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Theory

Apollo 20 secret mission

Apollo 20 secret mission

Summary

Headline Finding: There is no credible evidence for an Apollo 20 secret mission, despite claims by conspiracy theorists suggesting it discovered alien artifacts on the Moon's far side. Official records from NASA and historical accounts indicate that Apollo missions 18, 19, and 20 were canceled due to budget constraints.

Key Findings:

  • No credible evidence exists for an Apollo 20 secret mission; official NASA records and historical documents do not mention such a mission [3][5].
  • YouTube user "Retiredafb" (purportedly William Rutledge) claimed in April 2007 that Apollo 20 was a joint U.S.-Soviet mission that discovered an alien city and corpses on the Moon's far side, but this is widely considered a hoax [2][4].
  • High-definition photos from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have captured evidence of actual Apollo landing sites, including hardware left by astronauts [10].
  • NASA officially canceled Apollo 20 in January 1970 to reallocate its Saturn V rocket for Skylab's launch; budget constraints and safety concerns post-Apollo 13 also led to the cancellation of missions 18 and 19 [6][9].

Disagreements:

  • Conspiracy theorists claim that Apollo 20 was a secret mission that discovered alien artifacts, while official records from NASA deny any such mission took place. Skeptics argue that these claims are based on low-resolution images and poor-quality videos that can be explained by natural formations or optical illusions [4][7].

Open Questions:

  • What motivated the creation of the Apollo 20 conspiracy theory, and why do some individuals continue to believe in its authenticity despite lack of credible evidence?
  • Are there any unaccounted-for Saturn V rockets that could have been used for a secret mission, or is this purely speculative?

Sources

Per-source notes

List of missions to the Moon - Wikipedia

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_missions_to_the_Moon>

There is no credible evidence of an Apollo 20 secret mission in the provided Wikipedia list.

  • The first partially successful lunar mission was Luna 1, which performed a flyby.
  • Luna 2 achieved the first Moon landing on September 14, 1959.
  • Luna 3 captured the first images of the far side of the Moon on October 7, 1959.
  • Luna 9 made the first controlled soft landing in February 1966.
  • Apollo 8 orbited the Moon in December 1968, and Apollo 11 landed humans on July 20, 1969.

The list details numerous missions from various countries but does not mention any secret Apollo 20 mission.

World UFO Day: Alien Girl and the Secret Apollo 20 Mission

<https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/world-ufo-day-alien-girl-secret-apollo-20-mission-1454928>

  • Claim: An alleged secret Apollo 20 mission to the Moon was covered up by NASA, featuring footage of a lunar city and an alien corpse dubbed "Mona Lisa."

Key points:

  • Officially, Apollo missions 18, 19, and 20 were canceled due to budget constraints.
  • In April 2007, YouTube user "Retiredafb" (purportedly William Rutledge) uploaded videos claiming they were from a secret joint American-Soviet mission in August 1976.
  • Videos showed what appeared to be the cabin of Apollo 20 and footage of a lunar city and an alien corpse.
  • Rutledge claimed that Nasa's Apollo 14 mission had flown over polar regions of the Moon, capturing images of abandoned spaceships and cities.
  • He alleged that Apollo 20 landed near Delporte Crater to explore an ancient "cigar-shaped" mother ship containing two alien corpses.

Skepticism:

  • WikiBooks.org suggests it is a hoax perpetrated by French video artist Thierry Speth.
  • Despite this, many UFO enthusiasts remain convinced of the mission's authenticity.

Apollo program - Wikipedia

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program>

  • No evidence of an Apollo 20 secret mission exists within the official NASA program data.
  • The Apollo program, led by NASA from 1961 to 1972, aimed at crewed lunar landings and achieved six successful Moon missions.
  • Kennedy's goal was fulfilled on July 20, 1969, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the Moon during Apollo 11.
  • The program cost $25.4 billion in 1973 dollars ($257 billion in 2020).
  • Apollo encountered two failures (Apollo 1 and 13) and one partial failure (Apollo 6).
  • Apollo set milestones including the first crewed mission to leave low Earth orbit (Apollo 8) and land on the Moon (Apollo 11).
  • The program returned 842 pounds of lunar rocks, contributing significantly to lunar science.
  • Following Apollo, humans did not venture beyond low Earth orbit until the Artemis II flyby in 2026.

