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6 Idiotic Appeal of Moon Landing Conspiracy

The Tenacious, Idiotic

Appeal Of Moon Landing

Conspiracy Theories

It has a long and pervasive history: no
matter the volume of proof, no matter
the ease with which it can be further
substantiated.

Calum Marsh

It is the summer of 1969. The world’s attention
is skyward: toward the moon, where Apollo 11
approaches its epoch-making destiny. But in a
house on the beach off the coast of central
California broods a man who knows better than
to care. His name is Bill Kaysing. He is a former
technical writer at Rocketdyne, the company
that built the spacecraft’s main propulsion units.
Kaysing has a hunch. It will eventually
manifest as a suspicion, and then mutate into
one of the most pervasive and insidious
conspiracy theories of all time. Kaysing will
write a book on the subject. Rather he will write
the book — the primary text, outlining his every fixation) for such men and women is the his original research, “the author made an
intuition, misgiving and doubt about the moon apparent truth it demonstrates about the unusual effort to find clues that would indicate
landing. government on a world-historical scale. To the that a simulation had, in fact, taken place.”
Among common conspiracy theories, the ardent conspiracy theorist, the government is The effort was certainly unusual. On
moon landing is the most tenacious. It has a long capable of anything — except, of course, page 21, he presents a facsimile of a well-known
and pervasive history: no matter the volume of sending men to the moon. photograph of the lunar surface, the black of
outer space cresting up beyond the horizon
proof, no matter the ease with which it can be
further substantiated, otherwise reasonable men Kaysing’s opus, We Never Went to the Moon: behind. It bears a terse caption: “Where are the
and women continue to affirm their incredulity. America’s Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle, which STARS?” Yes, it was foolish of NASA’s
They insist that radiation from the Van Allen belt features chapters such as “Elements of Rocket counterfeiters to have left stars out of what
between Earth and the moon would make a safe Propulsion” and “Were the Astronauts Kaysing concludes is an obvious composite.
trip between the two physically impossible. Manchurian Candidates,” describes his personal Were these photos as fraudulent as he maintains,
They say solar flares and solar winds would apprehensions about the veracity of the project: and had they included whatever details whose
have destroyed any spacecraft making an “Why, of all people, shouldn’t I be captivated absence he cites as clinching proof of their
attempt. They claim surface temperatures on the with the prospect of seeing the fruition of my fraudulence, Kaysing would chalk the added
lunar surface by day would have cooked the work and the labours of thousands of others touches up to NASA’s fastidiousness. Photos
astronauts alive in their suits, or as least spoiled who had contributed to the Apollo voyage can be faked. So, of course, they must be.
a camera film. They argue transmissions of programs?” he wonders. “Somehow I seemed to “Look closely at both of these purported
sound or video from such an extraordinary have perceived that the Apollo project had moon landing shots,” Kaysing writes above a
distance could not have come through so quickly become a gigantic hoax and that nobody was straightforward pair of moon pictures pasted
or so clearly. They contend the failed and leaving earth for the moon, certainly not in July side by side. Most of his proof has this same
thwarted efforts of the Gemini and early Apollo of 1969.” tone of self-appointed expertise: don’t trust the
missions demonstrate a basic incompetence it He begins with skepticism and proceeds word of NASA; your own eyes can see the truth.
would have been impossible for NASA in a to confirm his own disbeliefs. Kaysing’s book It is enough that something merely seems true.
matter of months to overcome. represents what he calls “an invitation to NASA Skeptics like Kaysing are not persuaded
And so on. None of these contentions or other groups or concerned individuals to by photographs or live broadcasts or even by the
has any basis in scientific fact. Indeed, it’s review the concept present and refute it with rocks that were brought back to Earth from the
essential to such arguments that they run some indisputable evidence that we have, moon. How can evidence compete with instinct?
contrary to the scientific method at large. After indeed, landed on the moon.” Of course, How can images of the real moon convince you
all, what’s a fancy explanation from scientists evidence such as “photos” or “superficial items” it’s not a sound stage? If one feels according to
really worth? Scientists: the very people who will not suffice to satisfy his dubious mind. one’s gut that, say, the shadows cast across the
orchestrated this elaborate scheme. Why did astronauts seem to score lunar surface by the landing module ought to be
Someone who truly believes the moon attractive jobs following their return? Why did pointed another direction, or that the landing
landing was a conspiracy and a hoax perpetrated various other astronauts, those whose launch module ought to have created a blast crater that
by NASA and the United States government attempts failed, wind up conveniently dead? should have been visible in pictures of the craft,
cannot be dissuaded from this belief by reason And why did we never hear about gold or silver that counts for more to the obstinate conspiracy
alone. Try explaining to the conspiracy theorist or diamonds on the moon? The questions theorist than easily manipulable trivialities such
that, for instance, the moon landing took place in tormenting such doubters “have never been as “facts.”
the early hours of dawn when temperatures are satisfactorily answered by NASA,” Kaysing One simply has to look for potential
much cooler, or that there were no solar flares argues. motivation: NASA was ashamed of the $30
during the times of the Apollo voyages, or that Surely we have all, at some time or billion it had invested in the project without
the aluminum hull of the Apollo spacecraft was another, pondered these mysteries. Only result; some impatient and powerful politicians
designed to insulate the astronauts against Kaysing seeks at last to solve them: were embarrassed that the Soviet Union had
radiation of the kind one might find in the Van “Recognizing that ASP officials would cover continued to outpace their progress in the space
Allen belt, and the facts will fall on deaf ears. their tracks as effectively as the CIA agents who race; the president was desperate to distract an
Part of the reason the moon landing has concealed the murderers of President Kennedy,” aggrieved public from its dissent toward the
been a matter of such particular fascination (and he explains sensibly enough when introducing Vietnam war. (Continued on Page