Apollo 20: The Unknown Mission

Apollo 20 Mission — The Secret Moon Mission That Never Happened (Mystery Investigation)

Long-form investigation • Updated: today • Word count: ~2,200

Dark video clips. A supposed astronaut named William Rutledge. A glassy, humanoid corpse nicknamed the “Mona Lisa.” For years the internet has replayed footage and interviews that claim a clandestine “Apollo 20” mission landed on the Moon to retrieve alien technology. This piece peels back the layers — how the story began, why some people believed it, and why experts conclude it’s a modern fabrication.

Quick truth snapshot

Bottom line: Apollo 20 as a secret 1976 human lunar mission is not supported by any official record or credible evidence. NASA officially cancelled Apollo 20 in 1970 and lists Apollo 17 as the final crewed lunar landing. Independent journalism and technical analysis have traced the viral footage and story to an artistic hoax and reused NASA material. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Where the real Apollo program ended — the official record

The public Apollo program ran from Apollo 1 (test flights and tragedy) through Apollo 17, which landed on the Moon in December 1972. While missions originally numbered through Apollo 20 were planned, budget cuts and program priorities led NASA to cancel further lunar flights; Apollo 20 was officially cancelled in January 1970 and never flew. The remaining Saturn V rockets and hardware were reassigned to other programs (for example, Skylab). These are NASA’s archival facts. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Primary source: NASA/NSSDC and NASA history pages documenting cancelled Apollo missions and the end of crewed lunar landings. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

The legend takes shape — claims that sparked the viral story

In April 2007 a series of short, cinematic clips surfaced online showing a lunar flyover, a ruined spacecraft on the Moon, and the interior shots of a spacecraft cabin with a preserved humanoid body — the so-called “Mona Lisa.” The clips were posted along with interviews and forum posts that named a supposed astronaut, William Rutledge, as a member of the mission. The footage was accompanied by a dramatic backstory: a secret joint US-Soviet flight to the Moon’s far side in 1976, recovering alien wreckage and two bodies. Those claims spread quickly through UFO forums and viral videos. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

The main players in the narrative

• “William Rutledge” — the on-camera claimant who narrated the recovery story. No NASA roster or government record verifies his presence in any Apollo flight; his identity appears only within the chain of online interviews and the hoax narrative. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Thierry Speth — a French sculptor / video artist who created a multimedia presentation and book titled Apollo 20: The Unknown Mission. Investigative reporting later showed Speth’s materials formed the creative backbone of the viral footage; parts of his work explicitly present the material as fiction or art. Reuters traced connections between Speth’s project and the viral footage. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• Luca Scantamburlo — an Italian journalist who published interviews and analysis of the Rutledge material, helping popularize the narrative within UFO communities. Scantamburlo’s coverage relied on Rutledge’s unverified audio and photo material rather than corroborating documentation.

What the viral footage actually shows — and why that matters

At first glance the clips look like newly shot film: sweeping lunar terrain, an enormous crashed “mothership,” close-ups of an interior cabin, and the glassy corpse. Close technical inspection, however, tells a different story. Digital forensic and amateur investigative work identified the majority of the shots as composites or reuses of genuine NASA imagery or staged still photos. In some cases the hoaxers filmed printed NASA photos or used museum artifacts as props to create depth and realism. One long, methodical debunk — which matches frames in the viral clips to Apollo-era photos — shows how nearly every “proof” shot can be linked to publicly available NASA material, patched together and edited to imply a coherent mission. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Technical analysis: image matching and frame-by-frame comparison show reuse and manipulation of real NASA photographs to create a convincing but fraudulent narrative. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

How reputable outlets and NASA responded

News and fact-checking organizations investigated the viral claims. Reuters examined the footage and traced the origin to Thierry Speth’s creative project; Reuters reported that Speth’s book includes a clear note that the work is fiction, and that the viral story contains staged material. NASA’s official archives and historians reiterate that Apollo 20 was never launched, and no agency record supports the existence of any such secret mission or moon-recovered alien artifacts. In short: mainstream journalism and NASA say the evidence points to an artful hoax rather than hidden history. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Why do some people still believe it?

The Apollo 20 myth endures for several reasons:

• Emotion & aesthetics: Cinematic footage that looks authentic triggers visceral reactions — awe, fear, fascination.
• Confirmation bias: People who already believe official sources hide information find the narrative easy to accept.
• Echo chambers: Forums, YouTube channels, and social feeds amplify the story without serious fact-checking.
• Mix of real with fake: Reworking genuine NASA imagery into a fabricated timeline gives the illusion of authenticity, making debunking harder for casual viewers. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Mystery or art project? The evidence points to a deliberate fabrication

Serious readers should note the pattern: an attractive narrative, a charismatic on-camera storyteller, well-edited clips, and a creative originator in the artistic community. Combined, these elements look like an intentionally constructed myth — one that borrows the visual authority of real NASA materials. That conclusion does not punish curiosity; instead, it rewards source verification. When investigations connect the viral material to an artist’s portfolio and show how footage was assembled from public sources, the story shifts from conspiracy to cultural artifact — a modern myth made with clever editing. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}

Timeline — how the Apollo 20 myth traveled

1. 2007: Initial clips and interviews posted online claiming a secret Apollo 20 mission (Rutledge interview audio, staged clips).
2. 2007–2010s: UFO forums and niche sites amplify the material; small-scale investigations begin matching frames to NASA photos.
3. 2014–2019: Broader attention as clips resurface on YouTube; researchers publish detailed frame-matching analyses showing fabrication. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
4. Recent: Reuters and other outlets reiterate the artistic origin and lack of evidence for a real mission; NASA maintains its official cancellation record. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}

FAQ — quick answers for curious readers

Q: Did NASA secretly fly Apollo 20 in 1976?

A: No. NASA’s documented history shows Apollo 20 was cancelled in 1970; Apollo 17 (Dec. 1972) was the last crewed lunar landing. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

Q: Who is William Rutledge and is he a real astronaut?

A: “William Rutledge” appears only within the online interviews and hoax narrative; there is no official record of him as an Apollo astronaut. Independent researchers have been unable to verify his claimed background. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

Q: Are the “Mona Lisa” alien photos real?

A: The images and video that depict the “Mona Lisa” have been shown to be composites, repurposed photos and staged material; they are not authenticated as recovered extraterrestrial remains. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

Q: Should I trust videos that claim secret missions?

A: Treat them cautiously. Check primary sources (NASA archives, reputable news outlets), look for image provenance, and search for independent verification before accepting extraordinary claims. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}