Apollo 20: Journey into Darkness

<https://theunredacted.com/apollo-20-journey-into-darkness/>

  • Core Claim: A YouTube user named "retiredafb" claimed in 2007 that Apollo 20 was a secret mission that discovered an alien city and crashed spacecraft on the Moon's dark side.

Evidence for:

  • Photographic Anomalies: Images from Apollo 15 show what some interpret as a large, cylindrical object resembling a spaceship.
  • Attention to Detail: The videos feature realistic depictions of Apollo hardware and include real astronaut Alexei Leonov.

Evidence against:

  • Pareidolia: High-resolution images reveal the supposed "mothership" is actually just a hill on the Moon's surface.
  • Logistical Impossibility: All known Saturn V rockets are accounted for, making it implausible that an additional secret mission could have been launched without detection.

Key Issues:

  • The story relies heavily on low-resolution images and claims of hidden artifacts, which can be explained by natural formations or optical illusions.
  • Launching a secret Apollo mission would require concealing the construction and launch of a Saturn V rocket, which is highly improbable given the scale and visibility involved.

The Apollo Program - NASA

<https://www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/>

  • No evidence or official record exists for an "Apollo 20" secret mission; the article details missions from Apollo 1 to Apollo 17.
  • Project Apollo’s goals included landing Americans on the moon, establishing space technology, achieving preeminence in space exploration, and conducting scientific lunar exploration.

Key Points:

  • Rocket and Spacecraft: The Saturn V rocket was used for lunar flights. The spacecraft consisted of a command module (CM), service module (SM), and lunar module (LM).
  • Missions Overview:

- Apollo 1: Tragedy struck during preflight testing in 1967. - Apollo 4 to 6: Uncrewed missions tested the Saturn V rocket and Lunar Module. - Apollo 7 to 17: Crewed missions included Earth orbit flights, lunar orbits, and landings. Notable achievements include the first moonwalk (Apollo 11) and use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (Apollo 15).

  • American Flags on the Moon: Six flags were planted from 1969 to 1972; their placement was symbolic and did not claim territorial rights.

Additional Details:

  • Apollo missions spanned from 1962 to 1972.
  • The final mission, Apollo 17, took place in December 1972.

Canceled Apollo missions - Wikipedia

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canceled_Apollo_missions>

  • Cancellation Timeline: Apollo 20 was canceled in January 1970 to allow for Skylab's launch; further cancellations of Apollo 18 and 19 followed due to budget cuts.
  • Reasons for Cancellations:

- To convert Saturn V rockets for the Skylab project. - Budget limitations. - Safety concerns post-Apollo 13 incident.

  • Planned Missions: Originally, nine more missions were planned after Apollo 11 through Apollo 20. These would have included extended stays on the Moon with the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
  • Impact of Cancellations:

- Final landing schedule: Apollo 14 (February 1971), Apollo 15 (July 1971), Apollo 16 (April 1972), and Apollo 17 (December 1972). - Astronauts awaiting missions were affected, with some reassigned to other programs.

  • Proposed Far Side Landing: A crewed landing on the far side of the Moon targeting Tsiolkovskiy crater was proposed but rejected due to funding and risk concerns.

The Secret Apollo 20 Mission That Found An Alien Spaceship On The Moon!

<https://blog.sciandnature.com/2025/06/the-secret-apollo-20-mission-that-found.html>

  • The alleged Apollo 20 mission, claimed to have launched in August 1976, has no official NASA record or evidence.
  • William Rutledge, an anonymous claimant, posted videos and photos on YouTube suggesting a secret joint U.S.-Soviet mission found an alien spaceship with a humanoid inhabitant named "Mona Lisa" on the Moon's back side.
  • Key points from Rutledge’s account:

- Apollo 20 was launched four years after the last official Apollo mission (Apollo 17). - The mission aimed to explore a giant spacecraft spotted in earlier missions. - They found a derelict alien vessel and a humanoid creature, "Mona Lisa," with six fingers.

