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Music

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Music

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On this episode of Mythbusters, was the moon landing a hoax?

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Yep, the team are tackling the tallest tale of all.

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Did NASA fake the Apollo moon mission?

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That's 100% wacky right there.

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Adam and Jamie first focus on the photos.

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Behold our moon landing set.

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Do these stills prove Neil Armstrong took his small step in a studio taking the shot?

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Then they investigate the myth that to fabricate the classic look of lunar landings,

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NASA simply slowed down the film.

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And finally, Carrie Grant and Tori...

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Oh my god, these are all vacuum chambers?

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...take on claims that in a vacuum, flags don't flap and foot don't print.

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Your face!

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You're as serious as I am.

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Music

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Who are the Mythbusters?

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Did you know what was lurking in your basement?

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Adam Savage.

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This is the best cooking show ever!

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And Jamie Heinemann.

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Is that beautiful or what?

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Between them more than 30 years of special effects experience.

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Wow!

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Joining them, Grant Imahara.

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That was crazy.

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Carrie Byron.

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Let's go!

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And Tori Bellachy.

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Is this as disturbing as I think it is?

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They don't just tell the Myths, they put them to the test.

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Music

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So do you like buying a new costume for every myth we do?

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Sometimes, but in this case, I had my own space suit in my personal collection

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and just brought it out because it was appropriate.

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Of course you did.

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Well, let me guess, we're doing what?

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Moon landing myths?

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We are!

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Perhaps one of the biggest myths of all is that NASA faked the moon landing

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and perpetrated a hoax on the American people.

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So pervasive is this myth that 20% of Americans today still believe it.

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And we're taking a nod.

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Well, how are we going to do that?

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The number of claims are massive.

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I mean, they range from photographs to heat signatures to footprints.

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I know, there's a lot of them.

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I think what we should do is cherry pick the most common ones

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and piece the truth together as best we can.

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Like a jigsaw puzzle.

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Exactly.

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This is launch control.

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We passed the six-minute mark in our countdown for Apollo 11.

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The flight to land at the first men on the moon.

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Good luck and Godspeed.

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Ten, nine, ignition sequence starts.

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On July the 16th, 1969, the world watched,

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wondered and worried as three brave astronauts headed for the moon.

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The Houston thrusts go, all engines are looking good.

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Then five days later came that extraordinary moment in time

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when Neil Armstrong took those first tentative extraterrestrial steps.

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That's one small step for man.

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One giant leap for mankind.

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Eleven men followed in Armstrong's footsteps,

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each stride filling the earthbound audience with pride

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and confidence in scientific endeavor.

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What are you, isn't it John?

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It's absolutely unreal.

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But did we really leap into the future?

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Or were we pushed into believing a giant PR stunt?

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Did NASA pull off the greatest cover-up in human history?

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Oh, yeah, perfect.

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Crile like a tiger.

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Mule like a kitten.

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Guess what our first myth is?

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Still photography?

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Yes.

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Most of the alleged evidence that NASA faked the moon-lendings

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comes from NASA's own photography,

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which theorists claim shows clear evidence

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the moon-lending was faked in the studio

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and could not have been filmed on the moon.

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Say hoax.

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Hoax!

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So these are the photos the guys will focus on.

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According to Apollo Hoax advocates,

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this shot was taken in a studio

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because the shadows are not parallel.

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Supposedly, that's something that could only happen

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with multiple light sources.

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Then there's this image of an artfully lit astronaut.

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Conspiracy cheerleaders claim

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if he really was standing in the shadow of the moon module,

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you wouldn't be able to see him so clearly.

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You know what, let's do parallel shadows first.

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How do you want to test it?

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I think we should do a large miniature

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because we can test the placement of all the various elements.

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It's kind of a complex thing.

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We need a lot of control over those elements.

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Exactly.

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Alright, let's do it.

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So first up, the guys need a single,

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super-sized light source to stand in for the sun.

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Amy!

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I'd like to introduce you to your son.

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And BrightSparkAdam has found a monster studio light

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that's pretty bright to illuminate the experiment.

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Here I look like one of the aliens in Close Encounters.

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That's the solar now for the lunar.

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Cue the build montage because Jamie's making a moon.

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I've got a good first start on my lunar set.

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It's just spandex and let's see,

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Portland cement with a little bone black,

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which is basically black powder.

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As luck would have it,

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we just happen to have one of these sitting around the shop

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and it's perfect for a miniature set.

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It's 176th scale.

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That could not be better.

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What do you say we turn on the lights

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and see what our shadows look like?

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Yeah, let's see the light. Let's turn it around.

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I'm spinning around. Let's your eyes.

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What do you think?

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Works for me.

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We've had the lights and there's been plenty of action.

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So where's the...

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This is the camera that we're going to use.

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It's a Hasselblad that's very similar to the one

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that was used on the moon,

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except that we put a digital feed out the back

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so that we can look at the images in real time

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on a monitor and make comparisons to the original shots.

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All right, with our sun in place, man,

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in addition to looking totally freaking awesome,

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it's pretty clear here,

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but the ship and the rocks,

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both on a flat surface,

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that their shadows are totally parallel.

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And that is what the myth proponents say

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the NASA photo should look like.

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Instead, you can see the rock and landing module shadows

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are in different planes.

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Now we need to figure out what it would take

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to make them not parallel.

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Yeah, let's play with the topography underneath it

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and see what we can get.

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Conspiracy theorists say there's only one explanation for this.

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Two light sources.

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And since there's only one light source on the moon,

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and that's the sun...

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That's really kicking it forward.

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This has to be shot in a studio.

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We're positing that it's the topography of the moon

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causing these shadows of the rocks

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to look like they're not parallel,

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when in fact they are,

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and that's what we're trying to imitate here.

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It's all just about adjusting this directly to the light.

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What Adam and Jamie have done

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is simply give the miniature lunar landscape

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some realistic contours and imperfections.

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That's perfect.

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Is it?

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Yeah.

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Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

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And the shadows appear to move out of their parallel path.

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And Adam, happy?

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Ha ha ha.

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Dude, you said it looks perfect.

