Spaceship Moon Theory
Encyclopedia
The Spaceship Moon Theory, also known as the Vasin-Shcherbakov Theory, is a pseudoscientific
theory that claims the Earth
's moon
may actually be an alien spacecraft
. The theory was put forth by two members of the then Soviet Academy of Sciences, Michael Vasin and Alexander Shcherbakov, in a July 1970 article entitled "Is the Moon the Creation of Alien Intelligence?".
Vasin and Shcherbakov's thesis was that the Moon is a hollowed-out planetoid created by unknown beings with technology far superior to any on Earth. Huge machines would have been used to melt rock and form large cavities within the Moon, with the resulting molten lava
spewing out onto the Moon's surface. The Moon would therefore consist of a hull-like inner shell and an outer shell made from metallic rocky slag
. For reasons unknown, the "Spaceship Moon" was then placed into orbit
around the Earth.
In 1975, Don Wilson published "Our Mysterious Spaceship Moon" in which he compiled what he considered supporting facts for this theory.
suggests that there are at least two ways to determine the distribution of mass within a body. One involves moment of inertia parameters, the other involves seismic observations. In the case of the former, Karunatillake points out that, "[O]ne such parameter, the normalized polar moment of inertia, is 0.393+/-0.001, which is very close to that for a solid object with radially constant density (0.4; for comparison, Earth's value is 0.33). As for the latter, he notes that the moon is the only planetary body besides Earth on which extensive seismic observations have been made. These observations have constrained the thickness of the moon's crust, mantle and core, suggesting it could not be hollow. Karen Masters of University of Portsmouth
similarly suggests that, based on the behavior of objects interacting with the gravitational field
of the moon, we can determine the mass of the moon. Given the observable size of the moon, we can then calculate the density, which strongly rejects the notion that the moon could be hollow.
author David Weber
, Heirs of Empire, the moon is in fact a giant space ship arriving 50,000 years ago. The population of Earth are the descendants of the crew of the ship, who abandoned it after it was damaged in a mutiny
. In these books the moons are artificial constructs which are given a rocky outer coating as a form of camouflage
. The three books in the series are Mutineers Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance
and Heirs of Empire
.
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
theory that claims the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
may actually be an alien spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
. The theory was put forth by two members of the then Soviet Academy of Sciences, Michael Vasin and Alexander Shcherbakov, in a July 1970 article entitled "Is the Moon the Creation of Alien Intelligence?".
Vasin and Shcherbakov's thesis was that the Moon is a hollowed-out planetoid created by unknown beings with technology far superior to any on Earth. Huge machines would have been used to melt rock and form large cavities within the Moon, with the resulting molten lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
spewing out onto the Moon's surface. The Moon would therefore consist of a hull-like inner shell and an outer shell made from metallic rocky slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
. For reasons unknown, the "Spaceship Moon" was then placed into orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
around the Earth.
In 1975, Don Wilson published "Our Mysterious Spaceship Moon" in which he compiled what he considered supporting facts for this theory.
Criticisms
Suniti Karunatillake of Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
suggests that there are at least two ways to determine the distribution of mass within a body. One involves moment of inertia parameters, the other involves seismic observations. In the case of the former, Karunatillake points out that, "[O]ne such parameter, the normalized polar moment of inertia, is 0.393+/-0.001, which is very close to that for a solid object with radially constant density (0.4; for comparison, Earth's value is 0.33). As for the latter, he notes that the moon is the only planetary body besides Earth on which extensive seismic observations have been made. These observations have constrained the thickness of the moon's crust, mantle and core, suggesting it could not be hollow. Karen Masters of University of Portsmouth
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
similarly suggests that, based on the behavior of objects interacting with the gravitational field
Gravitation of the Moon
right|thumb|300px|Radial gravity anomaly at the surface of the Moon in [[Gal ]]The gravitational field of the Moon has been determined by the tracking of radio signals emitted by orbiting spacecraft...
of the moon, we can determine the mass of the moon. Given the observable size of the moon, we can then calculate the density, which strongly rejects the notion that the moon could be hollow.
Spaceship Moons in literature
In the series by Science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author David Weber
David Weber
David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....
, Heirs of Empire, the moon is in fact a giant space ship arriving 50,000 years ago. The population of Earth are the descendants of the crew of the ship, who abandoned it after it was damaged in a mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
. In these books the moons are artificial constructs which are given a rocky outer coating as a form of camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
. The three books in the series are Mutineers Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance
The Armageddon Inheritance
The Armageddon Inheritance is a science fiction novel written by David Weber in two books containing a total of 27 chapters. It is the second book in his Dahak trilogy...
and Heirs of Empire
Heirs of Empire
Heirs of Empire is 1996 military science-fiction novel by David Weber. It is the third novel in the Dahak trilogy, after the de facto duology of Mutineers' Moon and The Armageddon Inheritance...
.
Further reading
- Secrets of our mysterious spaceship moon by Don Wilson, Sphere, 1976 , Dell; First edition (1975), Language: English, ISBN 978-0440065500
- Alien Agenda by Jim MarrsJim MarrsJim Marrs is an American former newspaper journalist and New York Times best-selling author of books and articles on a wide range of alleged cover ups and conspiracies. Marrs is a prominent figure in the JFK conspiracy press and his book Crossfire was a source for Oliver Stone's film JFK...
, HarperTorch (July 8, 1998), Language: English, ISBN 978-0061096860 - Moongate: Suppressed Findings of the US Space ProgramMoongate (book)Moongate: Suppressed Findings of the U.S. Space Program, The NASA-Military Cover-Up is a self published book by William L Brian which alleges a cover-up by NASA, the United States military and the Russian space program over what was really found during the US and Soviet Moon landings and space...
by William L Brian II, 1982, Future Science Research publishing Company, ISBN 0-941292-00-2