This Week In Space podcast: Episode 67 —Our favorite space conspiracies

By Space.com Staff
last updated

Why do people still think the Apollo 11 moon landing was faked?

On Episode 67 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik do love their space conspiracies! 

This week, Tariq and Rod discuss their favorites – from the classic "we never landed on the Moon" to the less-discussed hexagon on Saturn's north pole (we all know it's an alien greeting card, right?), they'll look at, discuss, and debunk the wackiest conspiracies ever... because, "the truth is out there!"

Why do people still think the Apollo 11 moon landing was faked? Or that the Tunguska meteor explosion was an alien spacecraft? Let's find out in this week's episode!

Also, this week: Europe's BepiColombo flies close by Mercury, snaps amazing photos; the expansion of the universe may be a mirage; and the Titan submersible lost near Titanic with crew of 5, including space tourist.

Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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Space news of the week

Space books!

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About This Week In Space

This Week in Space covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars? 

Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from Space.com as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.

Host of This Week In Space on TWiT
Rod Pyle
Host of This Week In Space on TWiT
Rod Pyle

Rod Pyle is an author, journalist, television producer and Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine. He has written 18 books on space history, exploration, and development, including Space 2.0, Innovation the NASA Way, Interplanetary Robots, Blueprint for a Battlestar, Amazing Stories of the Space Age, First On the Moon, and Destination Mars

In a previous life, Rod produced numerous documentaries and short films for The History Channel, Discovery Communications, and Disney. He also worked in visual effects on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the Battlestar Galactica reboot, as well as various sci-fi TV pilots. His most recent TV credit was with the NatGeo documentary on Tom Wolfe's iconic book The Right Stuff.

This Week In Space co-host
Tariq Malik
This Week In Space co-host
Tariq Malik

Responsible for Space.com's editorial vision, Tariq Malik has been the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com since 2019 and has covered space news and science for 18 years. He joined the Space.com team in 2001, first as an intern and soon after as a full-time spaceflight reporter covering human spaceflight, exploration, astronomy and the night sky. He became Space.com's managing editor in 2009. As on-air talent has presented space stories on CNN, Fox News, NPR and others.

Tariq is an Eagle Scout (yes, he earned the Space Exploration merit badge), a Space Camp veteran (4 times as a kid, once as an adult), and has taken the ultimate "vomit comet" ride while reporting on zero-gravity fires. Before joining Space.com, he served as a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering city and education beats. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor. 


4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Dave
    I listened to your podcast. Here a group of intelligent men had a difficult time talking seriously about an important topic. Intelligent lifeforms beyond our world visiting earth. Let us look at the facts. Is there intelligent life in our galaxy. Yes. Is the milky way galaxy a habitat for life. Yes. Does life dominate a world where liquid water is present. Yes. Is it possible a more advanced form of life can form. Yes. A serious topic deserves its due. There are 300 million potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy alone. All of the people on your podcast had a similar opinion about this topic. Perhaps someone who believes we are not alone could have been added to the podcast. It reminds me of our only true source of information concerning UFO's. The military. They investigate all UFO claims. What did you see? Classified. Never an honest answer. Not a speck of truth in any conversation. Make a joke. Provide everything but the real truth concerning this very important question.
    Reply
  • Mergatroid
    "There's no middle ground on SpaceX's Starship, it seems. You love it, or you hate it; you're an Elon Musk fanboy or a grizzled Old Space curmudgeon. "

    I realize that many comments about SpaceX are polarized, but I disagree in general.

    Years ago I started out as a Musk fanboy, but over the years I have seen that he is a bit of a dick. Twitter proved that to me. However, I still admire what he has done with SpaceX.

    Most of the bad things I hear about SpaceX are actually from people who don't like Musk, and somehow think that should include SpaceX. Dumb people IMAO.

    Starship itself is quite the project6, and if it works out it will be the most advanced ship on the planet, capable of doing things no other ship can achieve right now.

    Credit where credit is due.
    Reply
  • Mergatroid
    Dave said:
    I listened to your podcast. Here a group of intelligent men had a difficult time talking seriously about an important topic. Intelligent lifeforms beyond our world visiting earth. Let us look at the facts. Is there intelligent life in our galaxy. Yes. Is the milky way galaxy a habitat for life. Yes. Does life dominate a world where liquid water is present. Yes. Is it possible a more advanced form of life can form. Yes. A serious topic deserves its due. There are 300 million potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy alone. All of the people on your podcast had a similar opinion about this topic. Perhaps someone who believes we are not alone could have been added to the podcast. It reminds me of our only true source of information concerning UFO's. The military. They investigate all UFO claims. What did you see? Classified. Never an honest answer. Not a speck of truth in any conversation. Make a joke. Provide everything but the real truth concerning this very important question.

    There is a difference between knowing that there could be other intelligent life in our universe and claiming they have visited us. In other words, there is no logic to claiming any UFOs are of alien origin.
    Currently we know of no way that could be achieved. Without resorting to science fiction, there is no way to travel faster than light, and generational ships could be destroyed or the crew killed of by radiation or having objects slam into it. Highly doubtful anyone would use a ship like that to visit us and stick around.
    And unless we see some evidence of FTL travel, there is no point claiming it exists.
    Reply
  • Dave
    Another podcast 'same old, same old' If you believe in the Big Bang then the essence of what made us can certainly make other intelligent lifeforms, in our living universe. It is like you explore a mile all around from your oasis and then proclaim there is no other oasis in the desert.
    "Take me to your leader" is the joke. And yet humans have not evolved to even have a leader of the human race yet.
    We are a violent race, those intelligent lifeforms who observe us wish to remain hidden. They are helped by those who make false claims. In the same category are the 'non believers' those who say 'we are alone' We are the center of the universe. These people who wear the stupid hats and do not treat this topic with the sincerity or seriousness it truly deserves. They help those intelligent lifeforms who remain hidden. There is no conspiracy or paranoia. Only facts.
    Our science is primitive and cannot help us.
    This is what we will do in our own future, we will observe other intelligent species. This is how you can discover them. You figure out where they are hiding.
    Reply