The latest delays in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon, have reignited a wave of conspiracy theories online. From claims that the original Apollo landings were faked to speculation about hidden alien evidence, space agencies and private companies alike continue to face scrutiny from skeptics.
Some critics point to the Trump administration’s push for renewed lunar missions as a possible attempt to «reveal truths» about extraterrestrial life — a claim dismissed by scientists as unfounded. At the same time, billionaire-led ventures such as Jeff Bezos’s high-profile spaceflights are hailed as groundbreaking achievements by supporters, yet branded by online conspiracy groups as orchestrated spectacles.
Even SpaceX’s recent livestream of the first commercial spacewalk, widely praised for showcasing human ingenuity, has been seized upon by social media users promoting elaborate theories about staged events in orbit.
NASA, meanwhile, is betting on the Artemis III mission to restore public confidence. The agency hopes that a successful crewed moon landing will silence decades of speculation and reinforce trust in its long-term plans for lunar exploration.
Until then, the mix of scientific milestones and online misinformation ensures that space exploration remains as controversial as it is ambitious.
