Over 50 years ago, the U.S. and NASA made history by successfully sending the first American astronauts beyond the borders of the world to land on the moon.
Often credited as one of humankind’s greatest achievements to this day, numerous skeptics argue the moon landing was faked in an attempt to win the Cold-era space race.
Americans Finally Make It to the Moon
After years of tireless work, NASA finally announced its Apollo 11 mission to send the first humans to the moon.
Over 400,000 employees contributed to the entire mission, which saw Neil Armstrong and Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin make history by landing on the white globe in 1969. Yet, one former space-age worker claims it was all an elaborate hoax.
The Man Behind the Controversy
Bill Kaysing was among the first men to argue the moon landing was fake. He said it started as “a hunch, an intuition” before turning into “a true conviction.”
Kaysing, a former US Navy Officer who had worked on various US space programs for Rocketdyne between 1956 and 1963, claims the US lacked the technical advancements to send people to the moon during the era.
Government Plans to Fake Moon Landing
During his time as a technical writer for the rocket manufacturer Rocketdyne, Kaysing claims to have gained inside knowledge about the government’s intention to fake a moon landing.
After leaving the company, Kaysing would later pen his conspiracy theory down in his 1976 book, “We Never Went to the Moon: America’s Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle.”
Kaysing Supplies Little Evidence
There was little physical evidence to back up most of Kaysing’s claims, as he mostly used old photocopies to illustrate and back up his theories.
Yet, his ideas quickly took off, and people from around the world jumped on board.
Academics Confused Theories Gain Traction
Various academics have refuted Haysing’s claims over the years, citing evidence to contradict his points such as the massive volume of moon rock brought back to Earth by later Russian, Japanese, and Chinese missions.
Yet despite the overwhelming evidence that Apollo 11 astronauts made it to the moon, modern conspiracy theorists surmise it’s factual: the moon landing was a hoax.
Podcasters Influence the Spread of Conspiracy Theories
The spread of theories such as a faked moon landing has remained relevant thanks to prominent figures such as podcast host Joe Rogan, who, for years, denied the credibility of the moon landing.
This has spread into academia, where just last year, a professor in New Jersey was called out after claiming the Apollo 11 mission was a hoax during a chat with his students.
NASA Chief Speaks on Conspiracy Theorists
According to NASA’s former Chief Historian, Roger Launius, “The reality is, the internet has made it possible for people to say whatever the hell they like to a broader number of people than ever before.”
He continued, “And the truth is, Americans love conspiracy theories. Every time something big happens, somebody has a counter-explanation.”
British People Believe
The Apollo 11 hoax theory isn’t confined to the U.S. either. Last year, one man joined the popular British TV show “This Morning” to explain that no one could have walked on the moon as it’s made of pure light.
Martin Kenny said: “In the past, you saw the moon landings, and there was no way to check any of it. Now, in the age of technology, a lot of young people are now investigating for themselves.”
Recent Poll Produces Shocking Figures
A recent YouGov poll revealed that one in every six people in Britain are under the impression that the moon landings were staged.
According to the results of the poll, around 12% claim Haysing’s theory is “probably true.” While 4% agreed with the statement “definitely true.”
Apollo 1 Astronauts Killed By Government
According to Kaysing, the conspiracy went much deeper than the faking of a moon landing. He claims NASA also staged the Apollo 1 fire and the Space Shutte Challenger accident.
Haysing argues the Apollo 1 astronauts planned on revealing NASA’s intentions to fake missions, and so they were deliberately killed.
Advocate of Many Conspiracy Theories
Kaysings’ outlandish theories went well beyond the space program. On several occasions, he’s claimed that the CIA, Federal Reserve, and other federal governmental bodies are working to destroy America from within.
He argues the agencies are working to poison the American food supply, brainwash the population, and control all of the media to suit their narrative.