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Takes a snap.

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Taking the shot.

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So I can hear what you're saying.

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You're saying,

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but you guys replicated the moon shot on a set

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and your special effects artisans.

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In fact, you're exactly the guys that would have hired

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to do this kind of thing in the first place.

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That's not the point.

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The point is we're addressing the specific claim

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by conspiracy theorists

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that this photo has only one explanation

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and that's two light sources.

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We've demonstrated here two shadows which are parallel

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from a single light source,

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which we've made look far off parallel

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using only the topography that they're sitting on.

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And I guess that means it's busted.

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Totally busted.

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You can achieve shadows that do not look parallel,

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but with a single light source.

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In a vacuum, stay puffed spacemen don't stay puffed for long.

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That's what happens to you in space if you don't have a space to.

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Oh, it's like a raisin.

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Well, as much as I love busting out the vacuum chamber,

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what does the marshmallow astronaut have to do with the moon?

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Okay, well, as we know, the surface of the moon is a vacuum

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and some of the conspiracy theories contend

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that the moon landing footage is fake

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because some of the things that they did

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are impossible to do in a vacuum.

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That's right. There's the one theory about the flag.

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A lot of people think it looks like it's flapping in the wind.

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Now, that would be impossible in a vacuum

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because no air, no wind.

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Someone actually told me a good one about the footprints.

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The idea is that the astronauts

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couldn't leave such distinct footprints on the moon

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because there's no moisture in a vacuum

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and the moisture is what holds the footprint together.

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So how are we going to test this one?

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I think we're going to need a bigger vacuum.

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And like way more marshmallows.

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These vacuum theories are some of the more convincing

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in the conspiracy canon.

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After all, it appears logical

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that the breeze that fluttered the flag

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just couldn't be there on the moon.

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And anyone who's taken a walk on a beach

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knows only wet sand leaves a definite footprint.

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So with no moisture on the moon,

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then these images must be faking.

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Okay, so we're going to have to replicate the conditions

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of the moon as close as possible here on Earth.

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Well, I think the closest we're going to get

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are the vacuum chambers in Alabama at NASA.

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Yeah, but we're not allowed to go into the vacuum chambers.

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So the experiments that we make,

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they're all going to have to be operated remotely.

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Okay, well, I'd like to do the flag test

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and build it to the original NASA specifications

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and then figure out some way to turn it like the astronauts did.

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All right, well, I'm going to take care of the footprint myth.

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I was wondering if you could help me with an experiment

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to demonstrate the whole theory behind the Smith.

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Voice boys, don't fight.

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Play me to go around.

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Outside M7,

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Tori sets up the demo with the closest thing he can find

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to lunar dust.

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I decided to borrow my grandfather for this experiment.

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And, uh...

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I don't think my grandma will mind,

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because, well, there's my grandma.

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Actually, it's plain old sand,

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one half of which Tori moistened.

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Now, conspiracy theorists say that this clean of an imprint

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is impossible because you need moisture,

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and since there's no moisture on the moon,

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this could not happen.

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Now, I'm going to demonstrate what they're talking about

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with the sand here.

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I have dry sand and I have wet sand.

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We're going to have Kerry put on a moon boot.

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You know how to moonwalk?

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Okay, so the answer is no.

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She's going to step in both,

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and we're going to see what kind of impression is left behind.

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Okay, ready?

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Yep.

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All right, do the wet.

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The wet sand is definitely cleaner than the dry sand.

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Yeah, you've got some really good hard lines in the wet sand.

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Yep, the moisture makes the difference.

267
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,000
Without it, the imprint is indistinct,

268
00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,000
and nothing like Buzz Aldrin's famous boot print.

269
00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,000
Now, all we need to do is go to the moon,

270
00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000
try this for real.

271
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000
I'm just kidding. We don't have the budget.

272
00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,000
To the moon, Tori! To the moon!

273
00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,000
Across the web, there's a host of hoax theories

274
00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,000
claiming NASA faked this footage.

275
00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,000
Look at the size of that rock!

276
00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,000
And a ton of TV covering the conspiracy claims.

277
00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000
But no one has actually taken the time to test them.

278
00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,000
Until now.

279
00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,000
We'd like to dedicate the first step of Apollo 17

280
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,000
to all those who made it possible.

281
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:57,000
The next task in our moon myth-busting is this photo here.

282
00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,000
What conspiracy theorists say is that he's too well lit.

283
00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:06,000
You can see him clearly, yet he's in this black, black shadow of the limb.

284
00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,000
There's only one light source on the moon.

285
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:09,000
That's the sun.

286
00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,000
Conspiracy theorists claim there must be a second one making him visible,

287
00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,000
and we're going to find out.

288
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,000
And to do just that, the guys are going to shine a substitute sun

289
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,000
on the very model of a modern miniature landing module.

290
00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,000
Oh, and a surprisingly talkative toy astronaut.

291
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,000
This is my one-sixth scale model of Neil Armstrong.

292
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,000
I can tell it's Neil because he's got the red commander of the mission

293
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:32,000
stripes on his suit.

294
00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,000
What's that, Neil?

295
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,000
We really went to the moon!

296
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,000
I know.

297
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000
But the thing is, is that in order to prove that we've got to take some photographs

298
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,000
and to take some accurate photographs, I've got to make a ship for you,

299
00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,000
a home for you.

300
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,000
Okay.

301
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000
So these rolls of paper behind me are actually a lunar landing module

302
00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,000
in Potentia, which I'm about to slap together.

303
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:57,000
And courtesy of what's known in the editing biz as a few jump cuts, here it is.

304
00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:02,000
Conspiracy theorists are saying that the shot had to have been fake using a filled light.

305
00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,000
Personally, I think it's because the moon's surface is reflective.

306
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,000
And when you think about it, you look at the moon on a clear night,

307
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,000
it's obviously reflecting light back at you.

308
00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,000
That's why you see it.

309
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,000
The question here is, is it enough to create this shot?

310
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:24,000
To test Jamie's hypothesis that the mythical fill-in light is simply sunlight bouncing back off the moon's surface,

311
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,000
the guys black out the set.

