Conspiracy theories circulated on social media following the Artemis II Moon mission, with some users falsely claiming the mission was staged.
Images shared online appeared to show astronauts floating in front of a green screen, with cameras and crew visible, fuelling speculation that the livestream had been faked.
However, a BBC analysis found the viral image was AI-generated and misleading.
In a separate case, a Facebook user named Space Time posted a video of an astronaut with three legs, further stirring debate. The outlet clarified that the account primarily shares AI-generated space content.
According to NASA, Artemis II is currently heading back to Earth after a historic journey around the far side of the Moon.
During the mission, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen lost communication with Earth for about 40 minutes while passing behind the Moon, where radio signals cannot reach.
Once communication resumed, Koch said, “It’s so great to hear the Earth again.” Hansen added, “As we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever travelled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration.”
The mission surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, marking a new milestone in human space exploration. NASA also released the first images captured by the Artemis II crew, with Wiseman photographing Earth using a tablet, the first such images taken from the capsule during a deep-space mission.
Misinformation about the Moon is not new. As far back as 1835, a newspaper falsely claimed an astronomer had discovered life there. Despite extensive scientific evidence, conspiracy theories about the Apollo 11 Moon Landing persist.
Claims that the American flag appeared to wave were later explained by the use of a support rod and astronaut movement. The absence of stars in photos was due to the Moon’s bright surface overwhelming camera exposure, while the famous footprint was created by Buzz Aldrin’s outer boots, designed for lunar conditions.
Online reactions to the debunking were mixed.
One Instagram user wrote, “I don’t know what to believe anymore,” while another argued, “The fact that you have to prove it isn’t fake makes it even faker.”
A third added, “If BBC says it, so it’s true.”