Description

Bart Sibrel is an American conspiracy theorist and filmmaker known for his belief that the Apollo Moon landings were faked
. He is a prominent figure in the moon-landing denial movement and has produced several films promoting this idea. 

Sibrel's major claims and activities

• Films: Sibrel's most notable works are the films A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon (2001) and Astronauts Gone Wild: An Investigation Into the Authenticity of the Moon Landings (2004). In these pseudo-documentaries, he uses what he claims is "leaked" NASA footage and other supposed inconsistencies to argue the landings were staged.
• Confronting astronauts: As part of his investigations, Sibrel has repeatedly accosted and confronted Apollo astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Eugene Cernan. He would ask them to swear on a Bible that they walked on the Moon.
• The Buzz Aldrin incident: In 2002, outside a hotel in Beverly Hills, Sibrel confronted Buzz Aldrin and called him "a coward and a liar and a thief" for not swearing on the Bible. Aldrin responded by punching Sibrel in the face, an incident that gained significant media attention. No criminal charges were filed against Aldrin.
• Underlying claims: Sibrel points to various discredited claims to support his theory, including:
  • Inconsistencies in shadows: He has claimed that shadows in Apollo photographs are not parallel, which he says indicates multiple light sources in a studio setting. This ignores the scattering and reflection of light from the lunar surface.
  • Radiation from the Van Allen belt: Sibrel argues that astronauts could not have survived the trip through the intense radiation of the Van Allen belt. In reality, the Apollo crew passed through the belts in a relatively short period, and their exposure was well within safe limits.
  • Technological limitations: He alleges that 1960s technology was not advanced enough to land on the Moon. This claim is a key point in his films and a common argument among deniers.