312
00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,000
Behold our moon landing set.

313
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,000
Because it's all about reflectivity, we put blacks all around the shop,

314
00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,000
covered the whole set to eliminate any spill, any reflected light

315
00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,000
that's not coming directly from our moon's surface.

316
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:43,000
That's the landing module, astronaut, lights, and camera sorted.

317
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,000
Dude, this looks so cool.

318
00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:51,000
The only missing component is a moon dust analog that accurately reflects the reflective quality of the real stuff.

319
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,000
The dust that covers the moon is called regolith.

320
00:13:54,000 --> 00:14:02,000
When the sunlight shines upon the moon, regolith reflects a certain amount of sunlight back towards Earth.

321
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,000
That reflective quality is called its albedo.

322
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:10,000
Now the albedo of moon dust is between 7 and 10 percent,

323
00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,000
according to our sources at NASA.

324
00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,000
To make our version of regolith, we used Portland cement and charcoal powder.

325
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:23,000
Now, to measure the albedo or reflected light coming off of it, we used a light meter and our fake sun.

326
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,000
8 percent, dude, that is perfect.

327
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:32,000
What we just showed with this test is that our sample regolith has a reflective index of about 8 percent,

328
00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,000
which makes it ideal for us to test with.

329
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:39,000
The best part about working with Jamie is that he doesn't need to use a lot of the light.

330
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,000
He doesn't need a dust mask.

331
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:45,000
The reason he's not wearing one is because this mustache provides all the particle filtering he needs.

332
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:50,000
The mock-up moon is ready for its close-up, so it's probably time to up the jeopardy.

333
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,000
Q.R. Resonant Drama King.

334
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,000
This is the moment of truth.

335
00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,000
We've got an accurately shaped and textured moon lander,

336
00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:04,000
and we've concocted an accurate moon surface that has the same reflectivity index as the actual moon.

337
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,000
The myth is to be believed.

338
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:14,000
Our astronaut on the dark side in the shadow of the lander is going to just fade to total black when we try and take a picture of him.

339
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:15,000
All right, you ready?

340
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:16,000
I'm set.

341
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,000
All right, here we go.

342
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,000
Taking the photo.

343
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,000
Let's see.

344
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,000
There it is.

345
00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:23,000
Well, there you go.

346
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000
He's standing full on in the shadow, and you'd think he wouldn't be able to see him.

347
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,000
He'd be dark, but he's not.

348
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:29,000
He's in brightest day.

349
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:38,000
The myth here is that you would not be able to see this astronaut this clearly unless there was a secondary fill light illuminating him.

350
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,000
Because he's in the shadow and there's only one light source on the moon, he would by definition be black.

351
00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:49,000
Our photo here proves just the opposite, that with a single light source, with the surface of the same reflectivity as the moon,

352
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000
our astronaut is clearly visible, busting that myth.

353
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,000
Well, I think we have enough evidence to wrap up the photography portion of our moon myth testing.

354
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,000
I agree.

355
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:08,000
I mean, the conspiracy theorists had a lot of interesting ideas, but by the time you boil away all the hocus pocus, the explanation is really simple.

356
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,000
And in our experience, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

357
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:14,000
Exactly. Busted.

358
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:15,000
Busted.

359
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:21,000
Music

360
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,000
Carrie Grant and Tori are taking on tales from Moonhook's HQ.

361
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:34,000
Conspiracy theorists believe the vacuum in space means these footprints are fake, and that flag shouldn't be flapping.

362
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:42,000
This whole idea that the conspiracy theorists have is based on the fact that there is no wind or atmosphere in a vacuum.

363
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000
Nothing to blow the flag around.

364
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,000
And they would be right about that fact.

365
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,000
Sorry.

366
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,000
The shaft is a little tight in the hole.

367
00:16:51,000 --> 00:17:02,000
My belief is that the astronauts moved the flag around as they were planting it in the surface of the moon, and that momentum is actually what they saw as a breeze.

368
00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:06,000
So to test this, I'll be building a replica of the lunar flag assembly.

369
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:12,000
And then we'll put that in a vacuum, and I'll build a mechanism to rotate it the same way the astronauts did.

370
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,000
Then we'll see if we get the same flapping motion.

371
00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:27,000
With the remote-controlled flag waiver and footprint maker almost complete, Carrie, inspired by footage from the Apollo 15 mission, adds one more test to the agenda.

372
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:35,000
The really cool thing about a vacuum is that since there's no air resistance, something as light as a feather is going to drop the same rate as something as heavy as a hammer.

373
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:44,000
So I should be able to put these in the vacuum and see them both hit the ground at the same time if it is a true vacuum.

374
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:50,000
When we left hand, I have a feather. In my right hand, a hammer.

375
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:59,000
Commander David Scott carried out his famous test to prove Galileo's hypothesis that all objects are affected equally by gravity.

376
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,000
With no air resistance, they should fall at the same speed.

377
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,000
How about that? Was it Mr. Galileo was correct?

378
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:14,000
So as a control to confirm visually they're working with a vacuum, Carrie rigs a clamp to drop them at the same time.

379
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:22,000
And with both remote-controlled devices ready to go, the team heads for the George Marshall Space Center in Alabama.

380
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:27,000
Oh my God! These are all vacuum chambers? How great is that?

381
00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:34,000
It's always that NASA is opening their doors to let us come in and test this myth. That's how confident they are that this is a myth.

382
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,000
Alright, close the door. Let's see if we can pull our feelings out.

383
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:44,000
You know, I heard this was actually a fuel tank from a 7.5 rocket that they converted into a vacuum chamber.

384
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,000
They're just like us. They recycle their old stuff.

385
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:53,000
And to show us their recycled stuff is NASA vacuum technician Michael Terry.

386
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:54,000
So you know how to use this thing?

387
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,000
Oh yeah.

388
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,000
And you're actually going to let us use it?

389
00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,000
Yeah. I think I will. Let's just be careful.

390
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,000
He's obviously never seen the show before.

391
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,000
Look at it. It's like they cut the arms off of a space suit.

392
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,000
Wait, did your head go here?

