The Moon Landing by Austin Ruiz

            The Moon Landing of July 20^th in 1969, was a marvelous accomplishment for the United States of America. American morale was at an all-time low and that feeling needed to change. John F. Kennedy had a vision and believed the United States should reach heights that have never been met. The United States would begin the space race in 1957 with the Soviet Union in an attempt to be the ultimate super power country in the world. The United States of America would then go on to accomplish one of the biggest achievements it has ever attained—a successful mission to the moon and back to earth. However, expert scientist formulated that there was a “0.0017% success rate to travel to the moon and back safely” (Moffet). With these calculations some wonder if it was practical to attempt this dangerous challenge. Bill Kaysing, engineer for the Apollo 11 rocket for NASA believed, “if you can’t make it then fake it” (Moffet). With all of this success some conspiracy theorist wonder if the moon landing ever happened. What if the video of the moon landing was made in a studio?  Could the government possibly have pulled the biggest hoax of the century? So did America fake the Moon Landing?

            Neil Armstrong is an icon in America for being the first man to walk on the moon. Armstrong worked for a group that studied airplanes before he was an astronaut (Dunbar 1). The group would then become part of NASA (1).  Neil helped design and flew many planes for them (1). He had the opportunity to fly the X-15 rocket plane and set records for altitude and speed (1). Neil obtained the title of astronaut in 1962 (1). Armstrong commanded the Gemini 8 mission in 1966 (1). He flew on that mission with David Scott and they were the first astronauts to dock, or connect, two vehicles in space (1). Neil’s career really blasted off when he went to the moon:

“Armstrong's second flight was Apollo 11 in 1969. He was the mission commander. He flew with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon in a lander named "Eagle." They were the first people to land on the moon. Collins did not land. He circled the moon in the Apollo capsule. After they landed, Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon. Armstrong took the first step on the moon. He said, "That's one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong and Aldrin spent more than two hours outside their spacecraft on the moon. They studied the surface. They collected rocks. After almost a day, they blasted off. They docked with Collins in orbit around the moon. All three then flew back to Earth. Neil Armstrong retired from NASA after Apollo 11” (1).

Neil Armstrong was an incredibly successful man and lived a great life. During the Apollo 11 Post-Flight Press Conference, the three space travelers, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, all look uncomfortable with dismal hesitant looks on their appearances, as though they had been compelled to accomplish something without wanting to (Wu 1). In that position, individuals would have been elated of their achievements. They went about just as they were being compelled to lie under colossal risk and weight without wanting to. Being the first ever to venture on the moon, these three individuals who just survived the journey of their lives had extremely gloomy behavior (1). The public are able to view these videos on YouTube; there are many videos over the Apollo 11 conference.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to venture on the moon, has acted in various unusual and impossible behaviors since Apollo 11 which are exceedingly suspicious:

1.         Neil did not frequently give any interviews since his 1969 walk on the moon (Wu 1). His interviews show that he is not pleased with the subject for reasons unknown. Wouldn't you be pleased on the off chance that you were the main man to arrive on the moon? It doesn't make any sense and is dreadfully suspicious. Armstrong’s actions lead conspiracy theorists to believe he is embarrassed about the entire occasion. Also, given the number interviews, Michael Collins declined to give any interviews. This implies two out of the three space travelers on the first moon mission turned down interviews. What could be more suspicious than that?

2.         There are no photographs of Armstrong on the moon (Wu 1). He declined to have pictures taken of him standing on the moon. Isn't that odd? Any individual who has made it to the highest point of Mt. Everest makes a point to have their photograph taken, to commend their accomplishment. What can be the reason for the first man to walk on the moon not want a photograph of him? It is as though, he sees the subject as an exceedingly negative memory instead of a positive one. His attitude of the moon landing is extremely suspicious.

3.         Bart Sibrel went to Armstrong and requested that he swear on the Bible that he walked on the moon (Wu 1). Neil declined and attempted to change the subject by saying, "Knowing you, that's probably not even a real Bible" (1). That was an unusual thing to say and seemed like something a guilty person conveying apprehension and blame would say. There was no legitimate reason to speculate that Bart Sibrel was conveying a fake Bible, so why would Armstrong refuse?

