conspiracy theories about space
by markadler'19
Space is the true “final frontier” of the human race; but with an area so huge, there is always room for speculation. And when that speculation is not accepted by the scientific community, it becomes a conspiracy theory. Now, not all conspiracy theories are created equal. And to be fair, most of them aren’t all that great. Still, some of them shine out from the rest.
The 5 Worst Conspiracy Theories about Space:
5. The Nibiru Cataclysm
This theory claims that a large planet, named Nibiru, will enter our inner solar system, causing cataclysmic, even apocalyptic effects on Earth—the poles would shift. The theory itself is not a bad one; an unknown planetary object with an elliptical orbit could very well exist in our solar system. The problem here is the creator of the theory: Nancy Lieder. Aside from lacking knowledge in planetary science (a pole shift is very ordinary on Earth), in 1995, she said she was able to communicate with aliens from the Zeta Reticuli star system through a brain implant, and they told her about the planet Nibiru, and how it would enter the solar system in 2003 (later postponed to 21 December 2012, because Lieder just couldn’t resist). The thing that bugs me is that in her mind, far-fetched explanation equates to believability.
4. The Moon Landings Were Faked
This theory says that the 1960 moon landings were faked, and were instead filmed inside a studio in order to make it look like the US won the Space Race. Evidence of the theory points to multi-directional shadows, odd reflections in the astronauts’ visors, and the flag in the background appearing to wave. Even though this evidence have been disproven by early camera technology, lunar dust, and rotational momentum, respectively, theorists persist. I find it hard to believe that people can deny repeated probe and satellite imagery of our moon, but hey, that’s just me.
3. The All-Seeing Eye of Saturn
In 2007, NASA released images taken from the Cassini spacecraft, sent to Saturn in the 90’s. However, one of these images shows an odd hexagonal shape at Saturn’s north pole, which is almost geometrically precise. And then, of course, a theorist came forward, making an odd claim: if you look closely at the shape, you can see a pyramid and two concentric circles—the All-Seeing Eye. I personally have seen many versions of this image and have not once seen the All-Seeing Eye, though I am sure someone can link this to the Illuminati being reptilian space creatures who have colonized Saturn. Why not?
2. The Soviets Planned to Hitchhike from the Moon
This theory is based off the fact that around the time Apollo 11 was launched from the US, the USSR launched the unmanned spaceship Luna 15 into space. But was it really unmanned? No, say theorists, who claim that there was a Soviet cosmonaut inside. However, the Soviets did not have the ability to get the cosmonaut back to Earth, so they planned to hitchhike Apollo 11 to get back to Earth. In this situation, I don’t know what would be worse, the Soviet cosmonaut slowly dying in space, or the awkward conversation between the Americans and the Soviet cosmonaut. I can only imagine the Americans awkwardly telling the cosmonaut that only two people can fit on, and that a third would be a strain on the propulsion, and the Soviet watching, devastated, as the Apollo leaves.
1. Obama Has Been to Mars
This theory states that in the 80’s, when he was in college, Obama volunteered to participate in a program run by the CIA and DARPA, in which he would become a chrononaut. Accordingly, he was teleported to Mars in a “jump room” and went on multiple dangerous missions. He was there to forge an alliance with the Martians, and was told to “be seen and not eaten.” Even worse than the theory are the people who came up with it, who claim they were also in the program. And yet the CIA let the info get loose. I wonder how that happened.
The 5 Better Conspiracy Theories about Space
5. The US Has Colonized Mars
This theory was released in 2014 by a woman named “Jackie.” She claimed that she was working for NASA, and that she helped land the Viking Lander. However, she said that as it was landing, she saw two figures, when she and her co-workers’ transmissions were cut. And when some ran upstairs to get a better look, their superiors locked the doors and taped up the cracks. This theory is not terrible, nor is it that great. Humans colonizing Mars isn’t the most ridiculous conspiracy here, though “Jackie” is a little bit less so. Her other theory is that the 9/11 attacks were holograms. Still, her explanation is better than Lieder’s.
4. NASA’s Lucifer Project
For those of you who are not aware, the 2001: A Space Odyssey science-fiction book and movie series focuses on a bizarre alien race trying to turn Jupiter into a star by increasing its density with black pillars called Monoliths in order to support life on one of its moons, Europa. In the series, this star is known as Lucifer. So, when an astronomer noticed an odd black spot on Jupiter reminiscent to that of the Monoliths in 2010: Odyssey Two, the theorist community went beserk. Did NASA do this? As it turns out, they actually did. In 2003, NASA determined that they needed to crash the probe Galileo into Jupiter in order not to spread bacteria onto Europa, the only known body in our solar system at the time which could have supported life. Now, probes use plutonium-238 for fuel, the same element used in nuclear bombs. So, when Galileo collided with Jupiter, the impact caused a nuclear explosion, causing a black cloud in Jupiter’s atmosphere. And while it is not confirmed that NASA actually tried to create Lucifer, theorists say they could’ve—even though one nuclear explosion is not enough to encourage nuclear fusion on a planet as small as Jupiter.
