An unexpected space battle unfolded not in the vastness of the Universe, but on social media. On one side was Kim Kardashian’s media empire, and on the other was NASA Administrator and US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. The reason for the conflict was one of humanity’s most famous scientific achievements: the Apollo lunar program.
In the new season of the television show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” Kim shares her doubts about a historical event with her colleague Sarah Paulson. She quotes astronaut Buzz Aldrin, which she interprets as confirmation of a conspiracy theory. As an argument, the star also mentions the American flag, which, in her opinion, cannot fly on the Moon due to the lack of atmosphere. This idea finds support — about 10% of Americans also do not believe in the lunar mission.
NASA’s response
Sean Duffy did not leave such loud and absurd statements without comment. In his profile post, he succinctly stated: “We’ve been to the Moon 6 times!” He also highlighted the continuation of the Artemis lunar program, whose second flight is currently being actively prepared.
Yes, @KimKardashian, we’ve been to the Moon before… 6 times!
— NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy (@SecDuffyNASA) October 30, 2025
And even better: @NASAArtemis is going back under the leadership of @POTUS.
We won the last space race and we will win this one too ???
?: Hulu pic.twitter.com/CkexEEPFSv
There is a simple scientific explanation for the “fluttering” of the flag. NASA engineers developed a special horizontal pole to keep the flag unfolded. Due to technical difficulties, the astronauts were unable to fully extend it, which is why the flag acquired its characteristic “wrinkles,” imitating movement from the wind.
Echoes of conspiracy theories
Not stopping there, Kardashian responded to Duffy’s post by mentioning another topic popular among theorists: interstellar comets. Her mysterious comment about the much-hyped “sensation surrounding 3I/ATLAS” is a reference to numerous articles about an interstellar object that some believe to be an alien spacecraft. However, scientists have long explained its entirely natural origin.
This dialogue clearly demonstrates how deeply unverified facts can penetrate the public consciousness. But it also shows the power of science—every questionable thesis can be tested and refuted by logic and evidence. In today’s world, where information spreads instantly, critical thinking becomes the most important shield against misinformation.
Earlier, we reported on the top five absurd space myths.
According to BBC
