12 Mind-Boggling Space Conspiracy Theories
For as long as humankind has been gazing at the stars, there have been countless theories about the vast space. While some of these were proven correct, others were outright silly! However, despite the fact we now have a much deeper understanding of the great beyond thanks to technological development, many people still believe in some wild and crazy space conspiracy theories!
Although conspiracy theories have no scientific backing, they are incredibly entertaining to read about. After all, there might be a grain of truth to some — who knows? Today, we indulge ourselves in the strange and unbelievable by taking a look at the cream of the crop of space conspiracy theories. Regardless of whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, we’re sure you will have a great time!
So let’s get this show on the road!
12 Craziest Space Conspiracy Theories
1. There Is a Secret Base on the Moon
The Moon is the focal point of many conspiracy theories, as you will soon get to see. Some are crazier than others, but this one is a real gem!
Did you know that some people believe there is a secret lunar base on the Moon’s dark side? That’s right!
It’s a fact that because of Earth and Moon’s rotation, we always see the same side of our planet’s trusty companion from Earth. That means one of the Moon’s sides remains permanently hidden from our view.
As you could imagine, this fact became fertile ground for conspiracy theorists worldwide, so they were quick to jump at the opportunity!
Of course, because we cannot see one of the Moon’s sides, there must be a secret base there, right?
Well, footage of that mysterious side taken by satellites would beg to differ. Also, the Chinese even landed there in 2019 and found nothing! But who knows? Maybe that’s just the government trying to cover their tracks!
Probably not, though.
2. There Is a Killer Planet in Our Solar System Called Nibiru
Did you know that, according to a translated Sumerian cuneiform, there is a “Twelfth Planet” in our solar system that appears every 3,600 years? That’s right — that planet’s name is allegedly “Nibiru.”
After reading about Nibiru, a psychic, Nancy Lieder, supposedly made contact with extraterrestrials that told her that the planet would collide with Earth in 2003. After nothing had happened in 2003, the date was moved to the infamous doomsday date in 2012!
Well, considering we’re all here still here, it’s safe to say this was nothing but a false conspiracy theory!
3. The Moon Landing Was Staged
We’re back at the Moon, everybody! And with an incredibly famous conspiracy theory at that!
Yes, everyone and their mother knows just how many people believe Neil Armstrong’s Moon landing was staged. That’s right, but this time, the conspiracy theorists list some arguments! They claim the arrival couldn’t have been real because:
- There are no stars in the lunar landing videos.
- The USA allegedly didn’t have the technology needed to transport a person to the Moon and back.
- The American flag was waving in the recording, which is impossible since there is no air in space.
However, the astronauts disproved all these claims with physical evidence of the Moon’s soil they brought back with them. Despite the overwhelming evidence against this conspiracy theory, many people worldwide still believe it to this day.
Well… to each their own.
4. Saturn’s Hexagon Is Alien Technology
NASA’s Voyager Spacecraft discovered that Saturn’s north pole was shaped like a perfect hexagon back in 1980. Considering such shapes incredibly rarely appear in nature, conspiracy theorists made sure to stir the pot with another insane assumption!
Many claimed the shape was the work of alien technology, while others even believed it to be a gateway to Hell. Crazy, isn’t it!?
NASA later confirmed that the shape was not artificial (read of alien origin), but it still doesn’t know much about it and its properties.
5. Yuri Gagarin Wasn’t the First Man in Space
Do you remember the space race between the USA and the Soviet Union back in the 60s? It’s indisputable that the Soviets won, with their first man-made satellite launch in 1957 (Sputnik). But just a few years later, in 1961, Yuri Gagarin won another point for the Soviets by becoming famous for being the first man in space!
But what if we told you that some doubt the legitimacy of his title? Namely, according to a conspiracy theory brought up by Judica-Cordiglia brothers from Italy, the Soviets had sent someone else into orbit before Gagarin. And how do they know that? Because they allegedly heard the man’s slow death in space.
The claim the brothers made was pretty dangerous because, if proven true, it would have meant the Soviets covered up their astronaut’s death to save face. Naturally, the Soviets denied the accusations, but this theory remains a mystery to date.
What do you think? Is this theory correct, or did the Judica-Cordiglia brothers fake the recordings?
6. The Earth Is Flat
Oh, boy; we’ve all heard about this one! The Flat Earth Society is quite a substantial group of people who believe the Earth is indeed flat.
