By Radha Mohan Dasa
Recently I saw a documentary which said there is a growing number of people who are convinced that the NASA moon landing in 1969 was actually a very clever hoax. This subject matter is naturally interesting to many devotees because Srila Prabhupada himself was doubtful about the moon landing- – but more on that later.
Much of the evidence put forward on the programme comes in the form of an analysis of photographic materials, showing shadows that are said not to be consistent with sunlight. Shadows fall at different angles and at different lengths in the same pictures, as though illuminated by a light source close to the scene, or even by multiple light sources resembling studio floor lights. And the sides of astronauts facing away from the Sun are illuminated as if by fill-in lighting.
It has also been pointed out that the pictures are perfectly framed and exposed even though the cameras used had no viewfinder or exposure meter and were strapped to the astronauts’ chests. Questions are also asked about the performance of film at temperatures that would vary between 118 °C and -82 °C. And, they say, there are numerous inconsistencies between the live TV record and the photographs that were published later. It is also claimed that some photographs of the journey are actually re-vamped versions of training sessions that took place several years previously.
The classic picture taken by Neil Armstrong of Buzz Aldrin, with Armstrong reflected in Aldrin’s visor, is worthy of particular attention. The angle of view suggests that the camera is looking down on Aldrin – and is a lot higher than Armstrong’s camera.
One of the strongest arguments used against the moon landing relates to an official NASA photograph of the Lunar Module on the moon’s surface. The photograph shows no signs of disturbance on the soft lunar surface caused by the exhaust of the Lunar Module’s powerful descent engine.
However, NASA and independent scientists dismiss these arguments. The lighting looks odd because light bounces around in the thin atmosphere of the Moon, they say. The reason that the published photographs are of good quality is that they were chosen for that reason – there were large numbers of poor shots. And Armstrong was on “higher ground” than Aldrin when he took that famous shot. The descent engine, they say, did not cause disturbance on the dusty surface because at the latter landing stages, the Module used side-boosters and not the main booster pointing directly downwards.
This is certainly something to think about! Sadaputa das, in his book “Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy” writes on this subject in a sub-chapter entitled ‘Moon Flight’. I will summarise its contents here:
Srila Prabhupada often said that the astronauts have never actually visited the moon. His reasoning was that 1) Demigods do not allow human beings to enter the higher planets because human beings are not qualified to do so. 2) The astronauts did not experience the celestial opulences actually existing on the moon, and therefore could not have gone there.
Srila Prabhupada also described the attempt of the scientists to reach the moon as being as demoniac as the attack of Rahu (SB 5.24.3p), and said that such travel will be barred by Indra. In SB 6.4.6p and 8.5.34p he comments that since the moon-god is the presiding deity of vegetation, there must be vegetation on the moon, and yet the scientists say it is a barren desert.
Srila Prabhupada also made statements suggesting that higher-dimensional/ subtle forms of travel is needed to reach the moon and he refers to the futility of trying to use mechanical spacecraft. Finally, he indicated that to reach the moon it is first necessary to cross the Manasa Lake and Sumeru Mountain.
So as ISKCON devotees we are now left with various possibilites:
1) Astronauts did indeed land on the moon, but they did not perceive the world of the demigods (Candraloka) because it is invisible to gross sense perception.
2) The astronauts were deluded by the demigods at some stage in their journey and diverted to the planet Rahu. (SB 4.29.69p)
3) [Possibility suggested by Radha Mohan das]: They did land on the moon, and did perceive some ‘supernatural’ activity, if to a small degree, but NASA have kept it quiet.
4) The entire moon landing story is a complete conspiracy which has fooled millions of people all over the world for the last 30 years. Some say that they filmed the ‘moon’s surface’ in the Arizona desert and the astronauts have been paid considerable sums of money to ‘live the lie’.
Perhaps in the near future we will never know for sure, but it is logical to suggest that at some time in the future we will. If the truth is indeed different to how NASA has been portraying it, ISKCON is in a primal position to say “I told you so!”
I saw for myself at the Canberra Telescope and the Parks Radio telescope in Australia that the debri left on the moon, that is clearly visible through the telescope, is proof enough for me man has been there – obviously Srila Prabhupada is talking about the sub-space world of ethereal bodies.
Devamrita dasa
It was very difficult for many devotees to accept Srila Prabhupada’s statements that man had not gone to the Moon.
But on July 20, 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 Lander purportedly soft-landed on the surface of Mars, and sent back the first photos, making the front page of newspapers all over the world.
What was found on Mars, and pictured in the newspapers, was the “Midas Muffler Rock”. The rock mysteriously had Roman numerals and letters printed on the side and looked like an old beat up Midas Muffler. According to the newspaper article, posted in our local newspaper (and carried by the press worldwide), there was also a rock that looked like a crushed Polaroid film wrapper. Yet another rock looked like a Volkswagen parked in the distance.
