--- title: "Former Roscosmos Head Refuses to Believe NASA Landed on the Moon" description: "Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Russia's space corporation Roscosmos, doesn't believe NASA landed on the Moon." date: "2023-05-08" modified: "2023-05-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/former-roscosmos-head-refuses-believe-nasa-landed-moon" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "dmitry rogozin" - "moon" - "NASA" - "Roscosmos" - "the digest" --- # Former Roscosmos Head Refuses to Believe NASA Landed on the Moon ![Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Russia's space corporation Roscosmos, doesn't believe NASA landed on the Moon.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Rogozin a Stink Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Russia's space corporation Roscosmos, is no stranger to making [head-scratching remarks](). The outspoken politician, who was [sacked]() from his post as the director of the country's space program last year, is now taking to Telegram to cast doubt on the fact that NASA landed a dozen astronauts on the Moon over half a century ago, [as spotted by *Ars Technica*](). According to [his post](), Rogozin asked Roscosmos during his tenure to provide him with "documentary evidence of the Americans' stay on the Moon." Despite his best efforts, he says, he found no evidence at the time. "It was not clear to me how the United States, at that level of technological development of the 60s of the last century, did what they still cannot do now?" he wrote. ## Butting Heads Rogozin's comments are characteristically evocative and brazen, and demonstrate denialist conspiracy theories surrounding NASA's Apollo Moon landings that persist to this day. Ironically, the Soviet Union even had a spacecraft of its own in orbit around the Moon while NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their historic first steps back in 1969, *Ars* points out, meaning that Russia has plenty of detailed data to corroborate the Moon landings, which are [incredibly well documented overall](). That mountain of evidence clearly has not made enough of an impression on this particular member of Putin's inner circle, though. Rogozin has made plenty of enemies over the years. Last year, he famously [seemed to threaten]() to crash the International Space Station into the US. During his tenure, he also maintained that Russia would soon [abandon the station](), despite the fact that the country later [agreed to cooperate]() with its international partners until the station's demise in 2030. He has also [butted heads]() with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on a number of occasions. "If I die under mysterious circumstances, it's been nice knowin ya," [Musk tweeted]() last year after Rogozin told him he'd [be held accountable]() for [providing Ukrainian forces]() with Starlink internet terminals. Now that Rogozin has been deployed [to the front lines]() of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he's no longer in charge of the country's space program — which, given these latest remarks, is probably for the best. **More on Rogozin:** *[Retired NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly Dishes on Ukraine, Russia, and Moon Mission]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()