Page 117 - The Appollo Story

,__.----------. The Apollo Story

Did Apollo Really Land On The Moon?
The Moon landing conspiracy theories claim that some or all elements of the Apollo program and the as-
sociated Moon landings were hoaxes staged by NASA and members of other organizations. Various
groups and individuals have made such conspiracy claims since the mid-l 970s. The most notable claim is
that the six manned landings (1969-1972) were faked and that the twelve Apollo astronauts did not walk
on the Moon. Conspiracy theorists base their claims on the notion NASA and others knowingly misled
the public into believing the landings happened by manufacturing, destroying, or tampering with evi-
dence; including photos, telemetry tapes, transmissions, rock samples, and even some key witnesses.
The top 10 are:
Fluttering Flag
The Claim: The American flag appears to flutter despite there being no wind on the Moon.
The Science: If you look closely, you will notice the flag's edges are pulled taut. This effect, which was
done purposely as to not allow the flag to just hang flat, it was created by inserting a stiff wire into the
fabric. The "flutter" was created as the astronauts worked to erect the flag. As the wire was adjusted, "Old
Glory" appeared to wave.
Glow-in-the-Dark Astronauts
The Claim: If the astronauts had left the safety of the Van Allen Belt the radiation would have killed
them.
The Science: The Van Allen Belts are created by Earth's magnetic field, and protect the planet from dan-
gerous solar radiation. The belts collects this radiation, and traps it in a layer surrounding the Earth. But
unless you deliberately caused your spaceship to hover within this layer, for many hours or days, the ra-
diation exposure is well below dangerous levels. The Apollo astronauts passed through the belts in less
than four hours total for the trip. It's not much more serious than getting a chest x-ray.
The Shadow Knows
The Claim: Multiple-angle shadows in the moon pho-
tos prove there was more than one source of light, like a
large studio lamp.
The Science: The astronauts were taking their photos
on a hilly, brightly-lit landscape while the sun was close
to the horizon. Imagine taking a photograph of someone
on a rolling, uneven field of snow during a full, low-
hanging moon. The contours of the ground would pro-
duce shadows of many different lengths.