With any large government project, there is bound to be speculation. However, for some it is not just speculation; there are some people in the world who strongly believe in conspiracies. They dedicate themselves to proving that the scheme was actually an inside job. No project is safe, not even one of the most world-renowned events in the history of the United States: the moon landing.
One of the quickest things a non-believer points out is the flag rippling in the breeze, except that the moon has no atmosphere. No atmosphere means no breeze, which means no flag waving in the wind. In all actuality, the flag would simply be hanging there. Others would be quick to point out the various shadows that can be seen in the pictures and videos are inconsistent with the lighting. There is also the famous rock with a ‘C’ on it, many attribute to the fact that stagehands letter props so they know where to place them on set. Of course, there is a lot of evidence that can be used to prove the moon landing as a hoax, such as there being no stars in the background of the photos.
Scientists at the National Space Center have refuted many of these claims. The flag was built on a special pole solely to be supported for all to see. When the astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, were placing the flag into the ground, they were having some difficulties and disrupted the flag, making it seem as though the flag was ‘waving in the breeze.’ The shadows are due to the sun not being the only source of light, but even if it was, the rough and uneven surface of the moon would cast many shadows at all sorts of angles. The ‘prop’ has been proved to be a photoshopped picture, and the lack of stars is due to the moon’s surface reflecting the sun’s light and drowning out the dim stars in the sky.
There certainly were motives for the government to fake the historic event. It pushed the United States to have hope during the Cold War, and there was a lot of money to be made from faking it. While no one will ever truly know for sure, the moon landing controversy is one that will always be talked about.