Russian blogger crowdfunds lunar probe to investigate if Apollo moon landing actually happened

Buzz Aldrin lands on the moon.
(Image credit: NASA/Newsmakers)

It's not just Americans who have crazy moon landing conspiracy theories — our space race pals over in Russia are skeptical, too. In fact, one blogger is so suspicious of the U.S. Apollo missions that he has managed to raise over a million rubles (about $16,000) in four days to crowdfund a "micro-probe" to take high-resolution photos of the moon — you know, just to make sure the whole "one giant leap for mankind" thing actually happened, Meduza reports.

The blogger in question, Vitaly Egorov, said the team still needs another half a million rubles to complete the probe's computer. That will only get him as far as having the physical probe, though — to send it into space, Egorov will likely need the help of investors, as well as a rocket for the probe to hitch a ride on. He's hoping it can tag along with a Russian, Indian, or Chinese moon project sometime in the next decade.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.