3. Solar System-Wide Warming
When global warming wasn’t enough, theorists pointed to the entire solar system warming up. Theorists point to climate change on planets including Mars and Jupiter, and Pluto’s warming up. While theorists apparently aren’t sure exactly why it’s happening, I would assume it’s being caused by the sun, but hey, that’s just me. But global warming isn’t real, so I guess that’s a relief.
2. The Phobos Failure Was Caused by HAARP
In 2011, Russia tried sending probe Phobos-Grunt into space, its destination being Mars. However, the project immediately had problems. It hadn’t even left Earth before communication problems began to occur. Now, in order to make a probe launch successful, it must reach a low orbit around the Earth. However, Phobos just kept on going higher from Earth, and kind of just kept on orbiting. And every time Russia tried to communicate to it, they just received encrypted data. So theorists pointed to the American HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) as being the culprit. Of course, HAARP denies, but the Cold War is a good motive for a probe “accident.”
1. The Comet Landing Conspiracy
This theory is based on the Philae probe landing on a comet, during which the European Space Agency said they heard mysterious sounds on the comet. So theorists pointed out that the comet must be an alien artifact. Compares to its counterparts, this theory is actually rather subtle. The aspect of alien life on a comet is actually not completely unrealistic, especially considering a comet is mostly ice. On the other hand, some theorists claim that there is a transmission tower on the comet and that you can see UFO’s in the background of images. Oh well.
Original research
Myers, Gregory. "10 Strange Conspiracy Theories About Our Solar System."
Listverse. Listverse Ltd., 18 Jan. 2015. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
O'Callaghan, Jonathan. "Top Five: Bizarre Space Conspiracy Theories." Space Answers.
Imagine Publishing Ltd., 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Additional research
"2010: Odyssey Two." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 21 Sept.
2015.
"Did We Nuke Jupiter?" NASA's Unexplained Files. SCIENCE. 2015. Television.
"Nibiru Cataclysm." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 17 Sept.
2015.
Strickland, Jonathan. "Top 10 Space Conspiracy Theories." HowStuffWorks. InfoSpace
LLC, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
The 5 Worst Conspiracy Theories about Space:
5. The Nibiru Cataclysm
This theory claims that a large planet, named Nibiru, will enter our inner solar system, causing cataclysmic, even apocalyptic effects on Earth—the poles would shift. The theory itself is not a bad one; an unknown planetary object with an elliptical orbit could very well exist in our solar system. The problem here is the creator of the theory: Nancy Lieder. Aside from lacking knowledge in planetary science (a pole shift is very ordinary on Earth), in 1995, she said she was able to communicate with aliens from the Zeta Reticuli star system through a brain implant, and they told her about the planet Nibiru, and how it would enter the solar system in 2003 (later postponed to 21 December 2012, because Lieder just couldn’t resist). The thing that bugs me is that in her mind, far-fetched explanation equates to believability.
4. The Moon Landings Were Faked
This theory says that the 1960 moon landings were faked, and were instead filmed inside a studio in order to make it look like the US won the Space Race. Evidence of the theory points to multi-directional shadows, odd reflections in the astronauts’ visors, and the flag in the background appearing to wave. Even though this evidence have been disproven by early camera technology, lunar dust, and rotational momentum, respectively, theorists persist. I find it hard to believe that people can deny repeated probe and satellite imagery of our moon, but hey, that’s just me.
3. The All-Seeing Eye of Saturn
In 2007, NASA released images taken from the Cassini spacecraft, sent to Saturn in the 90’s. However, one of these images shows an odd hexagonal shape at Saturn’s north pole, which is almost geometrically precise. And then, of course, a theorist came forward, making an odd claim: if you look closely at the shape, you can see a pyramid and two concentric circles—the All-Seeing Eye. I personally have seen many versions of this image and have not once seen the All-Seeing Eye, though I am sure someone can link this to the Illuminati being reptilian space creatures who have colonized Saturn. Why not?