The movement was founded in 1956 by Samuel Shelton, and, despite all the scientific evidence put forward, he and his followers denounced it as fake. They didn’t provide any conflicting hypotheses to prove their beliefs, though. Well… how could they, after all?
The society fell apart after its second leader, Charles Johnson, passed away in 2001. Nowadays, there are still some proponents of this theory, but they are nowhere near as prominent as back then.
7. Alien Research Is Taking Place in Area 51
This conspiracy theory about the military base of Area 51 is one of the most famous in history! The movie “Independence Day” from 1996 was likely one of the reasons this theory even took root, as it depicted the U.S. government hiding and performing research on an alien inside the base.
According to this space conspiracy theory, that is precisely what hides in Area 51 — aliens! This military installation is located approximately 130 km northwest of Las Vegas and has been connected to several UFO sightings and paranormal events. The CIA did confirm that the secret base was real, although not used for any paranormal research. However, that only stirred the pot even further.
In recent years, this theory earned another place in the spotlight when a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51” became a widespread internet meme.
Although we might not know what is happening behind the walls of Area 51, one thing is for sure — it is not alien research.
8. There Is Life on Venus
When humanity first reached nearby planets in the 70s and 80s, one of the unmanned Russian probes landed on Venus and made a recording of seemingly living objects moving across the planet’s surface. It wasn’t long before conspiracy theories began popping up!
The explanation scientists gave for the phenomenon was that it was nothing but our mind’s power to see patterns and fill in the blanks of low-resolution data. However, the conspiracy theorists didn’t buy it.
Many years later, in 2012, scientists finally found an explanation for the recorded movement. Apparently, the objects the cameras filmed were the covers of camera lenses from one of the other recording devices that landed on the planet’s surface. The lenses were programmed to pop off automatically once cameras were ready to record.
Thankfully, this information had finally put the last nail in the coffin of this conspiracy theory.
9. The Moon Will Turn Green
2016 was the year of a mind-boggling conspiracy theory that the Moon would turn green on April 20 and May 29. Allegedly, the Moon would turn green because some planets had aligned, causing a strange, spooky glow… Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
Of course, it does, because it is! The “green” hue coming from the Moon some people saw was due to a lunar eclipse. Experts elaborated that the science behind the phenomenon was the same as the one behind the reddish glow caused by the setting Sun.
However, there is something quite peculiar regarding this conspiracy theory that made everyone wonder… April 20… 4/20… The last alleged “Green Moon” happened 420 years ago… Somebody might have taken the National Weed Day too seriously.
10. There Was an Alien Landing in Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico, was perhaps one of the most famous alien sightings in history! So it shouldn’t be surprising that the whole event evolved into a conspiracy theory. But what happened at Roswell?
It’s quite simple — in 1947, a rancher from Roswell, New Mexico found some strange, unidentifiable debris near his home. It didn’t take long for the government officials to arrive, confiscate all the evidence, and release several conflicting stories about its origin.
Naturally, the first thing that came to many people’s minds were aliens! So that’s how the conspiracy theories began.
This event went into history as one of the most mysterious alien sightings to date and had numerous documentaries, stories, and books made about it, earning it cult status among popular culture. Some of these theories were pretty meet, while others went as far as accusing the government of experimenting on aliens in the nearby military base.
However, the U.S. government finally released a detailed testimony about the Roswell incident nearly 50 years after the event (better late than never, right?) that debunked the theory. The debris the rancher found were nothing but the remains of a military surveillance balloon that crashed during testing.
Do you believe this to be true? Or does the alien theory sound better?
11. Climate Change Isn’t Real
That’s right; some people believe that the world’s current number-one concern is just a hoax! And this conspiracy theory is pretty high on the dangerous scale if we might add. Should we even emphasize how much harm such misinformation could bring?
Despite the overwhelming evidence that humans contributed to the current climate change taking place on Earth, there are conspiracy theorists who genuinely believe the world’s governments are just making it up. Why would they? Who knows?
12. There Is a Face on Mars
Did you know that the two NASA’s spacecrafts, Viking 1 and 2, returned from their mission to Mars in the 70s with some peculiar photographs? That’s right — a part of the landscape that these vessels took photos of had the shape of a human face!
So what did conspiracy theorists do when this information reached them? They spread the word, of course! The theories that came up in the years to follow ranged from improbable to impossible. Some even claimed that the face was proof of the existence of an alien colony on the planet.
Years later, though, once our technology advanced significantly, we got our hands on much clearer images of Mars’ surface. As you could imagine, they proved that the infamous “Face on Mars” was nothing but an illusion; pareidolia, if you will!