Clearly somebody had goofed. Some newscasters were even suggesting that the landscape looked a lot like the Southern Arizona desert. The NASA scientists quickly covered their tracks by stating that Mars’ atmosphere was orange.
For most of the devotees though, Srila Prabhupada’s statements were finally validated.
Really prabhu? This is the first I have ever heard of someone seeing these things. The word on the street is that these things can’t be seen from the Earth (see reference below).
I’ve never seen photographs of this. They would certainly be interesting – although some would argue that do not prove a *manned* landing on the moon, but could have been the result of an unmanned landing.
Could you elaborate some more on what you saw?
—————-
From http://www.moonmovie.com/moonmovie/default.asp?ID=8:
Q: Can’t you see the artifacts left from the alleged moon missions through a powerful telescope?
A: No. This is folklore. No Earth-based telescope is powerful enough to see manmade materials on the lunar surface. The newly released photos of the moon taken by the Hubble telescope cannot discern any objects on the moon’s surface that are smaller than a football field in length.
Interesting comment by Devamrita Prabhu. Are there any telescope photos taken of the leftover debris? I’ve never seen or heard of any. I have two brothers who are amateur astronomers, and a stepbrother who lectures for NASA, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard claims that you can see the debris from earthbound telescopes. If such a thing is easily visible, why aren’t the NASA people telling everyone to look?
Srila Prabhupada stated if you accept your guru as the authority, when he states that “the Moon is farther away from the Earth than the Sun, you will see the Moon farther away from the Earth than the Sun”. Whenever I look at the Moon, I see it as farther away from the Earth than the Sun.
As far as I know, the only artificial object left on the Moon and detectable from Earth is a 2-foot wide panel studded with 100 mirrors pointing at Earth: the “lunar laser ranging retroreflector array.” Supposedly it was left there by Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, but it could have been placed there by an unmanned lunar landing module as well. You cant see it with a telescope, but you can bounce a laser beam off of it and detect the reflection back on Earth.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/21jul_llr.htm
Past summer we heard in the news that the US Government had announced that all the video materials about the moonlandings were lost… Ramasundara prabhu in Dortmund, Germany, mentioned that Neil Armstrong has given about four interviews after he had come back from the moon. After performing the most historical act ever performed by any human being, about four interviews…
Ramananda prabhu’s point that NASA have now claimed that “all the video materials about the moonlandings were lost” and that “Neil Armstrong has only given “four interviews” makes NASA’s position extremely suspicious to say the least.
“LOST?” and “Just FOUR interviews?” The film reel to the Wizard of Oz hasn’t been lost, nor has my great great grandfather’s hazy black and white photos…so WHY have the photos of mankind’s so called giant leap on the moon been ‘LOST’?
As the Communications Secretary for Bhaktivedanta Manor, I have personally done about 30 interviews in the past two years (including radio, TV and local newspapers). NEIL ARMSTRONG HAS DONE ONLY FOUR??? …and I have never even been to space (although I’m sure a lot of devotees would like to send me out there on a one way ticket).
Prabhus, as the author of the original moon article on this website, I would like to say that as devotees we have very good reasons simply to say “SRILA PRABHUPADA WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!”
Suresh’s point about Srila Prabhupada stating that “the Moon is farther away from the Earth than the Sun” is certainly an interesting one. It must be mentioned, however, that Sadaputa prabhu has written the book ‘Mysteries of the Sacred Universe’ which addresses the vertical dimention of the universe as described in the Bhagavatam.
It seems that the larger vertical distance given for the height of the moon does not necessary refer to physical distance between objects in space. Rather, the ‘heights’ of the moon and various other celestial bodies is relative to the plain of the ecliptic.
In general, when it comes to moon trips etc, what we need to understand is that the universe and even our localised solar system cannot be fully understood from the point of view of gross matter alone.
Oh what a bunch of sceptics! Why, soon we will be “colonising the moon”. It must be true because the brainiest man in the world, Stephen Hawking, has said so :-)
I also am very much interested to see photos from those observatories. Over 10 years ago I wrote an article and posted on my website entitled “MoonShadows”, it is now located at:
www.16108.com/MoonShadows/moon_index.htm
I also give many evidences how the mission was faked, and also insight as to why the US Government did so.
This article has been on the internet for over 10 years and has had many hits, being cross linked on many sites and also translated into Russian. I have had numerous emails, many from scientists. And most of them being favorable. No one has supplied to me information that would change my ideas. There was one lady who said she works in a University that continues to collect information from a laser she said is still pointed at a reflection box on the moon. However, on further analysis it was found that NASA supplies to the university the data, and so there is question as to whether the data is faked or real. But, in all these years i have only heard that there is no telescope powerful enough to observe the landing sites and see provable debri.
Please read my article, it gives additional information as well as the reasons why this was done. ys ameyatma das
Hare Krsna,
I always wonder why people get disturbed by the statements of His Divine Grace concerning men landing on the moon. Does it cast doubt on the process given to transcend the misery of this material world? Personally, it doesn’t make a scintilla of a difference if man landed on the moon or not. I have the guarantee of His Divine Grace and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which is supported by scripture, and doesn’t need to be corroborated by NASA or by conspiracy experts.
harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha!!