2. The Soviets Planned to Hitchhike from the Moon
This theory is based off the fact that around the time Apollo 11 was launched from the US, the USSR launched the unmanned spaceship Luna 15 into space. But was it really unmanned? No, say theorists, who claim that there was a Soviet cosmonaut inside. However, the Soviets did not have the ability to get the cosmonaut back to Earth, so they planned to hitchhike Apollo 11 to get back to Earth. In this situation, I don’t know what would be worse, the Soviet cosmonaut slowly dying in space, or the awkward conversation between the Americans and the Soviet cosmonaut. I can only imagine the Americans awkwardly telling the cosmonaut that only two people can fit on, and that a third would be a strain on the propulsion, and the Soviet watching, devastated, as the Apollo leaves.
1. Obama Has Been to Mars
This theory states that in the 80’s, when he was in college, Obama volunteered to participate in a program run by the CIA and DARPA, in which he would become a chrononaut. Accordingly, he was teleported to Mars in a “jump room” and went on multiple dangerous missions. He was there to forge an alliance with the Martians, and was told to “be seen and not eaten.” Even worse than the theory are the people who came up with it, who claim they were also in the program. And yet the CIA let the info get loose. I wonder how that happened.
The 5 Better Conspiracy Theories about Space
5. The US Has Colonized Mars
This theory was released in 2014 by a woman named “Jackie.” She claimed that she was working for NASA, and that she helped land the Viking Lander. However, she said that as it was landing, she saw two figures, when she and her co-workers’ transmissions were cut. And when some ran upstairs to get a better look, their superiors locked the doors and taped up the cracks. This theory is not terrible, nor is it that great. Humans colonizing Mars isn’t the most ridiculous conspiracy here, though “Jackie” is a little bit less so. Her other theory is that the 9/11 attacks were holograms. Still, her explanation is better than Lieder’s.
4. NASA’s Lucifer Project
For those of you who are not aware, the 2001: A Space Odyssey science-fiction book and movie series focuses on a bizarre alien race trying to turn Jupiter into a star by increasing its density with black pillars called Monoliths in order to support life on one of its moons, Europa. In the series, this star is known as Lucifer. So, when an astronomer noticed an odd black spot on Jupiter reminiscent to that of the Monoliths in 2010: Odyssey Two, the theorist community went beserk. Did NASA do this? As it turns out, they actually did. In 2003, NASA determined that they needed to crash the probe Galileo into Jupiter in order not to spread bacteria onto Europa, the only known body in our solar system at the time which could have supported life. Now, probes use plutonium-238 for fuel, the same element used in nuclear bombs. So, when Galileo collided with Jupiter, the impact caused a nuclear explosion, causing a black cloud in Jupiter’s atmosphere. And while it is not confirmed that NASA actually tried to create Lucifer, theorists say they could’ve—even though one nuclear explosion is not enough to encourage nuclear fusion on a planet as small as Jupiter.
3. Solar System-Wide Warming
When global warming wasn’t enough, theorists pointed to the entire solar system warming up. Theorists point to climate change on planets including Mars and Jupiter, and Pluto’s warming up. While theorists apparently aren’t sure exactly why it’s happening, I would assume it’s being caused by the sun, but hey, that’s just me. But global warming isn’t real, so I guess that’s a relief.
2. The Phobos Failure Was Caused by HAARP
In 2011, Russia tried sending probe Phobos-Grunt into space, its destination being Mars. However, the project immediately had problems. It hadn’t even left Earth before communication problems began to occur. Now, in order to make a probe launch successful, it must reach a low orbit around the Earth. However, Phobos just kept on going higher from Earth, and kind of just kept on orbiting. And every time Russia tried to communicate to it, they just received encrypted data. So theorists pointed to the American HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) as being the culprit. Of course, HAARP denies, but the Cold War is a good motive for a probe “accident.”
1. The Comet Landing Conspiracy
This theory is based on the Philae probe landing on a comet, during which the European Space Agency said they heard mysterious sounds on the comet. So theorists pointed out that the comet must be an alien artifact. Compares to its counterparts, this theory is actually rather subtle. The aspect of alien life on a comet is actually not completely unrealistic, especially considering a comet is mostly ice. On the other hand, some theorists claim that there is a transmission tower on the comet and that you can see UFO’s in the background of images. Oh well.
Original research
Myers, Gregory. "10 Strange Conspiracy Theories About Our Solar System."
Listverse. Listverse Ltd., 18 Jan. 2015. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
O'Callaghan, Jonathan. "Top Five: Bizarre Space Conspiracy Theories." Space Answers.
Imagine Publishing Ltd., 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Additional research
"2010: Odyssey Two." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 21 Sept.
2015.
"Did We Nuke Jupiter?" NASA's Unexplained Files. SCIENCE. 2015. Television.
"Nibiru Cataclysm." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 17 Sept.
2015.
Strickland, Jonathan. "Top 10 Space Conspiracy Theories." HowStuffWorks. InfoSpace
LLC, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.