The former director general of Roscosmos, Russia’s main space corporation, Dmitry Rogozin, has once again called into question whether the United States actually landed astronauts on the Moon.
Rogozin had previously queried his leadership team during his tenure at Roscosmos about the authenticity of the Apollo Program’s lunar landings but only recently made his views public. Nevertheless, Rogozin’s doubts about the lunar landings are an example of the growing trend of Moon-landing denialism, which should be recognized and shamed.
Rogozin’s belief in the conspiracy that the United States did not land on the Moon but instead infiltrated the Russian space program’s “establishment” is not supported by facts. During the time of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, the Soviets had launched a lunar sample return mission called Luna 15, which was in orbit around the Moon. The Soviets observed the American Moon landing closely and knew fully what NASA had accomplished. The Luna 15 spacecraft crashed into the Moon a few hours before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took off from the Moon to return to Earth, marking the end of the space race.
During his time at Roscosmos, Rogozin’s leadership style was problematic, and NASA and other international partners were relieved to see him go. Rogozin had mocked US astronauts, threatened to pull Russia out of the International Space Station partnership, and attempted to use the facility for propaganda purposes.
While his doubts about the Apollo Program did not surface publicly during his tenure, his anti-American sentiment and Moon-landing denialism are increasingly in vogue.
All in all, the evidence is clear that the United States did land on the Moon, and facts do not support Rogozin’s claims. The growing trend of Moon-landing denialism should not be encouraged, and those who propagate it should be called out.
It is important to recognize the achievements of the Apollo Program and the significance of the first human landing on the Moon. The space race was a defining moment in human history, and it is crucial to continue advancing space exploration and discovery.