Advice to NASA Re: Conspiracy Theories

[qarnos]

Well, we all know there are some plans to go back to The Moon. Of course, whether this will happen or not is debatable, but I thought it might be helpful to NASA if we compiled a list of tips to avoid another Moon-Hoax Conspiracy claim.

I'll get the list started.


1. If you are considering planting a flag, ensure the flag is made out of cardboard or some other rigid material so the flag does not wave at all, as might be otherwise expected on The Moon due to the laws of physics.

2. Before releasing any pictures, ensure to artificially add stars to the background sky. Even though it may be the middle of the day on The Moon and the glare of the Sun would wash out most other faint light sources, that is no reason to not have stars in the photos. Plus, they look pretty.

3. Before setting foot on The Moon, please ensure you have a bulldozer with you and roll the terrain perfectly flat so as to not produce any shadows which appear to not run parallel. This spoils the symmetry of the pictures.

4. On the Lunar ascent stage, please refrain from using hydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide propellant, as these fuels, although very suitable for use on The Moon, do not produce the expected flames out of the rear end of the motor. We want the full works - Hollywood style.

5. After each EVA, please relocate the Lunar Lander so as to ensure we do not have the same background in two sets of photographs.

6. Place explosives under the Lunar Landing site to produce a "blast crater". We were severely disappointed to not see one during the Apollo program. They just look so cool.

Feel free to add more. NASA need all the help they can muster.

 

[MG1962]

Really shoot a scene on a film studio just to show much better the images would look if they hadn't bothered going to the Moon

 

[Dragon]

Take Bart Sibrel there and "forget" to bring him back ...

Oh - that would need a conspiracy though ...

 

[uk_dave]

Go to Jupiter....and beyond

 

[Obviousman]

Actually, what WOULD convince them that they were wrong?

I know that any images will be claimed as faked, any data claimed as faked, etc, etc - so what could NASA do to really stick it to them?

Treat this as a genuine study - how does NASA:

1. Prove without doubt that the 21st moon landings are genuine; and
2. Verify the Apollo programme beyond doubt?

Lets face it - the "hoaxers" are going to come up with a variety of claims for current / past landings being "faked". Let's do NASA a service - how can we rebut the claims?

 

[MG1962]

Lets face it - the "hoaxers" are going to come up with a variety of claims for current / past landings being "faked". Let's do NASA a service - how can we rebut the claims?

Proactive rebutles - Interesting concept lol

 

[qarnos]

Actually, what WOULD convince them that they were wrong?

I know that any images will be claimed as faked, any data claimed as faked, etc, etc - so what could NASA do to really stick it to them?

Treat this as a genuine study - how does NASA:

1. Prove without doubt that the 21st moon landings are genuine; and
2. Verify the Apollo programme beyond doubt?

Lets face it - the "hoaxers" are going to come up with a variety of claims for current / past landings being "faked". Let's do NASA a service - how can we rebut the claims?

Well, for #2, they could photograph, from Lunar orbit, the descent stage of the Apollo missions still sitting on The Moon. Though, I guess that would also be claimed as fake.

As for #1, they could give each doubter a one-way ticket to The Moon.

 

[chillzero]

Just wondering (this may be completely idiotic), but technology is so much better since the first moon landing even for amateur stargazers.

Are modern telescopes strong enough to watch the progress of a space bound vehicle?

 

[thisninjascrazy]

And don't forget to take make sure there are no hair strands that might be mistaken for a number or letter on the photo before it gets developed.

Penn: Rudy, do you know of any props managers that put letters their props?
Rudy: ◊◊◊◊ no!!

 

[apathoid]

Treat this as a genuine study - how does NASA:

1. Prove without doubt that the 21st moon landings are genuine; and
2. Verify the Apollo programme beyond doubt?

Anything ever become of this or this?

Conspiracy theorists, you have a problem. In an effort to silence claims that the Apollo Moon landings were faked, European scientists are to use the world's newest and largest telescope to see whether remains of the spacecraft are still on the lunar surface.

 

[qarnos]

Just wondering (this may be completely idiotic), but technology is so much better since the first moon landing even for amateur stargazers.

