NASA has dismissed a recent claim by reality star Kim Kardashian suggesting that the 1969 moon landing was faked. During an episode of the television series The Kardashians, Kardashian told actress Sarah Paulson that she did not believe humans had ever walked on the moon. “I don’t think we did. I think it was fake. I’ve seen a few videos on Buzz Aldrin talking about how it didn’t happen. He says it all the time now, in interviews,” Kardashian said, referencing the Apollo 11 astronaut, although it is unclear which interviews she meant.
Kardashian also repeated a common conspiracy theory, questioning how the US flag could appear to blow on the lunar surface despite the absence of atmosphere. Historical footage, including images of Buzz Aldrin beside the flag and Lunar Module, confirms the flag’s movement resulted from how it was planted, not wind.
The remarks drew a rapid response from Sean Duffy, the US Secretary of Transportation and acting NASA administrator, who corrected her on X. “Yes, Kim Kardashian, we’ve been to the moon before … Six times! And even better, NASA Artemis is going back under the leadership of [President Trump],” he wrote, emphasizing ongoing US lunar ambitions. Duffy’s response highlighted the Artemis II mission, set for February next year, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the moon and lay the groundwork for future exploration of Mars.
Kardashian replied cryptically under Duffy’s post, asking: “Wait … What’s the tea on 3I Atlas?!?!!!!!!!?????” She appeared to reference 3I/Atlas, an interstellar comet discovered in July and described by NASA as the third known object from outside the solar system passing through the inner solar system. Duffy reassured her, responding: “No aliens. No threat to life here on Earth,” and extended an invitation to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Miami for the Artemis II launch.
Despite decades of evidence and scientific explanation, moon-landing conspiracy theories persist online and in popular media. According to the Institute of Physics, “every single argument claiming that NASA faked the moon landings has been discredited.” Yet, such theories continue to circulate widely, prompting officials to reassert the historic reality of the Apollo missions and the achievements of the US space program.
Kardashian, 45, who has millions of followers on social media, reignited a conversation about space and public understanding of science, while NASA and its representatives continue to emphasize factual evidence and ongoing exploration efforts. The Artemis program, intended to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over half a century, underscores the continued relevance of space science in the 21st century.
