Tuesday, Sep. 7, 2021
Does a mismatch between lunar boot prints and Neil Armstrong’s smooth-soled ‘space boot’ confirm US astronauts never walked on the moon?
Why do the photos of Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin's 1969 walk on the moon show a textured tread while the space boots have a smooth sole?
Social media may think this is fishy, but there's an obvious explanation. Just like you do on an icy day, the astronaut wore "overshoes" over his space boots.
Both Aldrin and Neil Armstrong got to walk on the moon.
As for why those overshoes aren't on display as the space boots are, they were left behind along with other detritus to allow for the added weight of lunar rocks and dust samples.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- National Air and Space Museum Apollo Overshoe
- National Gallery of Art Buzz Aldrin's Footprint
- Forbes The Apollo 11 Astronauts Left A Lot Of Junk On The Moon
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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