There are a lot of things about space that we do not know about. For example, there are many theories on whether aliens exist on other planets or not. The high level of uncertainty in the final frontier opens up a lot of room for conspiracy theories, beliefs, and unsubstantiated claims. This leads to very weird, and sometimes funny, stories about the space. Below is a look at some of the top strange space news:
The disappearance of UFO engineer
One of the most strange space news is about the disappearance of Granger Taylor, a self-taught mechanical engineer. Despite having dropped out of high school, Taylor was a talented mechanic., and he was fascinated by a number of projects. One of these projects was the construction of a UFO-like structure. Unfortunately, his fascination with aliens only grew over time. Soon, Taylor started claiming to be in constant communication with alien beings. He also started telling people that the aliens promised to take him to their world.
On 29th November 1980, Taylor disappeared from his home. He left behind a weird note that said he was going for an interstellar voyage aboard an alien ship. And while he promised his parents that he would return, Taylor was never heard from again. Strangely enough, the story of his disappearance spread and became one of the most popular conspiracy theories about alien abductions.
NASA “UFO” conspiracy
One of the most recent strange space news is about aliens and UFOs, and it involves NASA. In March, a live video stream from NASA allegedly captured several UFOs flying close to the International Space Station. The video, which was a demonstration from ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforreti, showed several white objects in the background.
Moments after, NASA shut down the live stream. However, the footage was uploaded to several conspiracy websites, who used it as a claim that aliens exist. They also accused NASA of trying to cover up the fact that aliens exist, claiming that shutting down the live stream was a way of hiding the evidence.
Robert Bigelow claims that aliens exist
One of the most controversial claims about UFOs and alien existence came from Robert Bigelow, the entrepreneur behind Bigelow Aerospace. In an interview with CBS, Bigelow claimed that Aliens exist, and have visited Earth before.
The space billionaire said that his grand parents had spotted a UFO in Las Vegas, which led him to believe that aliens have been on earth for some time. While the claim that aliens exist is understandable, his claim that they have been on earth before drew a lot of skepticism. This is especially considering the fact that he owns one of the top tech and space companies, which works closely with NASA on the U.S space program.
The golf ball on the moon
Away from conspiracy theories, another quite strange space news is the Alan Shepard space golf ball of 1971. In one of the first space publicity stunts, Shepard hit the ball on the surface of the moon during the Apollo Mission.
With no gravity to stop it, the ball is said to have traveled for miles and miles. Shepard also became the only man to ever play golf on the moon, something that is yet to be achieved again.
Considering that the ball traveled for a number of miles, Shepard is also, without a doubt, the unofficial record holder for the longest golf ball shot; the world record currently stands at 515 yards (on Earth).