On July 16, 1969, three American astronauts - Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins - set a course to the crowning achievement of exploration and scientific discovery. When Armstrong set his foot on the Moon, he said it best for the rest of the people on Earth: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Yet somewhere in the planet on that fateful day, a skeptic jumped off his or her chair, looked at the TV coverage of the lunar landing, and said it best for conspiracy theorists everywhere: “Bollocks!”
In 1979, a Gallup poll showed that six percent of Americans didn’t believe that the lunar landing was true. Today, the numbers rank up as high as 20%, which means that at least one in every five Americans believe that the lunar landing is a lie, or a giant conspiracy by the US government. In 2002, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spent $15,000 for a publicity campaign to convince the people that the lunar landing actually took place. Conspiracy theorists took this as a hint that the US government actually rigged the Moon landing. (see Top Ten Conspiracy theories in the world)
While you’re free to take any side you want, making a Moon landing can be done the easy way or the hard way. Here’s how you can make - or fake - your way to the Moon.
The Moon and How to Get There
The average distance between the Earth and the Moon is about 384,403 kilometers. To get to the Moon, a spacecraft has to reach orbital space; which means a very powerful means of propulsion, a lot of complex calculations, and very sophisticated rocket science and complicated engineering to keep the astronauts safe and to actually launch the modules.
The Apollo Missions
rocket launchThe Apollo Program was the first - and the last - in a series of successful attempts to get a man on the Moon. It was the “Space Race” part of the Cold War; the Soviets were the first to send a man to space (Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961). The Americans, eager to get their edge back in the Space Race, then delivered the promise to send a man to the Moon.
The Apollo 11 space mission is arguably the most important achievement of NASA. On July 16, 1969, Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin departed from Earth with the mission to set foot on the Moon. As Collins piloted the Command Service Module on orbit around the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin set foot on the Moon, making them the first explorers of the lunar surface. Armstrong’s footprint, as well as the first lunar moonwalk of Armstrong and Aldrin, were photographed and recorded through special cameras attached to the lunar lander.
The Americans continued sending manned flights to the Moon until Apollo 17. On December 1972, Eugene Cernan became the last man on the Moon. Many countries are planning to send another manned mission to the Moon, probably as soon as 2020.
The “Loony” Lunar Conspiracy
For some people, the lunar landing did not actually take place. People who believe that the Moon landing was a hoax believe that the historical event is part of a worked publicity stunt created and rigged by the United States to intimidate the Soviets, and to assert their military power and technological supremacy. Many Moon hoaxers point to many inconsistencies on the photos and videos of the Moon landing:
moon landing
The flag was waving like it did on a windy day, even if there is very little wind or gravity on the Moon.
Many of the photos have a very inconsistent quality.
The backgrounds seem to look identical.
The crosshairs used for many pictures seem to be obscured by many objects.
Some people claim to see professional studio equipment on the reflections of the astronauts’ visors.
Some Moon hoaxers also believe that the astronauts’ suits at that time were much too flimsy for the high temperature, ionization levels, and radiation in space. Many space experts have disproved many of the theories of Moon hoaxers, although the beliefs still continue to persist.
How to Land on the Moon
Landing on the moon can be a very difficult task, whether you do it the easy way or the hard way. Here are some ways that you can land on the Moon, by hook or by crook.
Giant Hangar that Looks Like the Moon
Conspiracy theorists and Moon hoaxers believe that a giant abandoned aircraft hangar at a top-secret military base was used to fake the Moon landing, and deceive the American people. To replicate that feat, you need to follow these not-so-easy steps:
moon landing
Obtain a military clearance to enter and use the facilities of a top-secret military installation. You also need a separate high-level security clearance to obtain an authentic space suit.
Use a whole truckload of black cloth to cover the walls of the hangar you’re cleared to use in the military base. Make sure the cloth cover is absolutely flat.
Hire the services of a construction supply company to provide silicates and weird-looking rocks.
Construct the lunar surface. You may need to refer to maps from lunar surveys to see where you’re going to place mountains and lunar seas.
With your “Moon” in place, start taking pictures. You may also want to avoid trying to simulate low-gravity situations, because you’re still on Earth.
Photo-Editing Software
For souvenir photos or spoofed images, you can use a program like Adobe Photoshop or Corel DRAW to capture a background image of the Moon, and superimpose your image on the photo (Tips on how to retouch photos). It will obviously not work, because astronauts require their tinted helmets and space suits to survive the harsh conditions of space. It does make for a good greeting card idea for you to be lounging on the Moon as if it were the beach.
The Hard Way
If you really insist on fulfilling your childhood space dreams, then there’s no other choice but to go to the Moon - and perhaps even beyond - the hard way:
You need to be accepted and cleared by NASA for space flight (or you have to have a lot of money to qualify as a space tourist or a commercial astronaut).
You need to pass a very strict and difficult training program that tests every aspect of your physical and mental conditioning.
You will run the risk of death in case something goes wrong. While space programs are designed with the safety of every astronaut in mind, anything can go wrong at any time during the mission.
It has been 40 years since the first men walked the surface of the Moon, which was anything but an achievement in good old fashioned bollocks. With these tips to help you make a Moon landing in many ways including the hard way, the giant leap for mankind is just within your grasp.