393
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,000
Yeah, that's where it goes.

394
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,000
That's awesome.

395
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:25,000
Yep, reaching inside a vacuum doesn't come cheap. These are essentially genuine space suit parts.

396
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,000
How much are these gloves worth?

397
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,000
Approximately they're worth almost a half a million dollars.

398
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,000
Michael really hasn't seen the show before.

399
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000
Cap out! Cap out!

400
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,000
It's a portable hug.

401
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000
So you're going to show us how to use these?

402
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,000
Sure. I'll try to do my best. Get you guys to do your hand check.

403
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,000
Fingernails need to be shortened up and clipped.

404
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:53,000
The arms are everything I expected. They're all 1950s pop space movie looking kind of robot arms.

405
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,000
The only downside is, I've got to cut my fingernails.

406
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:03,000
After the mandatory hand check and fitting, the testing can begin for real.

407
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,000
And first up, Carrie's hammer and feather rig.

408
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,000
It's good enough. It's not like it's rocket science.

409
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000
I don't think you can say that around here.

410
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,000
I guess you're right.

411
00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:17,000
The teams seal the chamber, but for this control, they don't create a vacuum.

412
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,000
Atmospheric pressure in three, two, one.

413
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,000
Cool. The hammer hit first. Perfect.

414
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,000
So the laws of physics still apply.

415
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,000
I dropped the hammer and the feather at atmospheric pressure exactly at the same time.

416
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,000
Hammer hit first, feather glided down and hit last.

417
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:39,000
So after the air is removed from the chamber, Carrie is ready to repeat the drop.

418
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,000
In three, two, one.

419
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,000
That is so cool.

420
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:55,000
Yep. When there's no air resistance or drag, all objects are equally affected by gravity and fall at the same rate.

421
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,000
So we do indeed have a vacuum.

422
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,000
All right. Well, let's move on to our first moon test.

423
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,000
All right. You got your boot? Yeah, I got my boot.

424
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:03,000
All right.

425
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:18,000
You know, one of the other ways that conspiracy theorists claim NASA botched up their faking of the moon landing

426
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:23,000
is evident, they say, in the movie footage of the astronauts jumping around in the moon's gravitational force.

427
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,000
They say it was all done with camera trickery.

428
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,000
Like messing around with the frame rates and stuff.

429
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:32,000
Yeah. Which falls into the category of special effects, which should be a cinch for us to test.

430
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:33,000
I agree.

431
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,000
Let's do it.

432
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:40,000
The myth states that this famous footage was faked by slowing it down.

433
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:45,000
The astronauts are simply skipping around on a film set in slow motion.

434
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:51,000
So are these iconic images full speed fact or slow motion fake?

435
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,000
Specifically, what are the conspiracy guys saying?

436
00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:02,000
Well, they're claiming that when you look at the footage of the astronauts hopping around slowly in the moon's gravitational field,

437
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:08,000
which is one sixth that of Earth, that that movement was achieved not by going to the moon,

438
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,000
but by using a special camera which filmed the astronauts at a higher speed than normal

439
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:18,000
so that when it was projected back at a normal frame rate, the astronauts' movements were slowed down,

440
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,000
imitating the way it would look on the moon.

441
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,000
Well, we should do exactly that and see what it looks like.

442
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,000
That's exactly what I was thinking. Let's do it.

443
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:33,000
And to recreate their very own moonwalk, they're back at the Alameda Naval Base and building 24.

444
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:34,000
You ready?

445
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,000
Ready isn't gonna be.

446
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,000
Here they've been wet and wild while running in the rain.

447
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,000
Oh, I gotta tell you, I'm pretty happy about this thing right now.

448
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,000
They've gone up like a lead balloon.

449
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,000
It's time to burn for science.

450
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:51,000
And blazed up burning trail, but this time they're shooting for the moon.

451
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,000
So, welcome to Myths and Control.

452
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,000
Here at Command Central, we're gonna take us our jumping off point.

453
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:03,000
In testing this, Myth, NASA's actual footage of the moon landing.

454
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:09,000
We're gonna try and replicate several of the gestures we see the astronauts doing on the moon,

455
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,000
and the three we've narrowed it down to are jumping straight up into the air.

456
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,000
Come on out here and give me a salute.

457
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000
Big Davies salute.

458
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000
Off the ground, on the floor.

459
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,000
Skipping, which is kind of a two leg hop.

460
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,000
Notice he puts both feet on the ground at the same time with each jump,

461
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,000
and it looks like it's a really efficient way to move around.

462
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,000
The third is just a straight leg over leg run.

463
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:36,000
We're gonna match the camera angle and match the techniques supposedly used to fake it and see what we get.

464
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:41,000
With those three actions and camera angles in mind, we can begin phase one of the test.

465
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,000
As point of comparison, Adam will simply recreate the myth.

466
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:50,000
In full costume, he'll run, jump, and skip as if he's bounding around on the moon,

467
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,000
and then we'll slow down the tape and take a look.

468
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000
This is called the Snoopy Cat.

469
00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,000
It's the Mythbuster model.

470
00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,000
If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.

471
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,000
Let me take you on a little tour of what I'm wearing.

472
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,000
This is in fact a wedding present from my crew a few years ago,

473
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,000
but when I got it, it was lovely but not quite accurate enough.

474
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:24,000
So I redid the gloves, I added my label, I did a wrist checklist, I did the correct watch,

475
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:29,000
I added all the hardware attachments, all the labeling on the front pack and the back pack.

476
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,000
I decided to make myself the mission captain with the red stripes,

477
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,000
and this is the first time I've ever gotten to wear it all at once.

478
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,000
I've got a lot of tools and gadgets and stuff.

479
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,000
Adam has space suits.

480
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,000
By the way, I should point out this is not a real space suit.

481
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,000
It's just my wear-around town space suit.

482
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,000
Come on out here and give me a salute.

483
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:59,000
Carrie Grant and Tori are tackling the moon landing hoax theories that involve a vacuum.

484
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:07,000
Some of the first words spoken from the moon's surface answered the simple but powerful question.

