Danny Jones Podcast #370

Title: “I Found the Proof That Ends the Moon Landing Debate”
Guest: Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut)
Published: February 9, 2026

Overview

This episode features a deep-dive, myth-busting conversation with Tim Dodd, widely known as Everyday Astronaut, focused on moon landing conspiracies, spaceflight technology old and new, and the cultural legacy of Apollo. Host Danny Jones engages Dodd on the technical and historical details behind the Apollo missions, allowing Dodd to present clear, physics-based counterarguments to conspiracy claims while providing a fascinating look into the past, present, and future of space exploration.

The show moves from Dodd’s personal story and the origins of his expertise, through common moon hoax claims, to the present firehose of new technology—especially the Artemis program, commercial spaceflight, and wild adjacent topics like secret military tech, UFOs, and even “fungus as radiation shield.” Throughout, Dodd delivers razor-sharp, accessible explanations of everything from rocket engineering to the politics of space.

Tim Dodd’s Background & Expertise

[00:37–05:03]

• Tim Dodd is best known for his "Everyday Astronaut" YouTube channel, which he’s run full-time since 2017.
• Formerly a professional photographer—his expertise in lighting and film makes him especially qualified to address photography-based Apollo conspiracies.
• His obsession with spaceflight began through an art project involving a Russian spacesuit; he became immersed in the nuances of rocketry, initially documenting his journey for an audience curious about complex space topics.
• Dodd is self-taught in space science and engineering, reinforced by “boots on the ground” reporting at rocket launches worldwide.

Memorable quote:
"When people have questions about shadows and lighting and stars, I’m always like – yes! This is my ultimate wheelhouse... I see a lot of questions not getting good answers, so I just started making videos about how rockets work." (Dodd, [01:00])

Why Address the Moon Landing Debate?

[03:26–05:17]

• Dodd was compelled to create a comprehensive moon hoax video after watching Bart Sibrel (notorious moon landing denier) on the Joe Rogan podcast:
  "So many things start on a false premise. And then he builds a case on that." ([03:40])
• Dodd’s approach: Take sincere questions seriously and answer them with depth, not condescension.
  "These are sincere questions people have. Let’s give them sincere answers – not just a refutal to conspiracy theories, let’s explain this stuff."

Danny’s Position & Big Questions

[05:03–07:08]

• Danny describes himself as "on the fence":
  "I’m not convinced we didn’t go, I’m not fully convinced we went... Context of the Cold War, the government lying, why didn’t we go back?"
• Acknowledges that robots can now do moon research, reducing manned mission incentives post-Apollo.

The Saturn V, Refueling, and the Physics of Getting to the Moon

[08:07–15:08]

• Explains the confusion from old von Braun/Disney videos (from the 1950s) about refueling: technology and mission architecture changed dramatically in the 1960s with Lunar Orbit Rendezvous.
• Dodd describes the Saturn V:
  • 2.9 million kg at launch
  • Only about 7,000 kg (less than 0.25%) mass lands on the moon
• Today’s new vehicles (e.g., SpaceX Starship) will tip the scales enormously:
  • Starship’s planned lunar lander is 100x larger in internal volume, with up to 300,000 kg landed mass
  • It achieves this using on-orbit refueling, reusable hardware, and modern engineering — all at a fraction of Apollo's cost.

Notable quote:
"They’re trying to do it where the only real cost is the propellant... what if instead of throwing it all away, we got it up into orbit, refueled it, and got that to the moon?" ([13:07])

Mythbusting the “Von Braun Said It Was Impossible” Claim

[16:20–29:06]

• Old von Braun videos reference reusable rockets and orbital refueling—technologies still difficult now.
• The “problem” cited was solved by adopting a different mission profile with expendable stages; technology and mission goals evolved rapidly in the 1960s.
• Dodd connects how today’s ambitions (reusability, refueling) trace their lineage to these early concepts, and why it’s only now becoming feasible.

Operation Paperclip: Historical Context

[23:29–27:29]

• Dodd and Danny acknowledge the dark origins of NASA’s top engineering talent in WWII Germany, the ethics of "ending up with Nazis running NASA," and the urgency of the arms/space race.

What’s Changed Since Apollo?

[30:37–46:58]

• Artemis Program:
  • Artemis 2 (launching imminently) will test the new Orion crew capsule with a lunar fly-by.
  • Modern spacecraft are larger, more comfortable, and use new technology (e.g., digital avionics, toilets instead of bags).
  • SLS is costly and controversial due to cost-plus contracts and a mandate to reuse shuttle-era parts (“The Senate Launch System”).
• Commercialization:
  • NASA shifts to "fixed price" contracts for lunar landers — driving competition and innovation (SpaceX, Blue Origin).
• Routine Rocketry:
  • SpaceX launches now happen every few days; booster landings are routine.

Why Haven’t We Gone Back Yet?

