A recent Chinese lunar mission has sparked a wave of conspiracy theories and misinformation in China, many suggesting that Americans never actually landed on the moon.
According to Hotnews this follows the return of China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which brought back the first samples ever collected from the moon’s far side, a mission hailed as a "complete success" by China’s space agency.
Renewed Doubts About Apollo Missions
This ambitious mission has reignited long-standing conspiracy theories about NASA’s Apollo moon landings.
Social media in China is buzzing with claims that the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969, which saw the first man walk on the moon, was staged.
Researchers fear these false narratives could fuel anti-American sentiment in China, a country eager to lead the space race against the United States.
Social Media and Propaganda
An example of the misinformation includes a viral comparison of a Chinese flag on the moon with a 1972 photo of an American flag taken by astronaut Harrison Schmitt.
Some Chinese social media users argue the American photo was faked because the flag appeared to be "fluttering" in the wind—an impossibility on the moon.
NASA explained years ago that astronauts used a horizontal rod to keep the flag straight. Analysts suggest that Beijing might allow such anti-American content to spread as a way to manage internal tensions and shape public opinion.
China has significantly developed its space programs over the past 30 years, aiming for a manned moon mission by 2030 and a lunar base soon after, competing with U.S. plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2026 with Artemis 3.