Are modern telescopes strong enough to watch the progress of a space bound vehicle?

I don't know the answer to your exact question, but people did actually manage to take photographs of the Apollo spacecraft on their way to The Moon, albeit, only during waste/fuel dumps. [source]

I also remember when someone decided it would be a great idea to photograph The Moon with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).*

At the time this was a "big no no", but this guy (I can't remember his name) has a kind of "reverse-veto" power within the HST controllers, and he decided it would be a fun thing to do.

They had to wait until The Sun was in the right position to avoid damaging the HST cameras with excessive exposure (from direct or reflected light), and even then they had problems tracking The Moon because its angular velocity is so high (compared to, say, a galaxy 1 billion light years away).

They managed to get the pictures, but it was incredibly hard work. More importantly, even the HST is no-where near powerful enough to take a photograph of the discarded descent stages of the LM's. Someone likened that to trying to take a photograph of a Hills Hoist^WP in an Australian backyard from the surface of The Moon.

But, you forget one important thing. If someone does manage to take a photograph of a spacecraft on it's way to The Moon - it was faked!

* I remember reading about this in either "Sky & Telescope" or "Astronomy" magazines. I tried a quick Google, and most of the sites were Moon Hoax sites declaring that NASA lied about HST, etc. I quickly got frustrated and gave up.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

where was that excellent youtube thing recently in 5 parts that debunked everything?

 

[CurtC]

7. If you take a photo of a bright object, and the brightness blooms out to wash-out a crosshair mark, please go back and touch up the crosshair before releasing the photo to the public.

 

[rwguinn]

Actually, what WOULD convince them that they were wrong?

I know that any images will be claimed as faked, any data claimed as faked, etc, etc - so what could NASA do to really stick it to them?

Treat this as a genuine study - how does NASA:

1. Prove without doubt that the 21st moon landings are genuine; and
2. Verify the Apollo programme beyond doubt?

Lets face it - the "hoaxers" are going to come up with a variety of claims for current / past landings being "faked". Let's do NASA a service - how can we rebut the claims?

Well, ther's the old SF standby:
Take a large tube of some benign substance that is contrasting color to the moon's surface.
place a die in the end of the tube--say, a "smilie face"
Place an explosive charge in th other end of the tube.
Once on the moon, shoot it up into the "sky" towards the nighttime earth.
Everyone on Earth with binoculars or a small telescope can se it.
If you launch it fast enough, the substance will go into Lunar orbit as dust, thus not contaminating the surface.
Simple, huh?

 

[CptColumbo]

1. If you are considering planting a flag, ensure the flag is made out of cardboard or some other rigid material so the flag does not wave at all, as might be otherwise expected on The Moon due to the laws of physics.

And for crying out loud, plant the flag a reasonable distance away from the ascent stage. If you ever saw the footage of the Eagle taking-off you know that the flag got knocked around. As Pete Conrad said, "Two PhDs on board and they couldn't think to put the flag more than 10 ft. away from the LEM."

 

[R.Mackey]

Current telescopes are not sophisticated enough to resolve current or future envisioned lunar landings, but the LRO Spacecraft will be.

This is like the MRO orbiter observing the MER rovers on Mars.

Of course, photos from LRO will be faked, etc. etc.... Fortunately, our plans in space have absolutely nothing to do with the delusions of paranoiacs. Satisfying Moon Hoaxers is not on the agenda, nor will it ever be.

 

[chillzero]

I know they will say photos are faked, but I thought if they could watch for themselves ...

 

[T.A.M.]

I know they will say photos are faked, but I thought if they could watch for themselves ...

They would just claim the video was faked with cgi.

TAM

 

[uk_dave]

They would just claim the video was faked with cgi.

TAM

Nope. MKULTRA

 

[beachnut]

NASA, do not hire truthers or CTers, they will fake your next landing!

I have found people who think up these CT, are most likely to do the deed.

Some of these CT idiots are actually loose in the world and they are doing dumb things on the fly, I have met one, he was advocating the fact he may have to order a suicide mission if need (during a meeting), in the first gulf war "the boss sent him home" (is that a John Wayne movie syndrome?).