CAPRICORN ONE?:

Nasa asks author to prove Man did land on the moon (David Derbyshire, 08/11/2002, Daily Telegraph)

Nasa has taken the extraordinary step of commissioning a book to prove that the 1969 moon landing was not a fake.

The 30,000-word publication is to prove that the Apollo landings were an astonishing feat of science and bravery, and were not simulated in a Hollywood studio.

Claims that Nasa faked the moon landings have gathered momentum in recent years. The argument goes that the landings
were staged to convince the world that the US had beaten the Russians to the moon. In reality, the Apollo crew remained hidden in orbit until re-entry, it is claimed.

The theories have gained such credence that, according to one poll, one in five Americans is suspicious about the landings.

The conspiracy theorists say the American flag planted by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ripples in a draught caused by the accidental opening of the studio door.

They also claim that the fakers forgot to include stars in the lunar sky and that the shadows in the astronauts' visors are contradictory, revealing the glow of studio lights and not the sun.

The author they chose, James Oberg, wrote a terrific book, Red Star in Orbit, about the USSR's space program. By itself, the book would have been enough to convince any objective observer that the Soviet Union was doomed. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 17, 2002 12:36 PM