Thank you.
Hare Krishna
PAMHO, AGTSP
We are subject to four defects one of which is imperfect senses, the hearing process still is superior to the seeing process and best is to hear from those we trust i.e. spiritual authorities who deliver us from the “darkness of ignorance with the shining torch of knowledge” Many things we hear require faith and the conclusions are confirmed by Guru, Sadhu and Shastra. The main thing is that we have been given this process of Krishna Consciouness by Srila Prabhupada which ultimately delivers us from the four defects namely: The tendency to commit mistakes ; imperfect senses, illusion and cheating. Who, therefore, is worthy of our trust?
I feel honoured,nay ,privilaged that my hard earned taxes are going towards such a worthy enterprise,i shall be encouraging all my family and friends to wholeheartedly and enthusiastically support the present administration that is persuing the conquest of new frontiers and pushing mankind forward to new dizzy heights of acheivment.
ys mvdas
About the moon being further then the sun. Back when Nitai das was serving as Srila Prabhupad’s servant, I recall one day he was in the Sankirtan room and he told us that Srila Prabhupad had told him the following (obviously, this is from memory, not word for word). He said that sometimes the guru and the Vedas test us, test our faith to see that our faith is strong. He said the Vedas or guru do this by sometimes saying things that defy common sense. He gave the example of Madhavendra Puri and Ishvar puri where the guru says that a rope is a snake. He who has full faith in the word of guru ignores what he sees with his imperfect eyes and accepts the word of his guru, yes, it is a snake. So, Nitai claimed that Srila Prabhupad had said that the moon being further than the sun, he said there are sometimes statements given in the Vedas that test one’s faith. It does not matter what is what, emperically we are not able to prove or disprove, as these things are beyond the ability of our senses. What matters is that one passes the test of faith in shastra.
Srila Prabhupad’s faith in guru and shastra was unwavering. If guru says it is a snake, it is a snake. If he later calls us a fool for thinking it was a snake and tells us it is just a rope, then we accept, ‘I am just a fool. I do not know what is what by use of my bodily senses, I only know what is what by the word of my guru and shastra. That is all’. If guru again says the rope is a snake, then it is a snake. Thus, guru, and according to Nitai, even shastra, may sometimes test if our faith is genuine.
These tests can only be passed by one who has developed blind faith. Blind faith is not expected or wanted in the beginning. In the beginning one must inquire submissively and learn. It takes time to see that in all other aspects of life and spiritual understanding guru and shastra are flawlessly correct. After experiencing this for some time one then develops full faith, blind faith. Then Krsna, via guru and shastra, may test the sincerity and depth of that faith.
So, when I look at the sun and moon, I do not care which is closer or further. I don’t care if they have gone to the moon or not. I have seen in so many other ways that Vedic science and guru is perfect, thus I place my faith in guru and shastra, not in imperfect senses, or in the words of the mundane scientists.
Yet, Srila Prabhupad has also said that the scientists can use their knowledge of science to prove Vedic science. So, we don’t have to bury our heads on these topics and avoid them. We can shed light on proving the Vedic statements. Also, sometime ago one devotee sent me a quote from Prabhupad, which i since misplaced, stating something to the effect that the devotee(s) who can expose these scientists as having faked the moon mission, Srila Prabhupad said something like he will guarantee their passage back home, back to Godhead. (or something like that, as i said, i lost the reference, if any one has the reference please pass it on).
still hopelessly lost in trying to figure out how to become a humble and worthy servant of the devotees, ameyatma das
Regarding nonsense about “colonizing” the moon or Mars, which we often hear supported with enthusiasm from supposedly learned people (like Stephen Hawking), I always think how there are huge areas of the earth that could much more easily be “colonized.”
I am not only talking about places with very harsh climates such as large, hot deserts (Sahara, Gobi), jungles and rain forests (which are important to preserve for the global ecosystem) or frigid places like Antarctica (which could only improve by global warming) :-)
There are also large, hardly populated regions of the earth, like the praries of the U.S., Canada, and Russia, which have decent climates already, without the need for artificial atmospheres, let alone space travel.
“Colonists” in these regions could easily get supplies and even visit family and friends in the more popolous regions.
I guess Hawking’s crackpot idea (and its not just him) is that we need colonies on other planets in case a global plague or nuclear war or giant meteor makes all of earth uninhabitable. Hawking may be saying we need to hedge our bets by having a second inhabited planet (but a colony on earth’s moon might be vulnerable to many of the presumed catastrophic threats to the earth).
Still, the whole idea of pushing for such “colonies” seems ridiculous to me, even for those who accept the general view of astronomy and the solar system, when we consider how hard it would be, compared to populating North Dakota, Newfoundland or even Baffin Island.