485
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,000
It's almost like a powder.

486
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,000
What did it feel like?

487
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:19,000
I had the same footprints of my boots and they find them in the particles.

488
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:23,000
But did Buzz Aldrin really make such an impression on the moon?

489
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,000
To find out if moon boots make boot prints, Tori's borrowed the real deal.

490
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:29,000
Look what I got.

491
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:30,000
A real moon boot.

492
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,000
Wow.

493
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,000
Isn't that cool?

494
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:33,000
That looks just like Adams.

495
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,000
Yeah.

496
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:35,000
So this is the actual article.

497
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,000
Yep.

498
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:40,000
Now all we have to do is put it on the moon stopper, smash it in some dust and see if it leaves a footprint.

499
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,000
This conspiracy theory is pretty interesting.

500
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,000
They say that because there's a vacuum on the moon and there's no water vapor.

501
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:47,000
Does that fit?

502
00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:48,000
You feel your toe there?

503
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:54,000
You can't leave a clear imprint from your boots the way they did in the photos from the lunar landing.

504
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,000
I'm not so sure about that.

505
00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:05,000
With just 840 pounds of lunar material returned to Earth from all of the Apollo missions, there's not much of it to go around.

506
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:10,000
So for this test, NASA has given us a lunar regolith simulant.

507
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,000
It's a manufacturer to test equipment that is going to the moon.

508
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:18,000
It's very similar to lunar dust and the fact that each particle is very sharp.

509
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,000
Dirt on Earth has been weathered so it's very smooth.

510
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,000
So this is as close to lunar dust as we can get.

511
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,000
That's likely to be the key to this myth.

512
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:32,000
A comparison of the physical properties of sand and lunar regolith.

513
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:39,000
Down here, a footprint in dry sand collapses because the weathered particles can't bind together without water.

514
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:51,000
But up on the moon, other bonding agents are at work, one of which the irregular and jagged shapes of lunar dust could cause it to stick together in those famous boot prints.

515
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:59,000
Will the irregular shape of lunar regolith in conjunction with the vacuum result in a clean boot print and bust the myth?

516
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,000
Alright, so this is the myth buster's first step on the moon.

517
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,000
So it's one giant leap for myth time.

518
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,000
Oh, I think we just went like 20 steps backwards.

519
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,000
Give it a shot.

520
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:15,000
The rig is ready to take its one-legged step and the vacuum chamber has been vacuumed.

521
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,000
Boot stop vacuum. Here we go.

522
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,000
In three, two, one.

523
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,000
Yeah! Take that!

524
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,000
Yeah!

525
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,000
It works! In your face, conspiracy theorist!

526
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,000
Yep, it really does work.

527
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,000
Moon landing one, conspiracy theorist zero.

528
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:42,000
That's one small step for man, one giant leap for myth time.

529
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:47,000
So it seems you can make a clean, stable footprint in a vacuum.

530
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,000
Look at that. We made a footprint inside of a vacuum.

531
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,000
And there was no water vapor, which is what this conspiracy theory is all about.

532
00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,000
Gravity is six times stronger on Earth than it is on the moon, so if we made a footprint here,

533
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000
we're definitely making one on the moon.

534
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,000
So I guess this conspiracy theory is busting.

535
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,000
Busted.

536
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,000
Busted.

537
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,000
Now NASA will let us out of here.

538
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:18,000
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things.

539
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,000
Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

540
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,000
John F. Kennedy started the race to the moon in a speech he gave in 1961,

541
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:31,000
famously challenging the nation's finest minds to shoot for another world.

542
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:38,000
Less than a decade later, they succeeded and eventually 12 astronauts left their mark on the moon's surface.

543
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,000
Or did they?

544
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:49,000
To find out, Adam and Jamie are testing the myth that to fake the footage, NASA filmed it in a studio and then slowed it down.

545
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:54,000
And to test that claim, Adam and Jamie will do exactly the same.

546
00:28:54,000 --> 00:29:05,000
By recording at 48 frames per second and playing back the tape at the regular 24, you get beautifully smooth slow motion.

547
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,000
Alright, do the run.

548
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,000
With this effect, Adam's movements do have a certain weightless quality.

549
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:17,000
But to be sure if it's the technique NASA used, we have to simulate one-sixth gravity, repeat the three actions,

550
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,000
and then compare the footage.

551
00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:22,000
Now it's time to break out the gravity rig.

552
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,000
And this was put together for us purpose-built by Trapeze World.

553
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:33,000
With years of experience in designing gravity-defined circus rigs, Trapeze World are the perfect guys for this job.

554
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,000
So Graham, you got the rig all set up. How's it work?

555
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:44,000
Well, we'll have Adam in a harness, which is attached to a set of bungees, which is then attached to a tracking system that allows us to move him forward and back.

556
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:53,000
Okay, well, I can see it worse. Let's get Adam in it.

557
00:29:53,000 --> 00:30:00,000
The gravity rig is designed to give me total freedom of motion while making me weigh exactly what an astronaut on the moon would weigh.

558
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:05,000
That is one-sixth of what that fully loaded astronaut would have weighed on Earth.

559
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,000
Well, the other thing they'll have to put on the suit and really try this.

560
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:15,000
Now, I know before you write to complain that this suits a replica, that it's not pressurized, that I'm not doing this in a vacuum or with real moon dust around.

561
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:21,000
I know. What we were trying to look at here is purely about the movement and gesture of the astronauts.

562
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:35,000
We know that Neil Armstrong and all of his gear weighed about 350-360 pounds, which means if I'm going to be correctly weighted for our moon, I'm going to need to weigh just about 60 pounds.

563
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:41,000
Ah, 62. That's close enough for me, man. Let's do it.

564
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:47,000
So, under lunar-like gravitational conditions, Adam gets to repeat his moonwalk exercises.

565
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:52,000
But the difference between Adam and Armstrong is NASA's rigorous training regime.

566
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:59,000
It's a thing to wear a rig like this. It takes a lot of stamina. It's also making me quite sore in some very private places.

567
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:06,000
Adam is discovering being in one-sixth gravity makes it simpler to moonwalk.

