In space no-one can hurt your feelings, unless you’re astronaut Thomas Pesquet who appears a little hurt by conspiracy theorists’ lack of belief in his work. Tweeting a selfie from space, Pesquet admitted naysayers would probably think the photo is fake.
Taken from outside the International Space Station (ISS), the photo shows the French astronaut conducting a space walk. Speaking directly to those who believe “we are in a hangar, on a fake Space Station,” Pesquet admitted they would also probably dispute the veracity of this image.
One theory – as far out there as the ISS itself – claims the station is a hoax, nicknaming it the “International Fake Station”. Some theorists believe the ISS does exist but is an empty orbiting tin can with space walks faked on Earth inside a swimming pool.
Others cite astronaut Chris Cassidy’s comment during a live broadcast from the ISS, in which he says “across the United States from where we are talking to you right now”, as proof of a cover-up.
Why would NASA and the European Space Agency go to all this trouble? To keep us believing the Earth isn’t flat of course, suggest some theorists.
READ MORE: ‘The Earth is flat’: RT’s ‘Space 360’ leads to age old conspiracy accusations
Pesquet isn’t the first astronaut to take a dig at conspiracy theorists. Speaking from the ISS in November as part of RT’s Space 360 project, cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko told viewers “You can see from here that the Earth is round – no elephants or whales holding it up.”
Borisenko’s comments sparked a tirade of accusations that he was lying to cover up the fact the Earth is flat.