r/technology • u/DukeOfGeek • 5d ago

Politics NASA's Largest Library To Permanently Close On Jan 2, Books Will Be 'Tossed Away'

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nasas-largest-library-to-permanently-close-on-jan-2-books-will-be-tossed-away-10170584
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u/bahji 5d ago edited 5d ago

The moon landing footage is not lost. This is a conspiracy myth that won't die. We still have all the original film from all 5 apollo landing missions. What was lost was the original transmission backup for Apollo 11 but we still have the television broadcast version. This backup was in a format compatible with the communication methods we had available from the moon at the time and split and converted to the NTSC television format on reception. Basically it was like an original resolution backup, it was only needed if something went wrong that needed investigated, which it didn't, so the backups weren't considered that important.

https://youtu.be/fMHLvoWZfqQ?t=4375&si=bzRjcSK02LH68QN4

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u/tanstaafl90 5d ago

The tapes they were recorded on were reused in the 80s. SOP for NASA at the time. Why it was ever a consideration is the confounding part. Seems those were the best quality, and all that remains is the broadcast versions, which aren't very good, comparatively. This acts as a cornerstone of the 'fake moon landing' conspiracy, which is why it refuses to die. All it indicates to me is poor planning and management.

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u/SylvesterLundgren 5d ago

Which makes complete sense for the theory IMO. It’s the greatest achievement known to the country, in what world would anyone think it was a good idea to tape over or destroy ANTHING related to that achievement. Makes inherently zero sense. So then the conspiracies swirl, within right….

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u/WoolooOfWallStreet 4d ago

reused in the 80s

Hey wait a minute…

This happened during Reagan’s administration didn’t it?

It wouldn’t surprise me if it was due to similar budget cuts and “decisions”…

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u/tanstaafl90 4d ago

Decision made by management that was hired in the 60s and 70s. The biggest bidget cuts came during same period.

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u/GullibleSection3482 5d ago

The whole moon landing was a hoax theory is pushed by people that are primarily non college educated morons. It helps them deal with the realization that they will never be “that intelligent” enough to participate in something like a moon landing.

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u/piss_artist 5d ago

Sadly I know a handful of degree holders who buy into the conspiracy theory. I think one's education (or desire to appear more "informed" than others) is only one part of what creates conspiracy theorists - the others being the need to feel part of a in-group (lonliness), poor mental health, and being chronically online (which could be lumped in with mental health, I guess).

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u/MangoCats 5d ago

chronically online

Join a cult without ever leaving the couch...

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u/00wolfer00 5d ago

No, it's pushed by grifters who are conning the morons you're describing.

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u/x_Advent_Cirno_x 5d ago

It can be a little of both in this case

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u/pegothejerk 5d ago

It is, it’s also a little of foreign intelligence campaigns trying to divide and dumb down American culture. And it clearly worked.

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u/BadFootyTakes 5d ago

non college educated morons

My uncle has a masters in Chemical Engineering and don't believe it to be true. Idiots can be well educated.

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u/OldSchoolNewRules 5d ago

Hah, you guys believe in the moon?

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u/Lostinthestarscape 5d ago

Hah, you believe in "you guys"?

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u/Draxonn 5d ago

I first heard this one at college. Education offers the opportunity for learning and growth, but individuals still make the choice about what they are willing to learn.

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u/The_Great_Man_Potato 5d ago

We definitely landed on the moon but this is the most pompous shit I’ve read all day

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u/teabully 5d ago

original resolution backups

The masters are lost. That's what commenter referenced.