568
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:13,000
It's a lot easier in this rig to match the kind of movements we see the astronauts make in the NASA footage.

569
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:21,000
I mean, it really kind of lends itself to the weird center of gravity that happens when you weigh less, how much little movements make a big difference in how you go.

570
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,000
I feel like this is looking really close to what NASA shows on the moon.

571
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:34,000
Adam's right. On first viewing, it does appear to be a closer match. But at mythian control, the evidence is far from clear cut.

572
00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:44,000
If you take a close look at the slow-motion skip, Adam's efforts to get the correct height and distance means his helmet is jerking around in a distinctly Earth-like fashion.

573
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:54,000
But it's equally clear the gravity rig doesn't quite work either. Adam's weight might be technically correct, but he lacks that smooth, low-gravity look.

574
00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:57,000
Check it out.

575
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:02,000
Oh, actually, you know what? Can we review this in a blooper room? I gotta get out of this rig. I'm exhausted.

576
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,000
Okay.

577
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,000
Big baby.

578
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:12,000
Back at HQ, the guys settled in to review the footage in detail.

579
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:16,000
The lower right is much better, but it's not even close.

580
00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:20,000
But just like Sir Mick, they still can't get no satisfaction.

581
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,000
Well, the slow-down frame rate doesn't match the NASA footage.

582
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:24,000
No.

583
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:30,000
The gravity rig, it's better, but I'd still have to say it doesn't nail it.

584
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:36,000
Yeah, neither of them are there. I wish that we could somehow get ourselves into a moon's gravity environment.

585
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,000
Then I'd feel comfortable calling this one.

586
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:39,000
That can be arranged.

587
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,000
Really?

588
00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:50,000
Yeah, there's a company called Zero G, which offers the only FAA-approved weightless experience, and they do moon gravity as well.

589
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,000
That is fantastic. Let's suit up and get out there.

590
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,000
Okay.

591
00:32:54,000 --> 00:33:03,000
It's iconic footage, replayed countless times across the globe.

592
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:09,000
American astronauts planting the stars and stripes on man's newly conquered neighbor.

593
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,000
It's gotta be one of the most proud moments of my life, I guarantee ya.

594
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:20,000
To find out if it really was a PR stunt, Carrie Grantontori have breached NASA's inner sanctum.

595
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:29,000
Now, the conspiracy theorists think that they see some sort of breeze blowing around the flag, which you wouldn't have on the moon since there's no atmosphere.

596
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:33,000
So, I've built a replica of the lunar flag assembly.

597
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:40,000
We're gonna put it in a vacuum chamber, pump out all the air, and see if we can move it around just like the astronauts would have done placing it on the moon.

598
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,000
See if we see that back and forth motion.

599
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:49,000
And to help us get a notion of the motion in a vacuum is NASA's very own Donna Severance.

600
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,000
The oxygen deficiency alarm?

601
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:52,000
Yeah.

602
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,000
Is that something we should be concerned about?

603
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:55,000
Only if it goes off.

604
00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:00,000
So, this is not your ordinary type of vacuum chamber. This is a clean chamber.

605
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,000
We're ready for the shower.

606
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:12,000
Which means there's no dust, no dander, nothing that will contaminate the chamber because it is designed to test things that are going into space.

607
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,000
Alright, time for the flag.

608
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:19,000
The flag assembly is an exact replica of the one used on the Apollo missions.

609
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:25,000
The horizontal rod specifically prevents the flag collapsing in a windless environment.

610
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:33,000
Hey Grant, this is your first rig in space.

611
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000
I gotta go.

612
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:44,000
First off, to confirm the rig in space, is working, is the all-important control.

613
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:45,000
You guys ready?

614
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,000
Yeah.

615
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,000
Alright, this is the control at regular atmospheric pressure.

616
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:56,000
And I'm just gonna shake the flag as if I were an astronaut planting it in the surface of the moon.

617
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:57,000
Alright, ready?

618
00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:58,000
BD Aster.

619
00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,000
Here we go.

620
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,000
Three, two, one.

621
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:07,000
Alright, it's moving.

622
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,000
And ready.

623
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:19,000
As expected, the momentum of the twisting and turning quickly dissipates and the flag is stationary in no time at all.

624
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000
Okay, I guess we put a vacuum on it and see what happens.

625
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,000
Alright, let's start sucking the air out.

626
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:31,000
So, vacuum tectonics turns on the pumps and with the air removed, the guys get ready to plant the stars and stripes.

627
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,000
Here we go.

628
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:37,000
This is flag waving test in a vacuum.

629
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:41,000
Okay, planting it on the surface of the moon and stop.

630
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,000
Oh, it's moving.

631
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:43,000
It's moving a lot.

632
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:44,000
It's moving a lot.

633
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,000
It's moving a lot.

634
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,000
It's moving a lot.

635
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:47,000
It's still moving.

636
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,000
That's awesome.

637
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,000
There you go.

638
00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:57,000
Without drag or friction from the air, the momentum of Grant's planting action lasts for a surprising amount of time.

639
00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:02,000
It could be mistaken for a breeze, but it's lower air resistance.

640
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:08,000
Comparing it to the control in regular atmospheric pressure illustrates that theory beautifully.

641
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:13,000
And if there was still any doubt, it looks almost identical to the NASA footage.

642
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,000
So in the vacuum, the flag moved, you know, not just a little bit.

643
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,000
It actually moved quite a bit.

644
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:23,000
So that proves you don't need wind in order to move the flag in a vacuum.

645
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:31,000
So unless someone finds a shot of the flag flapping without an astronaut manipulating the flagpole, it's myth busted.

646
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:37,000
We've come all the way to Alabama and the NASA to find out once and for all if the conspiracy theorists were correct.

647
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:38,000
Where are we at?

648
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:43,000
Well, we showed that a moon boot can make a footprint in lunar dust inside of a vacuum.

649
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:44,000
So that one's busted.

650
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,000
And momentum alone will keep a flag waving in a vacuum.

651
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,000
You don't need any wind.

652
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,000
So NASA 2, conspiracy theorists, zero.