  • Skeptics debunked Rutledge's evidence due to inconsistencies like poor lighting and low-budget set appearances.
  • NASA denies the existence of Apollo 20, stating no records or launch details support such a mission.
  • Conspiracy theorists argue that any extraterrestrial discovery would have been too destabilizing during the Cold War era, leading to government cover-ups.

Apollo 19 and Apollo 20: 2 secret lunar missions

<https://blog.listentotheearth.net/apollo-19-and-apollo-20-2-secret-lunar-missions/>

The article claims that secret lunar missions, Apollo 19 and Apollo 20, were conducted in collaboration between the US Air Force and Soviet Union:

  • Apollo 18 was actually the ASTP mission, a joint space project with Russia for symbolic cooperation.
  • Apollo 19, launched on February 2, 1976, had a crew of one Russian cosmonaut and two American astronauts. It suffered a technical failure due to an unidentified object collision and did not reach its goal.
  • Apollo 20 landed near a huge spacecraft wreck (over 2.5 miles long) on the far side of the moon on August 16, 1976. The mission was kept secret by both US and Soviet authorities.

Claims are based on Luca Scantamburlo’s book "Apollo 20 The disclosure," but lack official verification or credible sources:

  • Shaky Claims:

- No official records from NASA or the Department of Defense. - Lack of independent corroboration for crew identities and mission details. - Unexplained inconsistencies in the narrative.

These claims remain speculative without further evidence.

50 Years Ago: NASA Cancels Apollo 20 Mission - NASA

<https://www.nasa.gov/history/50-years-ago-nasa-cancels-apollo-20-mission/>

  • NASA canceled Apollo 20 mission on January 4, 1970, reallocating its Saturn V rocket to launch an Earth-orbiting space station (Skylab) in 1973.
  • NASA initially planned for up to ten Moon landings but budget constraints and decisions made in 1968 and 1969 led to the cancellation of Apollo 20.
  • In August 1968, Administrator James E. Webb halted funding for additional Saturn V rockets beyond the original 15.
  • NASA Administrator Thomas O. Paine announced on July 1969 that the Apollo Applications Program (AAP) workshop would be launched "dry" using a two-stage Saturn V rocket due to increased mass requirements.
  • The AAP workshop was later renamed Skylab and successfully launched in 1973, hosting three crews for missions lasting 28, 59, and 84 days respectively.
  • Budget limitations also led to the cancellation of Apollo 18 and 19 in September 1970, making Apollo 17 the final lunar landing mission in December 1972.
  • The original plan for Apollo missions included landings at sites such as Copernicus crater (tentatively assigned to Apollo 20), but these plans were revised multiple times.

Moon landing conspiracy theories - Wikipedia

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_moon_landing_conspiracy_accusations>

Most Useful Fact: High-definition photos from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have captured evidence of the Apollo landing sites, including lunar module descent stages and astronaut tracks.

  • Moon landing conspiracy theories claim that NASA faked the Apollo missions.
  • Third-party evidence, such as images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), shows hardware left on the moon by astronauts.
  • Opinion polls show between 6% to 28% of people in various countries believe the landings were hoaxed.
  • Bill Kaysing's book "We Never Went to the Moon" popularized conspiracy theories despite his lack of technical expertise.
  • Conspiracists argue that faking was easier than actual moon missions, but experts counter that it would have been impossible to keep such a large-scale secret from over 400,000 involved individuals.
  • NASA's budget peaked in 1966 and decreased by 42% by 1972 due to competing federal priorities like the Vietnam War.
  • Scientists argue that photographic oddities are consistent with real moon photography and not indicative of a hoax.

--- _Generated locally by ClaudeClaw research on Spark 2_ _Topic row #62 in claudeclaw.db on dgx2_

--- _Synthesized from open-web sources on 2026-05-18. Node in conspiracyg knowledge graph. Showing the connections, not the verdict._

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