First ever moon landing still haunted by conspiracy theories

Despite proof from the lunar orbiter in 2009, which showed the abandoned modules from Apollo 11, 14, 15, 16 and 17 still on the moon’s surface, the conspiracy theories live on.

Millions of people across the world still believe that no one has ever walked on the moon, and that the images that the NASA broadcast in July 1969 were shot in a Hollywood studio. Thousands of sites on the Internet are devoted to seemingly “proving” that the landing never happened.

Buzz Aldrin poses for a photograph beside the US flag on the moon on July 20, 1969. A popular conspiracy theory questions why the flag is seen in this photo as fluttering like it would on earth. (AP File Photo)

Some claim that the NASA did not have the technological know-how to pull off such a coup, or that if it did, it wasn’t done with a human crew - who would have been fried by cosmic rays. Others tout possible alien involvement!

Most conspiracy theories focus on supposed anomalies in the grainy photos and videos of the first moon landing.

Despite proof from the lunar orbiter in 2009, which showed the abandoned modules from Apollo 11, 14, 15, 16 and 17 still on the moon’s surface, the conspiracy theories live on.

When Apollo 11’s lunar module touched down on the Sea of Tranquility in 1969, less than one in 20 Americans doubted what they were seeing on their TV screens.

By the turn of the century, a Gallup poll found scepticism has spread to 6% of the population. Serious doubt is also rampant among some of Washington’s closest allies, with a 2009 TNS survey showing that a quarter of British people did not believe the landings happened, while 9% of French people were also unconvinced, according to Ifop.

Former NASA historian Roger Launius says, “The fact that the denials of the moon landings would not go away should not surprise anyone.”