Was the first moon landing faked?

Amanda (No)

Despite the ample evidence of man successfully landing on the moon–-such as hundreds of photos, videos, and Buzz Aldrin’s right hook--the lingering conspiracy theory denouncing the landing as a fake still remains. Further, the theory also continues to be one in desperate search of evidence to support it.

The most compelling argument against a fake Moon landing (besides all of the documentation mentioned above) is simply the sheer scale it would take to both create a hoax landing and to maintain the fiction for decades afterward. It would, by necessity, involve not only members of the US government but multiple other countries as well, including those who were or are in direct conflict with the United States, such as the then-Soviet government, a group that was hardly supportive of American interests.

There are also the numerous technological advancements derived directly from the Apollo project and the moon landing itself, many of which would not have been expanded on without the proof of concept from the mission.

Scientists are also still gathering real-time data from the equipment we installed on the moon from both the original landing and subsequent flights, not to mention all of the geological samples collected from the lunar surface.

Finally, there was simply no benefit to a fake Moon landing. NASA--the agency most likely to gain from such a conspiracy--received no monetary expansion and, in fact, saw its budget shrink as an overall percentage of government spending after 1969. If there is a giant conspiracy out there, what’s the point if no one gets anything out of it?

Elisa (Yes)

At first glance, conspiracy theories surrounding a faked moon landing seem unbelievable, but many claim there was a deep motivation for it: winning the Space Race with the USSR. The faked landing was a last-ditch effort to gain power in its rivalry with the Soviet superpower. 

Aside from the motivation to enact a fake moon landing, ample evidence suggests the act was a hoax. First of all, footage of the original moon landing was destroyed, which has raised alarm bells for many--how could some of the most important images in history deliberately be lost? 

Further, millions believe the moon landing was faked based primarily on the laws of physics. It's very unlikely that astronauts could get past the deadly Van Allen radiation belts. Plus, many critical thinkers can't get over the waving American flag on the moon. 

Moreover, many question the technology available at the time and if we really had the means to land on the moon in 1969. Today, there are claims that we can no longer go to the moon because of lost technology, the explanations of which seem suspicious at best. Also, experts say we do not have the proper spacesuits to return to the moon, which leads to the obvious assumption that we didn't have them before either. 

Most notably, people wonder why we haven't gone back to the moon since the 1970s. At one time, there were dreams and promises of actual American colonies there, yet the dates for return keep getting pushed back. 

The truth is that there are as many cracks and craters in the moon landing's official story as there are on the moon itself, and ultimately, Americans have a right to question everything.