653
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,000
NASA 2, conspiracy theorists, zero.

654
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:06,000
Adam and Jamie have already seen that NASA didn't slow down the film to fake the Apollo mission moonwalks.

655
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:15,000
But to conclusively confirm that the footage was shot in one-sixth gravity, they decided they had to experience the real thing.

656
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:20,000
And here at Zero G in Florida, they get to do just that.

657
00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000
In order for us to do this accurately, we need to be properly weighted.

658
00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:33,000
Since Zero G is providing us with the moon's gravity, one-sixth Earth's gravity, I need to have the exact amount of equipment weight on me that the original Apollo astronauts had on the moon.

659
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,000
And that's about 180 pounds of stuff.

660
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,000
And it's uncomfortable.

661
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:42,000
Adam's struggling with the excess baggage.

662
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:43,000
This is unpleasant.

663
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:49,000
Jamie, on the other hand, is keen to display his alpha male suit.

664
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,000
Alpha male status.

665
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:58,000
A status damaged after being forced to join Adam, playing dress-ups.

666
00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,000
I never thought I'd see the day.

667
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:07,000
With the way in complete, it's time for the pre-flight briefing with in-flight in-fall from Zero G's Elizabeth Underwood.

668
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:12,000
Elizabeth, now that we're just about to go on, I want to know how good a simulation of zero gravity is this?

669
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:15,000
It's not a simulation at all. It is the real deal.

670
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:20,000
It's the exact same technique that NASA's been using to train their astronauts for the last 50 years.

671
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:21,000
And it works like this.

672
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:27,000
A series of parabolic arcs will give the passengers the physical sensation of weightlessness.

673
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:42,000
And just for us, the pilot will adjust the angle of the parabola, making the microgravity in the cabin an exact match to the moon's gravitational pull, which just leaves the guys to step up, strap in, take off, and suit up.

674
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,000
I look good, right?

675
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,000
I look good.

676
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,000
I look damn good.

677
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:50,000
So right now, I'm loaded up with an extra 180 pounds on my body.

678
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:55,000
In a few minutes, we're going to actually get to try this out in moon's gravity, and I've got to tell you.

679
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:59,000
I can't wait. This is a heavy suit.

680
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:05,000
Adam doesn't have to wait long because the guides soon have everyone into position for the first pass.

681
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:09,000
And as G-Force 1 gently arcs into its dive...

682
00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:10,000
Ah, that feels cool.

683
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,000
Adam and Jamie...

684
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,000
Here it comes.

685
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:17,000
...know what it feels like to walk on the moon.

686
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,000
Whoa!

687
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,000
Wow!

688
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:27,000
That's 100% wacky right there.

689
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:33,000
Calibrated to match the moon's gravitational pull, the guys just get time to take it all in before...

690
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:37,000
The call goes out to hit the deck.

691
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:42,000
Because as the plane begins to pull out of the dive, the G-Forces go into the positive.

692
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,000
There is a cost to being weightless.

693
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:50,000
The other end of the roller coaster, you've got almost twice Earth's gravity.

694
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,000
It's kind of terrifying at first, isn't it?

695
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,000
Yeah, it is!

696
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,000
I've never experienced anything like that.

697
00:39:55,000 --> 00:40:00,000
It is really disconcerting to first-way double your weight, and then 1-6th your weight.

698
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,000
In fact, at 1-6th my weight, I felt pretty much weightless.

699
00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,000
I felt like I could jump 10 feet in the air.

700
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,000
This is at first, even for me.

701
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:13,000
Now that the guys have their bearings, the testing can begin.

702
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,000
Ready?

703
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:24,000
Adam copies the same run and skip as before...

704
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:29,000
This time, leaving out the jump because of height restrictions in the cabin.

705
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:36,000
The movement felt totally natural as soon as I started doing it.

706
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,000
All the NASA footage makes sense to me now.

707
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:43,000
The skipping they did is a totally efficient way to move in that gravitational pull.

708
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:48,000
I couldn't think of a better confirmation for the NASA footage than trying this myself.

709
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:56,000
When Adam was walking or running, he was experiencing the exact same thing that Neil Armstrong would have on the moon.

710
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,000
It was 1-6th Earth's gravity.

711
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,000
Adam did a great job with the bungee cords.

712
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:12,000
It looked pretty convincing, but being here on this plane in microgravity and watching him, it's totally different.

713
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:17,000
Nothing really compares to what we saw here on this plane, so as far as I'm concerned,

714
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,000
they went to the moon.

715
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:25,000
Dude, that was awesome. We have been very thorough here.

716
00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:27,000
Yeah, you can't get much tidier than that.

717
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:34,000
I mean, not only did we start out by replicating precisely the circumstances that theorists say were used to fake the moon footage.

718
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:38,000
But we also put ourselves in a calibrated moon gravity environment.

719
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,000
The theory that it's faked? Busted.

720
00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:41,000
Busted.

721
00:41:48,000 --> 00:42:01,000
When the team began their lunar-lunacy jigsaw puzzle, they knew they couldn't cover every conspiracy cheerleaders claim.

722
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:03,000
This is the moment of truth.

723
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:08,000
But the few pieces they have put in place, totally must tell the same story.

724
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:11,000
In the face, conspiracy theorists!

725
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:16,000
With a fat lady waiting impatiently in the wings, there's time for just one final test.

726
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:22,000
And not just any old test, but the ultimate proof of man's moon mission.

727
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:27,000
To really put the final nail in the coffin, we should build our own rocket, which we've done before,

728
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:35,000
and go to the moon, collect some of the Apollo hardware that was left there, and come back, and we'll prove that man actually was on the moon.

729
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,000
I wish we could do that.

730
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,000
I have, however, the next best thing.

731
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:41,000
What's this?

732
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:42,000
A reflector.

733
00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:47,000
In fact, it's called a retro reflector, made up of many tiny prisms just like this.

734
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:52,000
And did you further know that the Apollo astronauts were nice enough when they visited the moon to leave several of these on the surface

735
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:59,000
so that earthbound scientists could point lasers at it and gather information about the moon?

