NASA has recently addressed the long-standing conspiracy theory that questions whether humans have ever landed on the Moon. In a statement, Sean Duffy, the acting administrator of the space agency, confirmed, “Yes, we have been to the Moon before… six times!” This response came after remarks made by reality television star Kim Kardashian, who expressed skepticism regarding the historic lunar landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969.
During an episode of “The Kardashians,” Kardashian suggested to co-star Sarah Paulson that the Moon landing did not occur. She stated, “It didn”t happen,” and referred to an interview where Buzz Aldrin allegedly claimed that there was no terrifying moment during the landing because it never took place. Kardashian also mentioned that she had sent numerous articles about the topic to Paulson and encouraged viewers to verify the information on TikTok, saying, “Please, go to TikTok and check it out for yourselves.”
In addition to countering Kardashian”s claims, Duffy referenced the Trump Administration”s plans to return to the Moon, stating, “And even better: NASA”s Artemis program is returning under President Trump”s leadership. We won the last space race, and we will win this one too.” Despite the irony of a government that includes conspiracy theorist Robert Kennedy denouncing a scientific falsehood, experts have consistently clarified doubts surrounding the lunar landings.
Arguments against the Moon landing often cite the absence of visible stars during the lunar missions, as all were conducted during the Moon”s daytime, where sunlight obscures starlight. Another point of contention is the behavior of the American flag, which appeared to wave despite the lack of wind; however, this was due to the flag”s design. Moreover, footprints left on the Moon”s surface have been verified by current spacecraft as still being present. A study published in 2016 indicated that maintaining such a conspiracy would require the involvement of approximately 400,000 individuals.
Kardashian took the opportunity presented by Duffy”s response to inquire about comet ATLAS 3I, which some online misinformation has falsely claimed to be an alien spacecraft. Duffy clarified that ATLAS 3I is the third interstellar comet detected and poses no threat to Earth.
