Apollo 11 press conference - slightly different

[GedZep]

If you were choosing guys to front a hoax wouldn't you ensure they're good on TV? I do think however that if the opposite were true the hoax argument would be that they're too relaxed, they've been trained, it's just too normal. All inputs lead to the same outputs with these guys.

[Mag40]

If you were choosing guys to front a hoax wouldn't you ensure they're good on TV? I do think however that if the opposite were true the hoax argument would be that they're too relaxed, they've been trained, it's just too normal. All inputs lead to the same outputs with these guys.

Absolutely. Additionally, they knew Patrick Moore was going to be there and asking a question. He's an astronomer, so I tend to think somebody, somewhere might have briefed them all that he was going to ask a question about stars? Then filled them in on the "correct answers" to give.

[Tedward]

I would be limiting exposure. Reducing the risk of discovery.

But then that is hard to do when it is all out in the open.

[Count Zero]

A long time ago on this board's predecessor, we had a discussion of how, with what we know, would we have pulled-off a moon-landing hoax.  To put it another way, what would the historical record look like if it WAS hoaxed.

The answer was, "nothing like the historical project."

Some key points:

- Military oversight (i.e. no NASA)
- "Skunk Works" spacecraft development ("Can't risk the Russkies getting this technology.")
- No television ("We'd have to develop special light-weight cameras.  Not gonna happen.")
- Photography limited to just a few images (if any - "The radiation fogged the film.  Sorry!")
- Only one mission ("Too dangerous - These guys barely got back alive.")
- No returned samples (The chance of space-germs not worth the risk)
- No continuous telemetry or voice link
- Encrypted comms
- Limited press access to the astronauts
- No press access to Mission Control

...and that's just a few things needed, because every public opening (photo, communication, test, etc.) is an opportunity to screw-up and get caught.

[bknight]

The openness of the program allows the HB's community to pour over documents/images/transmissions to cherry pick "anomalies" to present to the unsuspecting public, however.