Key Takeaways
- Kim Kardashian claimed the 1969 Moon landing was faked on her Hulu show.
- NASA’s acting administrator publicly confirmed the six successful Moon landings.
- The controversy stems from a misinterpreted Buzz Aldrin interview from 2015.
- NASA is preparing for Artemis program Moon missions starting in 2026.
NASA’s acting administrator found himself debunking Moon landing conspiracy theories this week after Kim Kardashian claimed the 1969 Apollo 11 mission was faked. The reality star’s comments on Hulu’s ‘The Kardashians’ sparked widespread online debate and prompted an official response from the space agency.
Kardashian’s Moon Landing Doubts
In a recent episode, Kardashian told viewers she believed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin never actually landed on the Moon. She said her doubts emerged after watching a video where Aldrin appeared to suggest the mission “didn’t happen.”
The Misinterpreted Aldrin Interview
The clip in question was taken from a 2015 Oxford Union interview where Aldrin, now 95, was asked about the scariest moment of the Apollo 11 mission. He chuckled and replied, “It didn’t happen. It could have been scary,” clearly indicating that nothing particularly frightening occurred during the mission. He then described a technical issue involving a faulty circuit breaker.
Conspiracy theories questioning the Apollo missions have circulated since the 1970s. (Photo: Nasa)
NASA’s Official Response
Sean Duffy, the US Transportation Secretary and NASA’s acting administrator, responded directly to Kardashian’s claims on X (formerly Twitter). “Yes, @KimKardashian, we’ve been to the Moon before six times!” Duffy wrote on Thursday.
He confirmed the US is preparing to return to the Moon under President Donald Trump’s leadership through NASA’s Artemis program. The Artemis II mission, scheduled for 2026, will send astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, with a landing planned for 2027.
“We won the last space race — and we’ll win this one too,” Duffy stated emphatically.
Enduring Conspiracy Theories
Despite overwhelming scientific and visual evidence, Moon landing conspiracy theories have persisted since the 1970s. The original 1969 Moon landing was broadcast live to hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, creating one of television’s most iconic moments.
The recent controversy highlights how celebrity opinions can revive decades-old misinformation, even as NASA prepares for its next chapter of lunar exploration .
