Doubts about the Apollo 11 space mission in 1969.

"A small step for man, a great step for humanity" (Neil Armstrong)

The Apollo program was a promise made by former American president John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s. This program aimed to bring a crew to the moon (astronauts) to do scientific exploration, which was carried out in 14 missions. Thus, on July 16, 1969, history was made when the successful Apollo 11 mission was broadcast on television and seen by about 650 million people in the world. The great feat was to take the three astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin on an expedition on the moon and have them return safely on July 20 of the same year. It was a great step forward for humanity and a great triumph for the US government in the context of the cold war against the Soviet Union.

It seems that today people are divided between those who believe and those who do not believe that man came to the moon. Many say doubts about the veracity of the Apollo 11 mission are only part of a conspiracy theory, while others say NASA is hiding the truth from society.  So, what are the arguments behind these two positions?

The arguments against the veracity of mission Apollo 11 are diverse. Among them, the most popular ones that are frequently mentioned in web pages and videos are: 

1. The shadows in the photographs provided by NASA are not parallel.

2. The stars are not visible in the photographs.

3. The flag flies despite the absence of an atmosphere on the moon which gives rise to winds.

4. The footprint appears perfectly marked even if there is no moisture in the lunar soil.

5. The lighting of the astronauts in the photographs does not match the background.

6. Some astronauts died suspiciously despite good training by the agency.

7. Why hasn’t NASA sent another mission to the Moon until today?

On the other hand, the best known arguments in favor of the arrival of man to the moon are: 

1. Shadows should not always be parallel, in a rocky and rough landscape they can have many different directions.

2. Stars are not visible in the photos because light-coloured objects such as spacesuits refect all light when capturing the image, and do not allow objects with less light, such as stars, to be seen in the background.

3. The cameras used were not so technologically advanced as to be able to capture all the objects around them despite the interference.

4. The flag does not actually fly, the position shown in the photos is the same as during the NASA videos. 

5. The footprint was marked in this way by the notched footwear worn by the astronauts for greater fixation when walking on the lunar floor. In addition, the footprint was well defined without moisture because the lunar soil is formed by a very fine dust, and as there is no wind, that footprint will remain intact.

6. Spacesuits are well lit because of their white colour, which is reflective of the solar radiation, and that keeps astronauts alive.

7. Human beings die for strange reasons every day; no one has proof that these astronauts have been victims of any premeditated attack against them or of any oversight by the space agency.

8. Humans have not returned to the moon physically, but space probes have been sent and our natural satellite has been monitored. Moreover, going to the Moon had a political background due to the cold war at that time, which motivated the American government to invest billions of dollars to perform such a feat.

Without a doubt, this historic event has been highly controversial worldwide. Likewise, people who do not give credibility to NASA and the trip to the moon in 1969 have valid reasons for not doing so, because the general public has little accessibility to the evidence of the Apollo 11 mission and other programs. In addition, false news is often received through media outlets that end up confusing people. The most important point is that, since the publication of Bill Kaysing’s book entitled "We Never Went to the Moon" in 1974, many people felt identified with the doubts that the author expounds; so, it could be said that the "conspiracy theory" that denies the arrival of man to the moon is based on that book.

In conclusion, as part of the nature of the human being is to question everything, reasoning and give value to perceptions. As a result, many people have entered into an endless debate about the veracity of the information provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) about the realization of the Apollo program, especially the 11th mission that took man to the moon. But, it is important to recognize that such questions are necessary in society; history must be known so as not to make the same mistakes in the future and also not to be deceived or badly influenced. Whether this historic event was accomplished or not, there is no doubt that man has accomplished great feats over time, which have filled us with the knowledge we have to this day.