kennedy made it America’s goal to become the first to land a man on the Moon. However, many people believe that the moon landing was faked. The evidence that conspiracy theorist use to prove it was faked include the American flag waving in space, suspicious shadows, no starry background, etc. Let’s explore the evidence and unearth the truth behind Neil Armstrong and the moon landing.
Character Analysis
Neil Armstrong, American hero, was the first man to walk on the moon. Before becoming America’s hero, he completed his studies in aeronautical engineering at Purdue University. Armstrong later joined the military, serving as a pilot in the Korean War, where he was awarded three Air Medals (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). Finally, he began working with NASA as an astronaut, making one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind.
Neil was a brave human being because even knowing the odds of success for the moon landing, he still commanded the mission. Armstrong claimed that the Apollo 11 mission had a ninety percent chance of returning to earth, but only a “fifty percent chance of landing on the moon successfully” (Marlow). During the landing, Armstrong had to take over the Lunar Lander’s auto-pilot and redirect landing on the moon because the original landing location was on a slope a crater. The chances of survival was a coin toss. Armstrong and his crew risked their lives to explore the unknown for science.
However, even with that achievement under his belt, Armstrong was a private person. He avoided the spotlight for years after landing on the moon in 1969. Compared to his crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, Neil hardly gave any interviews (Marlow). The CPA of Australia released nearly an hour interview with Neil Armstrong (Jha). In this interview, he describes the whole experience of the Apollo 11 mission and his opinion on NASA’s budget cut (Thompson). Armstrong had also given an Oral History Project interview with NASA, discussing his education leading to the Apollo missions to teaching students. In the middle of the interview, Armstrong responded to Dr. Douglas Brinkley’s statement of Armstrong staying out of the public eye by stating, “I recognize that I’m portrayed as staying out of the public eye, but from my perspective it doesn’t seem that way…” The American hero claims he has done many things, but it seems like the public would disagree (Ambrose and Brinkley).
Conspiracy Descriptions
Conspiracy theorists have come up with many interesting theories to explain how the Apollo 11 moon landing was a hoax. These include: the American flag waving, suspicious shadows, no starry background, and clear footprints of the astronauts.




All four of these theories were debunked by science experts. There are more theories being developed trying to prove that we never landed on the moon. In a survey conducted at Clear Springs High School, amongst students and teachers, ninety percent of those who were surveyed believe that did indeed land on the Moon and it was not faked by the government. There is evidence that the Apollo 11 mission did land on the Moon. Researchers are studying the same area of all the Apollo landing sites for the shadows of the flag. The Lunar Renaissance Orbiter, an orbiter designed to produce maps of the moon, have shown the American flags still standing and casting a shadow (“Apollo Moon Flags Still Standing”). The Apollo 11 mission was the first to bring samples from the Moon back to Earth for research. The astronauts were able to bring back twenty-two kilograms of geological material. The samples that were brought back contains no water and no evidence of living organisms on the Moon (“Apollo 11 Mission”).
Conclusion
In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy gave the United States the challenge to put the first man onto the Moon. On July 20, 1969, the United States accomplished his goal, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. After exploring the conspiracy theories of the Moon Landing being faked:
1. The waving American flag
2. Suspicious shadows
3. The starless background
4. Clear footprints
Even with all the scientific evidence and technological advancement we have made since then, people still continue to question whether or not the Moon landing was all faked.
Works Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E, and Douglas Brinkley. “NASA JOHNSON SPACE ENTER ORAL HISTORY PROJECT ORAL HISTORY.” NASA Johnson Space Center, 19 Sept. 2001, www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/62281main_armstrong_oralhistory.pdf Accessed 25 Oct. 2017
“Apollo 11 Mission.” Apollo 11 Lunar Sample Overview, www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/samples/.
“Apollo Moon Flags Still Standing, Images Show.” BBC News, BBC, 30 July 2012, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19050795.
“Are the Apollo Moon Landing Photos Fake?” Discovery, 18 Sept. 2014, www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/apollo-moon-landing-pictures-fake/.
Dartmouth College. "Shadows and light: New software to detect forged photos." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 August 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130805152427.htm>.
“First Moon Landing Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 2 July 2017, www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/us/moon-landing-fast-facts/index.html.
Jha, Alok. “Neil Armstrong Breaks Silence to Give Accountants Moon Exclusive.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 May 2012, www.theguardian.com/science/2012/may/23/neil-armstrong-accountancy-website-moon-exclusive.
Marlow, Jeffrey. “Neil Armstrong’s Last Interview.” Wired, Conde Nast, 25 Aug. 2012, www.wired.com/2012/08/neil-armstrongs-last-interview/.
“Neil Armstrong.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Apr. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Neil-Armstrong.
“PHOTOS: 8 Moon-Landing Hoax Myths -- Busted.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/photogalleries/apollo-moon-landing-hoax-pictures/index.html.
Thompson, Nick. “First Man on Moon Gives Rare Interview to ... Australian Accountant?” CNN, Cable News Network, 26 May 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/05/25/world/asia/neil-armstrong-rare-interview/index.html.
Treadgold, Gina. “Why Does the U.S. Flag on the Moon Have Ripples?” ABC News, ABC News Network, 16 July 1970, abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97589&page=1.
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