736
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:05,000
So what you're saying is that we get a really big laser and point it at the reflector on the moon,

737
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:09,000
and if we get a signal back, that means that we were, in fact, there.

738
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,000
Precisely.

739
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:13,000
Okay, it breaks down like this.

740
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:18,000
A retro reflector bounces light back at the light source, regardless of the angle.

741
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:23,000
This differs from a mirror where the angle of incidence has to be perpendicular.

742
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:31,000
So, if there was a retro reflector on the moon, and we knew its exact location, and we had a powerful enough laser,

743
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:36,000
we could detect the reflection and prove there is man-made equipment on the moon.

744
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,000
What are we supposed to be doing?

745
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:41,000
Technically, we're supposed to have a conversation about where we are.

746
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:44,000
Oh, you mean like the Apache Point Observatory?

747
00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:48,000
This thing right here is the Apache Point Observatory.

748
00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:51,000
What a view.

749
00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:57,000
And these guys have the tools that we need to put the final nail in the coffin on the moon landing hoax.

750
00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:06,000
Up here in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico, Adam and Jamie meet one of the observatories' top docs, Russet McMillan.

751
00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:07,000
How can I help you today?

752
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:14,000
Well, it seems that there are some people that do not believe that man has actually been to the moon.

753
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:15,000
I've met some of them.

754
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:16,000
What do you think?

755
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:17,000
I think they're crazy.

756
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:22,000
A bold statement, but Dr. McMillan has the hardware to back it up.

757
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:23,000
Here's the thing.

758
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:26,000
This little laser pointer is about 10 milliwatts.

759
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,000
That's great, but it's not going to make it to the moon and back.

760
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:33,000
That thing, however, peaks at one gigawatt.

761
00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:36,000
That's a hundred billion times more powerful than this is.

762
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,000
That's what you've got to have to make it to the moon and back.

763
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:43,000
So this whole exercise is you shine the laser beam at the moon, it gets reflected back,

764
00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:46,000
and you measure the timing of the release to the return.

765
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,000
So how long does that journey take?

766
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:51,000
About 2.5 seconds, depending on the orbit of the moon.

767
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:52,000
Cool.

768
00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:54,000
The meet and greet complete.

769
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:57,000
All that's left to do is wait until midnight.

770
00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:03,000
Space Command has given us a one hour window when the night skies from here to the moon are clear of satellites.

771
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:09,000
While they wait, here's Adam trying unsuccessfully to keep the lid on his inner geek.

772
00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:15,000
This is actually not a bad imitation of exactly what's on the moon that we're shining the laser into.

773
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:20,000
In fact, the specific one we're shining into was left there by the Apollo 15 crew.

774
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:27,000
Now, we're firing on the order of 200 quadrillion photons per laser pulse at that reflector,

775
00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:33,000
and we're getting between one and three photons back per pulse if we're lucky.

776
00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:35,000
That's not something that you can see with a naked eye.

777
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:39,000
In fact, it's something that can only be picked up by the most sensitive of collectors,

778
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:45,000
and hopefully when we get that photon back, we'll see a spike like that on the screen.

779
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:48,000
I am sluying the telescope to the lunar highlands.

780
00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:49,000
Slew away.

781
00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:53,000
Test number one, shining our laser at a portion of the moon's surface

782
00:45:53,000 --> 00:46:00,000
devoid of all man-made objects, including retroreflectors known to locals as the lunar highlands.

783
00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:03,000
There's the moon. You can see the craters.

784
00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:04,000
Wow.

785
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:08,000
With the laser pointed at a random location on the moon's surface...

786
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:10,000
Initiating laser.

787
00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:16,000
Dr. McMillan pulses 200 quadrillion photons into the night sky.

788
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:22,000
So we're shining the laser on the lunar highlands now, and we're getting nothing back except background light.

789
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:28,000
As expected, the lunar regula, with its reflectivity index, or albedo, of approximately 8%,

790
00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:34,000
simply scatters the beam, and the sensors back here at the observatory detect no reflected light.

791
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:37,000
Now I'm going to move to Apollo 15.

792
00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,000
Apollo 15, crewed by Scott Irwin and Warden,

793
00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:45,000
set down at the base of the lunar Apennine Mountains,

794
00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:48,000
which is where they placed the retroreflector.

795
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:49,000
Wow.

796
00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:52,000
That's the location where Apollo 15 landed on the moon.

797
00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:54,000
That is so cool.

798
00:46:54,000 --> 00:47:00,000
Initiating laser on retroreflector from Apollo 15.

799
00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:03,000
And there's a spike beginning to stand out.

800
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:05,000
Is that it?

801
00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:08,000
That's the return from Apollo 15.

802
00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:14,000
Light returning from the laser retroreflector at exactly the wavelength and distance that we were expecting.

803
00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:16,000
That is so cool.

804
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:23,000
I know you do this like 100 times a year, but it's really thrilling to watch it happen in bright in front of us.

805
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:26,000
Not just thrilling, but conclusive.

806
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:28,000
Look, I'd love to go to the moon, but I can't.

807
00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,000
At least not right now.

808
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,000
So we did the next best thing.

809
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:36,000
We placed the laser at the moon on the second test, and we got a clear spike back.

810
00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:38,000
Photons came back to our receptor.

811
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:45,000
Now, the only way that that could happen is if there was a piece of man-made equipment up on the moon to reflect them back.

812
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:47,000
So get over it.

813
00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,000
There's no conspiracy here.

814
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:51,000
We've been there. We've done that.

815
00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:55,000
So the team have busted everything before them.

816
00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:56,000
What's that, Neil?

817
00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:58,000
We really went to the moon.

818
00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:04,000
We compounded those five results with evidence of lunar-bound man-made equipment.

819
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:08,000
This moon mystery jigsaw puzzle is complete.

820
00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:30,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

821
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

822
00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:34,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

823
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:36,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

824
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:38,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

825
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

826
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

827
00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

828
00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:46,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

829
00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:48,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

830
00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:50,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

831
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:52,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

832
00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:54,000
The Moon is a science fiction.

833
00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:56,000
The Moon is a science fiction.