We detached this flagged subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12985097.

I haven't been in space, but I have been in a plane and seen the curvature that results just from being at 30,000 feet[1].

Occam's Razor isn't perfect, but it applies here. We have two options - either we did something that was very expensive but completely doable, or we faked it with a massive overarching conspiracy that must have involved thousands of willing participants. And they must have remained silent about it for more than 50 years at this point. Judging by the fact that the Manhattan Project and all sorts of other top-secret stuff has been leaked since then, why would this be any different?

I don't know too much about rocket science other than my experience with Orbiter and Kerbal Space Program, but I was in the military, and let me tell you how terrible we are at conspiracies that involve shitloads of people. It's the same reason why chemtrails are hilariously stupid; everyone on the airport flightline has to be in on it, or else you're going to have to be constantly threatening and/or disappearing baggage handlers and mechanics who've been determined to "know too much!"

So, it's not the trained ideologues you have to be worried about. It's the thousands and thousands of PFC Shmuckatellis who will get drunk at the local bar and start bragging about top-secret government things to the first semi-attractive woman in the vicinity. It's happened many, many times before.

[1] http://i.imgur.com/IEcFlBC.jpg

> It is not unthinkable that the NSA has faked the moon landing and pictures of earth with photoshop / film equipment. You havent been above earth, so how do you know? I think you should be less arrogant at the prospect of somebody having a different opinion than you.

No. Their ignorance is not as important as my knowledge. I didn't go to space, but I can see ships going beyond the horizon and I did do the experiment of two sticks in the ground as a teenager

A mirror was placed on the moon. Organizations all over the world have pointed lasers at it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Laser_Ranging_experime...

You can also just see the moon by staring at the night sky.

No, what you are looking at is a giant cardboard cutout held up by thousands of Mylar helium balloons and pulled by a herd of cats connected with fishing line.

It also explains the "super moon" effect; the cutout actually is closer, and therefore larger, when the helium supplies start to run low every few months or years.

#learneditontheweb

/s

You can't herd cats. theory debunked

Documented proof you can:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8

#internetTruth

Thank you for this.