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NAME_________________________________ CLASS____________________ DATE____________

NASA Glenn Digital Learning Network Videoconference: Apollo Revisited
Pre-Conference Activity

Directions

Complete the chart below comparing how you view the information from the television program and from the scientific community about the Apollo Moon Program. Make notes in each box below as you progress through the questions and Web sites.

 
Moon Hoax Conspiracy
Scientific Community
Consistent    
Observable    
Natural Mechanisms    
Predictable    
Testable    
Tentative    
Literature     

Questions

  1. Where are the Apollo lunar rocks stored for study and what unique characteristics distinguish them from Earth rocks?




  2. How many kilograms of rocks, core samples, pebbles, and dust were brought back from the Moon by the Apollo astronauts?





  3. How many people were involved in the Apollo program? (Include federal government workers and contractor workers.) _____________________________ According to the articles, how many Americans do not believe that men landed on the Moon?_____________________ How are these numbers verified?




  4. What kinds of Apollo program records are open to public scrutiny?





  5. The Van Allen belts are regions above the Earth's atmosphere where the Earth's magnetic field has trapped particles from the solar wind. Was this too dangerous for Apollo astronauts to pass through on the journey to the Moon and back?





  6. Why did the United States flag look like it was fluttering on some of the Apollo images?





Resources for Questions 1-6. (The links are not in the correct order. Each link will be used once.)

Jim Scotti Web Site, University of Arizona, Comments on the FOX Moonlanding Hoax special

Apollo Lunar Surface Journal

Rocks & Soils from the Moon

Bad Astronomy Web site

Science @ NASA, The Great Moon Hoax

Jim McDade's Web Site, University of Alabama, Apollo Hoax Charges Falter Under Light of Critical Analysis

7. The television program points out that the shadows on the Apollo footage indicate more than one light source, which would mean that they weren't on the Moon. Are there other explanations for the highly visible astronaut in the shadow of the lunar lander and the different shadow angles in other pictures?





8. People who believe that the Moon landings were a hoax often cite problems with photographic evidence. Find alternative explanations for these questions.

Questions
Explanation
Where are the stars in the background?

  
Why do the cross-hairs in the photographs look like they are behind the image?

  
Why does the background always look the same?

  

9. In 1974, one of the Apollo 11 astronauts wrote a book that was published in New York by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. This first candid book about life as an astronaut was written by Michael Collins, the member of the Apollo 11 crew who remained in orbit around the Moon. What is the title of the book?

 

10. Give five reasons to support the belief that we did land on the Moon. List your evidence.
Reasons
Evidence
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  

11. Lunar reflectors were left behind during the Apollo missions as part of the Lunar Laser Ranging experiments. List four scientific applications for these reflectors. Are they being used now and what are their prospects for future use?
Scientific Applications for Reflectors
Currently In Use?
Prospects for Future Use?
1.    
2.    
3.    
4.    


12. An interesting exhibit and Website about Project Apollo was created by the National Air and Space Museum, a Smithsonian Institution. It lists the top ten scientific discoveries made during the Apollo exploration of the Moon. What are they?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Resources for Questions 7-12. (The links are not in the correct order. Each link will be used once.)

Ian Williams Goddard Web site contains discussion and photographic modeling of the disputed images. [The site (http://users.erols.com/igoddard/moon01.htm) is not currently active. Please check again later.]

Thursday's Classroom April 1, 2001: The Great Moon Hoax.

NASA Apollo records An Annotated Bibliography of the Apollo Program

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Planetary initiatives

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum site on the Apollo program

Please send any comments to:
Web site related: Curator
Content related: Joe Kolecki (Joseph.C.Kolecki@grc.nasa.gov)