The discussion isn't as off topic as it appears. The possibility of Apollo being hoaxed rests on an assumption that the government is able to, and does, routinely pull off large conspiracies. The Curtmudgeon
and I seem to share the view that there is no such thing as a conspiracy (of the type being discussed) in a western democracy - therefore no basis to conclude the government could or would hoax Apollo. The references to JFK, area 51 etc, are, in my view, contextual and very much related to the topic. We do need to avoid getting into detailed discussions of the JFK assassination here, but showing it is more an issue of investigatory bungling than conspiracy is germaine to the broader discussion.

I'm still waiting for Moonman to give me a few examples of conspiracies in western democracies where no public good was served. Actually, prior to that, I want Moonman to define "conspiracy" as he is using it in this thread.