Space Exploration

Did NASA stop investigating the deepest layers of the world's oceans 34 years ago? No, that's not true: NASA's main exploration ventures are in space, but, according to the agency's website, it still explores the ocean, too. A claim asserting that NASA has stopped its oceanographic work appeared in an Instagram video on August 30, 2022. The video appears to…

Did NASA use the landscape of a remote Arctic island in Canada to produce fake images that were then falsely represented as exploration on the planet Mars? No, that's not true: This accusation lacks a key element -- there is no evidence that NASA has misrepresented images from the Haughton Mars Project (HMP) or any other analog mission conducted on…

Did NASA hand over control of the International Space Station (ISS) to Russia after a Russian official threatened to crash it into Earth? No, that's not true: A NASA spokesperson told Lead Stories that a long-established ceremonial change of command "does not represent overall control of ISS. That remains unchanged with the crew." There was no threat to "crash it…

Did Elon Musk "just save us" by destroying a Chinese spy satellite with a SpaceX rocket? No, that's not true: This is a baseless clickbait video manufactured for views. There are news stories from late 2021 about close calls between two SpaceX satellites and the Chinese space station, but there is no supporting evidence offered or existing reporting from other…

Is this a video "with sound" of the Martian landscape beamed, back to Earth from the Perseverance rover? No, that assumption would be wrong. This video does show the landscape of Mars, and the scenery was captured by a rover, but the scene was not captured as a video with sound, and not by Perseverance. This video's lack of context…

Did a camera aboard the International Space Station capture new footage of a UFO? No, that's not true: Several Internet hoaxers have shared the video to suggest that NASA was tracking a UFO. However, a couple of Internet sleuths on YouTube determined the real explanation. The ISS jettisoned a retired component that was no longer needed. The claim originated from…

Did researchers confirm that babysitting your grandchildren can make you live longer? Yes, that's true: Researchers in Germany and Australia conducted research that suggests a link between providing care for grandchildren and a longer life expectancy. The story originated from an article (archived here) published by thelaughclub.net on October 30, 2018, under the title "Researchers confirm: Babysitting your grandchildren makes…

Is Elon Musk planning to send a team to Mars to rescue the Opportunity rover? No, that's not true: a satire page made up the story about the billionaire wanting to send a crew to Mars to replace the battery on the rover with something more enduring. It is not true. The story originated from an article published by Woken…