4.         Armstrong said in the 1969 Apollo 11 Press Conference that they were not able to see stars from the moon's surface (Wu 1). However, space experts state that you can see the stars from the moon's surface more clearly than you can on Earth. This inconsistency with Armstrong’s statement has never been clarified. Did he mess up when he said that? Moreover, Michael Collins, who agreed with Armstrong during the question and answer session about not seeing stars, later contradicted himself in his book: Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut’s Journeys? Where he said that the stars he saw were bright (1).

5.         Strangely, Armstrong and Aldrin have both expressed that their memories appeared to go blank when they attempted to recollect what the moon resembled when there (Wu 1). This is exceptionally weird for sure. Some hypothesize that these space travelers may have been liable to clandestine personality control and mesmerizing methods like that of the CIA's MK-ULTRA program. On the off chance that that theory is true, then they may truly feel as if they have gone to the moon.

Armstrong’s Apollo 11 mission and his famous first words, "That's one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind", where so iconic that it made him an American icon (Dunbar 1). Many Americans will recognize that inspirational quote. Neil’s successful career being an astronaut has given him the opportunity to life a great live. His contribution to NASA will always be remembered.

There has been 47 years since the United States moon landing, which brings up the question why no other country has been to the moon. Even the Russians, who were ahead of the United States in the Space Race, have not had a successful mission to the moon. Does this not seem highly strange and illogical?

1.         “Since the Apollo Moon Missions in 1969-72, which sent astronauts 240,000 miles to the moon and back six times, no one has ever gone higher than 400 miles above the Earth. Even the Space Shuttle missions have gone below that, remaining well under 400 miles.

2.      So far, 14 astronauts have died in Space Shuttle missions that went 200 miles above the Earth, yet during the Apollo program NASA allegedly sent astronauts 240,000 miles to the moon and back six times, with no loss of life at all? In other words: 200 miles = 14 casualties, 240,000 miles = 0 casualties. Does that seem odd? Would you buy that? Can you fathom the enormous difference between 200 and 240,000 and how big of a stretch that is?” (Wu 1)

 Today, NASA does not have the technology to go higher than 400 miles above Earth, and has indirectly admitted it by their actions and words. In a press release, NASA stated that “the Van Allen Radiation Belts that surround the Earth are too dangerous to send humans through and is trying to figure out how to solve this problem” (1). This seems like an important challenge to overcome for space travel.

An even more interesting fact:

“In a TV interview with journalist Sheena McDonald in 1994, NASA Administrator Dan Golden openly admitted that mankind cannot venture beyond Earth orbit until they can overcome the dangers of cosmic radiation. He managed to say this without any mention of the Apollo missions 25 years’ prior, which supposedly went 240,000 miles outside Earth orbit. This doesn’t make any sense given that none of the astronauts on the six Apollo missions allegedly passed the radiation belts with no problem and no sickness” (1).

            Many of the Apollo moon images and videos show obvious and clear signs of fakery which indicate that they could not have been taken on the moon's surface. Even “photo experts bold enough to tell the truth, have stated this as well, such as David Percy of Aulis.com” (1). The websites intention is to present alternative ideas and discuss new ways of viewing the future of mankind. It is also interesting that “the engineer who developed the Hassalblad camera, used by the Apollo astronauts, said that he could not explain the discrepancies and anomalies in the Apollo images” (1).

All of this ideas come together to make the American people think about the possibility, that they have been fooled for 47 years. For some, their mind will never be changed, but others could soon open their eyes. It is very interesting to think which side could be true. Maybe someday we will have a definitive answer.

Works Cited

Dunbar, Brian. “Biography of Neil Armstrong.” NASA, NASA, 18 Dec. 2012, http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/neilabio.html.

Dunbar, Brian. “Who Was Neil Armstrong?” NASA, NASA, 28 Aug. 2012, https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/who-was-neil-armstrong-k4.html.

Moffet, John. “Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?” Fox Network, 2001, https://www.netflix.com/browse?jbv=80103478&jbp=0&jbr=5.

Wu, Winston. “Conspiracy Trilogy Report: Apollo Moon Hoax, JFK Assassination and 9/11 Truth.” Http://Www.debunkingskeptics.com, Winston Wu, 30 Oct. 2016, http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/Conspiracies.htm.