Kickstarter campaign fights back ignorance about Apollo lunar landings
Photo Credit: NASA
Sometimes you just have to shake your head. “We never landed on the Moon!” This, has been the rallying cry for a misbegotten group of individuals since mankind’s greatest achievement in the late 60s and early 70s. The “hoaxers” have no problem with assailing national heroes and distorting reality to diminish mankind’s greatest accomplishment. We’re told we should just ignore them and they’ll go away. How well has that worked for us? Enough is enough. A new Kickstarter campaign is fighting back against the lunacy – and they need your help to begin an innovative campaign to combat the lack of understanding behind the Apollo Program.
To accomplish the goal of defending Mankind, an animated series is being developed which will reveal the truth – in the 1960s, mankind accomplished its greatest achievement, one which we had dreamed of since we first gazed up into the night sky. Using scientific facts, this series will counter the factually-inaccurate statements which have been spread by those who have endeavored to dim Apollo’s light.
Some twenty-five percent of 18-25 year olds, those too young to have witnessed this defining moment in human history doubt the Moon landings took place. Efforts to counter the spread of such ignorance are required. Entitled, Apollo Fact Files: The Truth About Mankind’s Moonshots, the group is trying to raise £5000 ($8179.02) through this campaign.
Apollo’s legacy, as sad as this might seem, needs to be defended. Every effort must be made to fight back the darkness, to defend our heritage. As such, this Kickstarter Campaign is vital toward setting the record straight. Produced in part by Chris Riley, who helped produce both: In the Shadow of the Moon as well as: Moon Machines, the first episode has already been produced – but there are four additional episodes that they want to produce, they include:
Episode 2. Where are all the stars?
Episode 3. What’s up with those strange shadows?
Episode 4. How did the astronauts film themselves leaving the Moon?
Episode 5. Wouldn’t radiation have killed the astronauts on their way to the Moon?
Given the number of misguided myths which comprise the conspiracy theorist’s playbook, there are more episodes which the folks who have opened this campaign would like to produce. Here are future episodes, future corrections to the inaccuracies and misperceptions which the team working on Apollo Fact Files: The Truth About Mankind’s Moonshots would also like to produce:
Episode 6. Where were the dust clouds after they landed?
Episode 7. Why can’t we see the Apollo landing sites through a telescope?
Episode 8. Why did we stop going to the Moon?
Episode 9. Are those really prop numbers on the rocks?
Episode 10. Who filmed Neil Armstrong first stepping onto the Moon?
Episode 11. How come the footprints are so well preserved when there’s no moisture on the Moon?
Episode 12. How could two astronauts take so many great pictures on the Moon in such a short time?
They need your help! Tired of the silly “facts” put forward by conspiracy theorists? Then help them fight back!
If you are unable to donate funds, you can still help by spreading the word or subscribing to their new YouTube channel and sharing it with your own networks. With your help, they can give people the confidence to believe human beings reached the Moon 45 years ago.
Your donations, large or small are vital to accomplishing this challenge. It’s imperative that those who believe in the value of our shared history – fight to protect its prestige, work to ensure its legacy and stand by those who honor its memory. All you need to do is become a backer of the Apollo Fact Files.
This is an advertisement for Apollo Fact Files, views expressed above are meant to promote this effort and do not necessarily reflect the views of SpaceFlight Insider.
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Jason Rhian
Jason Rhian spent several years honing his skills with internships at NASA, the National Space Society and other organizations. He has provided content for outlets such as: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Space.com, The Mars Society and Universe Today.
Although one of America’s finest sons, a true hero in every sense of the word, Gene Cernan, WHO WALKED ON THE MOON said, “Truth needs no defense” the fact that 25% of 18 to 25 year old individuals think that humans never walked on the Moon chills my blood colder than ice-water (and that’s something considering I’m in frozen Detroit). Thank you Jason for this clarion call to trumpet the truth, you are to be commended for living the axiom that “For evil to triumph, it is only necessary for good men to do nothing”. After hearing on the NBC nightly News that space exploration “is a cornerstone of the Chinese educational system”, it is extremely disappointing that the American educational system has devolved to such an extent that so many individuals lack the intellectual skills to be able to disprove such outrageous nonsense about the Moon landings. If they fall for the “Moon landing never happened” hoax, what’s next? My chagrin and disappointment is, however, of little consequence in comparison to how those heroic men must feel when their years of hard work, their risking death at every turn, their hopes that their efforts will be remembered with pride, are sullied with ignorance and lies. Even for such brave men, it must be crushing. Thank you for highlighting this most commendable and worthy endeavor Jason, “the truth will out”! Please keep up the great work! I’m off to YouTube to watch the video of Buzz Aldrin landing a “haymaker” on the jaw of a particularly disgusting Moon landing denier – it always brightens my day! 🙂
Indeed, great article by Jason! Yet, even if this campaign takes off, I’m afraid that it will not do much to lessen the percentage of die-hard conspicy theorists. To them, this campaign will be nothing more of just another supposed ‘cover up’. That doesn’t mean that we don’t need campaigns such as these. Quite the contrary.
The whole denialism and conspiracy-thinking phenomenon is not based on logic and reason, rather on emotionally-based, deep-seated misguided belief systems. IMHO, the conspiracy theory crowd, is no different than a fanatic religious cult. They do not want to face facts and reality, neither do they want to ‘discover the truth’ as they so vigorously proclaim. They just want to cling to their emotionally-based thinking, distorting reality and facts to fit their view, whatever that might be. Everything that contradicts them, must be labelled a ‘cover up’. In this way, conspiracy theorists satisfy an emotional (though illogical) need to discredit reality. The line between such thinking and out right paranoia is very thin, and those people cross it all the time.
A very well-stated post providing a flawlessly logical and rational position Leonidas. I must admit, however, that I do find it amusing in light of the recent situation with Snowden and the disclosure of material classified at the highest of security levels at the NSA (Never Say Anything), that anyone could possibly imagine that a conspiracy on such an enormous scale involving thousands of people from so many walks of life could possibly remain a secret. In light of images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that show artifacts left on the lunar surface by the Apollo crews, including tire tracks from the Lunar Rover, this unprecedented exceptionally successful conspiracy would also have to be “multi-generational”. You’re correct Leonidas, it may be too late for some, but perhaps a concerted effort should be made in school at an early age to “stamp out stupid” before it takes hold and spreads. Best wishes Leonidas! 🙂
The best answer to the conspiracy theories crowd, is to quote Albert Einstein: “There are two things that are Infinite: the Universe and human stupidity – and I’m not so certain about the former!”
Conspiracy theories would be so hilariously funny and amusing, if people didn’t take them for real. You’re right about all the evidence proving the Moon landings, but you just can’t use them to the die-hards. They’ll label ‘cover up’ whatever you present to them. They don’t want to see, they just want to believe. Once someone understands that, he/she will start saving a lot of effort and energy, knocking on a deaf ears.
You’re right Karol. Proper education begins at an early age. Not just about scientific facts, maths and history, but about learning how to have a critical thinking – and the teaching of how and why the scientific method works, should be essential education for every citizen. Sadly, with all this anti-science theme in education going on in recent years, that’s often not the case…
I love the work of Chris Riley. I am fortunate to have “In The Shadow Of The Moon” and “Moon Machines” in my collection, and they’re great. I will be going to their site, and I hope that all of the episodes are produced so that I can make them available to the schools in my area. CARPE DIEM!!