Image of astronauts without helmets was taken during training exercise
Image of astronauts without helmets was taken during training exercise
(Reuters) – Social media users have shared an image falsely claiming that it is proof that the moon landing was staged.
The photograph shows three astronauts without helmets on what appears to be the moon’s surface.
The text under the image reads: “So these guys on the moon took a moment to take of their helmets for this pic.”
One user who shared the image via Twitter said: “On the "moon" without space helmets on. NASA is such a joke”.
The image is not proof that the moon landing was staged, however. The photograph was taken at Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a training exerciseon Feb 19, 1972.
The photograph is viewable on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website with a caption that reads: “The crew of Apollo 16 pose during a training exercise at the Kennedy Space Center. Shown left to right are Lunar Module Pilot Charles M Duke, Commander John W. Young, and Command Module Pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II (NASA Photo 72-H-249).”
The Apollo 16 mission launched on April 16, 1972, where Commander John Young and Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke collected 209 pounds of samples over three moonwalks (here).
VERDICT
False. An image of three astronauts without helmets is not proof that the moon landing was staged. The photograph was taken during a training exercise at Kennedy Space Center in February 1972.
