this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 248 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Still the biggest proof that it was real, the Soviets would've called out on the bluff

[–] CleoTheWizard 40 points 3 months ago (4 children)

I typically use this line but I don’t know that the Soviets had the technology to track the flight completely at the time or to verify the landing.

[–] alekwithak 116 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (6 children)

The Russians kicked our* asses all through the Space Race. I'm sure they could at least intercept comms and look through their telescopes.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 3 months ago

It was the nicest thing the USSR ever did for us. Borrowing from a blog piece I did, Eisenhower freaked out over the successful launch and orbit of Sputnik 1. Ike passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 [... and secured] a grant extended to Fairchild Semiconductor to further its development on the transistor... in the fecund economy of California.

Hence the US is now the big tech capitol of the world (though depending more and more on patents rather than innovation since the 2010s, so maybe not for long.)

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If I remember correctly, it was pretty easy to intercept the communications. The Americans also dropped a few mirrors on the moon and the Soviets used them to fire lasers at the moon.

[–] marcos 19 points 3 months ago

Not only intercept, but they could easily check if the signal was coming from the Moon.

What they couldn't do was get a photo of the ship.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago

Pretty sure they had the radio technology to intercept the radio communications and validate that they actually went far enough to reach the moon.

[–] chiliedogg 14 points 3 months ago

They absolutely had the tech to point a big antenna at the moon and listen in on communications and watch the video broadcasts.

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[–] ChicoSuave 63 points 3 months ago (12 children)

Did you know that you can take a telescope and LOOK AT THE LANDING SITES ON THE MOON?

[–] [email protected] 48 points 3 months ago (7 children)

If you can afford the simple equipment necessary, you can literally send and receive a ping to a device left at one of the landing sites that proves without a doubt we have been there.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I'm not a radio engineer, but my understanding is you're just bouncing signals off the moon itself, there isn't a device that echos the signal back or anything. There are mirrors on the moon to reflect lasers back though.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

They left a couple retro reflectors on the moon during the moon landings so we can bounce lasers off them to accurately measure the distance to the moon.

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[–] AllOutOfBubbleGum 49 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)
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[–] captainlezbian 49 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The greatest proof we have that the United States was the First Nation to land a man on the moon and did so in July of 1969 is that their primary geopolitical enemy had beaten them at every previous step in the space race and didn’t contest it. If there was a chance that any aspect of it was faked the USSR would’ve used it as propaganda and a cudgel. Instead they confirmed the moon landing. It may be hard for some people to believe we set foot on the moon, but it’s much harder to believe the ussr covered America’s ass on this one.

It’s actually the same basic evidence that we have that Yuri Gagarin was the first human to go into outer space alive and return alive. If it hadn’t happened the United States would’ve contested it.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago

imo, that's why flat earth stuff usually doesn't make sense at its core. how do you explain that all those governments from around the world that hate each other all collectively agreed to lie to you

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Okay, just to go full conspiracy theorist on you for a second:

The USSR could've covered USA's ass on this because their own achievements were fake too, and they didn't want it to come out

I don't have any evidence for this, nor do I believe it myself, but just playing devil's advocate here

[–] rekorse 10 points 3 months ago (2 children)

That doesnt work in the long term unless you kill everyone that knows about it. Its a weak plan at best.

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[–] norimee 47 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Did you know, that all Panda bears 🐼 worldwide are all owned by the Chinese government? Pandas outside of China are only on loan.

Just some useless information because of the username...

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Not quite true, there is one single panda they don't own, Xin Xin at the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City.

[–] norimee 10 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yeah, that Panda is a leftover from better times when China gave them as diplomatic gifts. Its the offspring of 2 Pandas that were originally given to mexico before the 1980's when China stopped gifting and started the lending thing.

There are 2 more, that are not considered a loan, in Taiwan. But they are more a "F*ck your independence, you belong to us anyways"-gifts with the Chinese arguing that it was an inner country transfer and not a gesture to a foreign nation.

Nevertheless, all Pandas outside of China have been political pawns for the Chinese government including Xin Xin in Mexico.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (3 children)

I've seen some recent news about China gifting Brazil a panda in a diplomatic move. So, they don't own all pandas, or wasn't it really a gift?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It might have been on loan, but described as a gift as there's limited numbers they loan out.

Part of the reasoning for the loan system is that there's a limited number, and the terms of the loan allows China to take them back in the event the zoo fails to care for them appropriately, which happens with depressing regularity.

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[–] EvolvedTurtle 29 points 3 months ago (5 children)

The issue with this Is that it implies the moon is even real in the first place

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago
[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago

Some real toast to a couple sons of bitches energy.

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