Viral claims about fake images and AI manipulation spread online as NASA’s Artemis II Moon fly-by draws global attention and misinformation.
The NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down as planned off the coast of California on Friday, concluding the US space agency’s successful manned test mission around the moon, the first time in more than 50 years.
The NASA Artemis II mission has become the target of multiple online conspiracy theories spreading through X, TikTok and Facebook with false claims that the moon mission was either faked or created through artificial intelligence.
NASA Artemis II images subject to false claims
The NASA Artemis II mission, which sent astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen on a record-breaking moon mission, has become the main target of false information spreading online.
The online posts include false accusations that the spacecraft was created through studio recording or that the mission’s images were produced using artificial intelligence technology.
Some widely shared content included altered images suggesting green screen production, while other posts misrepresented minor broadcast errors as evidence of fabrication. Digital forensic experts from AFP confirmed that one viral glitch stemmed from a failed television overlay that accidentally showed mission data instead of actual data.
Mike Rothschild, who studies disinformation, said the NASA Artemis II mission demonstrates how all major scientific events become the target of conspiracy theories because of their visual impact and emotional reach.
The major social media platforms are suffering from reduced content moderation, which, according to his findings, results in greater spread of false information. The online environment, which experts call a “Wild West Internet system,” allows misinformation to spread quickly among millions of users before corrections are made.
Researchers found that artificial intelligence tools have become more popular because these tools allow users to create fake content while producing authentic images that they call a liar’s dividend.
The Apollo 11 moon landing conspiracy theories date back to 1969, when users began spreading claims about the Apollo 11 moon landing conspiracy theories, which NASA’s Artemis II is now bringing back to the public’s attention.
The two factors that experts identify as reasons for the persistence of these stories are public memory of early moon missions and people favoring alternative explanations that contradict official data.
