# How do people who believe the moon landings were hoaxed explain the reaction of the USSR? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 20, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550 "2012-05-20T21:41:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/1 "2012-05-20T21:41:52Z")
According to [this](http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-17/tech/moon.landing.hoax_1_moon-landing-apollo-astronauts-bill-kaysing?_s=PM:TECH) CNN article 6% of Americans think that the moon landings were a hoax, a proportion which fills the internet with videos and articles explaining how NASA faked the landings, their points ranging from a radiation level on the moon that would be lethal to the astronauts to the flag impossibly waving to lack of stars in the night sky. However, I’ve never seen a proponent of the hoax theory explain that the Soviet Union never even suggested to the world that it was all a nonsense. They weren’t stupid people when it came to space, they’d put the first satellite and man in space and had a vested interest in exposing a hoax. The space race was still ongoing, not to mention the overall backdrop of the Cold War. Why wouldn’t they expose the lies of their capitalist enemy? What a coup it would be for the communists. An [interview](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=apollo-moon-khrushchev&page=2) with Khrushchev’s son Sergei shows the reaction of the Soviets, from indifference to annoyance. > [@](#): > > **What was the mood in the Soviet space program when astronauts from Apollo 11 landed on the moon?** > It was very similar to feeling among Americans when Gagarin went into orbit. Some of them tried to ignore it, some of them were insulted. But I don’t think it had a strong popular effect. …the Soviet propaganda did not play it up or give too much information… It was not secret, but it was not shown to the public. The Russian people had many problems in day-to-day life, they were not too concerned about the first man on the moon. > > **What was your father’s perspective on Apollo 11? Did you discuss with him the American moon landing over the years?** > My father’s reaction was he couldn’t understand why Korolev failed in this race. … My father did not discuss [the moon landing] too much. The only thing I can think of is that the conspiracy somehow extended to the leadership of the Soviets, meaning the entire Cold War was a sham, meaning this hoax would need to have been planned since World War II with the cooperation of the USSR. Either that, or they just didn’t think about the political background at the time. How do they explain this rather large Red elephant in the room? If you yourself believe that the Apollo missions were a hoax, what’s your take on it? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/2 "2012-05-20T22:08:11Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > The only thing I can think of is that the conspiracy somehow extended to the leadership of the Soviets . . . Or else, the hoax fooled them too. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/3 "2012-05-20T22:29:01Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Or else, the hoax fooled them too. The guys behind Gagarin, Sputnik and Luna 2 were fooled by something jackholes on the internet figured out for sure? That’s as much of a hole in the idea as the notion that the Soviets wouldn’t have spilled the beans. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/4 "2012-05-20T22:30:58Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > The guys behind Gagarin, Sputnik and Luna 2 were fooled by something jackholes on the internet figured out for sure? That’s as much of a hole in the idea as the notion that the Soviets wouldn’t have spilled the beans. Well, they didn’t **have** the Internet, did they?! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/5 "2012-05-20T22:58:19Z")
Orbs. Too obscure? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/6 "2012-05-20T22:59:23Z")
> [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > Orbs. > > Too obscure? 'Fraid so. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/7 "2012-05-20T23:17:58Z")
My guess: The Moon landing hoax was made specifically TO fool the Soviets. So there’s no conspiracy there, just the intended effect. As you mention, there’s obvious flaws with this, but these are conspiracy theories. Obvious flaws are par for the course. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/8 "2012-05-20T23:25:59Z")
The confusion here arises because the Moon landing was real, but the **footage** was faked at a sound studio in Burbank. This was done to cover up the real purpose of the Apollo program – to sell Tang to the Selenites in exchange for velcro and digital-watch technology. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/9 "2012-05-20T23:54:02Z")
I know this doesn’t answer the OP, but the moon landings are as close to dead as any CT gets. Google it, and for every non-ironic CT site there are about a dozen debunking the alleged anomalies. 6% of people holding this view says it all. By comparison polls on the proportion of YECs generally return about 40-50%. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/10 "2012-05-21T00:07:54Z")
The political leaders of both the US and USSR are shape shifting reptiles and are in on it together. game, set, match. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/11 "2012-05-21T00:08:11Z")
I’ve seen moon hoax believers say that the US payed off the Russians with wheat to buy their silence. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/12 "2012-05-21T00:17:50Z")
There are a lot of dumb people. How do people who believe Obama is not a citizen explain the Bush Administration, with all its investigative resources and ruthlessness, not saying a word as he was nominated, elected, and sworn in? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/13 "2012-05-21T04:19:48Z")
Wanna fool everyone into believing you went to the Moon? Hire a great film maker. [http://news.discovery.com/space/faked-moon-landings-and-kubricks-the-shining.html](http://news.discovery.com/space/faked-moon-landings-and-kubricks-the-shining.html) ---
**Author:** ![Rampant\_Coypu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Rampant\_Coypu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rampant_Coypu)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/14 "2012-05-21T05:46:42Z")
The reaction of the USSR is one of the arguments that I have used against moon landing deniers the few times I have tried to debate them. I point out that the Soviets could have easily determined that no transmissions were coming from the moon. They could have easily passed this information along to other parties with a better reputation in the world media who could confirm their findings. This either yields an “Oh, yeah” from a beginning moon denier or even broader conspiracy theories that go so deep there is no point in continuing the discussion. Why are moon hoax and truther stuff so popular when there have been real conspiracies with real documentation and actual results? The Florida voter purge of 2000 and the various efforts described by Sharlet concerning The Fellowship and The Family are well documented, yet no one seems to care. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/15 "2012-05-21T06:04:19Z")
> [@Rampant\_Coypu](#): > > Why are moon hoax and truther stuff so popular when there have been real conspiracies with real documentation and actual results? The Florida voter purge of 2000 and the various efforts described by Sharlet concerning The Fellowship and The Family are well documented, yet no one seems to care. Because [Reality Is Unrealistic.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RealityIsUnrealistic) ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/16 "2012-05-22T01:57:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Because [Reality Is Unrealistic.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RealityIsUnrealistic) That was good enough to bookmark and go back to really explore The Soviets would have trounced us, we would have become the laughing stocks of the world. They had similar technical abilities and would have monitored the whole Apollo program, for very good Military and Diplomatic reasons, in great detail. Astronauts and Cosmonaut have spent time together, I am sure stories have been told, intricate questions would be asked, BS would have been called. A pilot of that grade would be very hard pull the wool over his or her eyes. Thanks for the OP I now have an excellent hammer with to remove batshitness:D ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/17 "2012-05-22T03:14:23Z")
> [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > That was good enough to bookmark and go back to really explore. Heh-heh-heh. 😃 A trap should never **look** like a trap. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/18 "2012-05-22T04:05:21Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I know this doesn’t answer the OP, but the moon landings are as close to dead as any CT gets. Google it, and for every non-ironic CT site there are about a dozen debunking the alleged anomalies. > > 6% of people holding this view says it all. By comparison polls on the proportion of YECs generally return about 40-50%. God dammit. What is it with people not explaining initialisms/acronyms? What is YEC? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/19 "2012-05-22T04:11:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > God dammit. What is it with people not explaining initialisms/acronyms? What is YEC? Young Earth Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550/20 "2012-05-22T04:21:39Z")
Young Earth Creationist, not Young Earth Christian. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-people-who-believe-the-moon-landings-were-hoaxed-explain-the-reaction-of-the-ussr/622550.md?page=2)