[74:04–76:45; revisit from earlier]

• The challenge is not "we lost the technology" — rebuilding Apollo hardware today is as unfeasible as rebuilding a '67 Mustang on the original assembly line. The cost, scale, and economic incentives just aren’t there.
  "The Concorde was a supersonic jet... We don’t have that. It doesn’t mean we lost the ability, just that the economic driving factors changed." (Dodd, [74:49])

The “Missing Apollo Data” Myth

[76:48–85:22]

• Only the raw backup tapes of Apollo 11’s video downlink were recorded over; the videos themselves were broadcast, copied, and exist in multiple forms.
• There are still thousands of hours of audio and terabytes of high-res photography, much of it newly digitized (e.g., the acclaimed Apollo 11 IMAX documentary).
• All astronaut-shot film is preserved.

How Rockets Work (for Non-Experts)

[49:31–54:00]

• Dodd offers clear analogies:
  • Rockets are guns, firing mass out the back (equal and opposite reaction).
  • They work better in vacuum (no air resistance).
• “Why are we still using rockets?”: Alternatives like nuclear pulse propulsion and centrifuges are even less feasible for humans.

Commercial Space & The Future

[91:16–97:08]

• SpaceX is working toward Mars; Starship is designed for self-sufficiency and in-situ propellant production (using the Sabatier process to make methane from Martian resources).
• Tech advances: 3D printing, regenerative cooling, engine cycles — today’s engines (SpaceX’s Raptor) vastly outperform Apollo-era hardware.

The Van Allen Belt Debate

[98:11–106:05]

• The Van Allen belts were mapped post-Explorer 1—doses for Apollo crews were minor, especially with abbreviated exposure time and shielding.
• Claims that we’ve "never sent organisms through the belts since Apollo" are addressed — Artemis 2 will do so again after decades.

Addressing the Bart Sibrel “Smoking Gun”

[217:01–234:41]

• Dodd thoroughly debunks the famous “fake Earth window” claim by Sibrel:
  • The video was publicly broadcast in 1969, not a secret leak.
  • Physics, camera optics, and capsule layout make Bart’s “window illusion” impossible.
  • Windows appear to "blow out" on camera simply due to exposure settings—not a trick.
  • Parallax and geometry ensure the shot was of the actual Earth, not a trick of perspective.

"Trying to use the capsule window would be the worst way to fake it. Any slight camera movement would instantly give it away." ([232:32], paraphrased)

UFOs, Secret Technology, and Conspiracies

[59:15–73:08; revisit 193:41–201:18]

• Danny and Dodd discuss recent UFO whistleblowers, black-budget technology claims, and historical figures associated with anti-gravity and the occult (e.g., Jack Parsons).
• Dodd is open-minded but remains evidence-driven:
  • "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," acknowledging both the reality of secret military R&D and the likelihood of psyops.
• On astronauts and secret knowledge: Dodd maintains that most are focused on their narrow technical duties, not Hollywood-style secrets.

Apollo Astronauts: Psychology and Post-Flight Life

[205:21–209:34]

• Many Apollo-era astronauts faced difficulty adjusting after their missions, analogous to other “peak experience” phenomena.
• Misconceptions about how many public interviews Neil Armstrong gave ("he was not reclusive, did more than two!") are corrected.

Debunking Out-of-Context Evidence

[213:44–215:41]

• The “couldn’t see the stars” press conference clip: Dodd explains, in context, the astronauts were asked about photographing the solar corona — not free observation.

Notable Technical Insights

• Regenerative cooling in rocket engines, hand-brazed vs. modern machined nozzles ([186:36–188:24])
• Starship’s historic design: thousands of launches anticipated, reliance on reusability, and exponential cadence scaling ([189:44–190:49])
• Fungus from Chernobyl may one day be used as a radiation shield for astronauts ([110:25–138:14])
• Commercial asteroid mining is becoming viable (AstroForge) and even selfie satellites for kids are now a thing ([161:43–164:58])
• Starlink and “Starshield” satellites as dual-use (military/comms) platforms, and notes on satellite deorbiting and space traffic ([154:54–158:13])

Philosophical & Social Reflections

[169:57–177:32]

• Dodd and Jones reflect on the polarization, disinformation, and overwhelming quantity of online conspiracy content:
  "The truth is going to be buried in garbage." (Dodd, [172:02])
• Emphasis on the value of "face-to-face with a fellow human" ([172:48])

Conclusion & Looking Ahead

[239:40–240:48]

• Artemis 2 poised to launch, returning astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in 54 years.
• Everyday Astronaut (Tim Dodd) will host a 4K livestream of launch with his team, and continues to make advanced space engineering accessible to all.

Closing thoughts:
"Thank you for having me out here. It’s been a lot of fun." — Tim Dodd

Quick Segment Timestamps

| Time | Topic | |------|-------| | [00:37–05:03] | Tim Dodd’s background and YouTube origin story | | [08:07–15:08] | Saturn V vs. Starship, mass-to-moon, and refueling myths | | [23:29–27:29] | Dark roots: Paperclip, Nazi scientists at NASA | | [30:37–36:30] | Artemis 2 mission details and SLS program bureaucracy | | [74:04–76:45] | Most compelling moon-hoax argument: "Why did we stop going?" | | [76:48–85:22] | The truth about "missing Apollo data" | | [98:11–106:05] | Van Allen Belts: Danger, doses, and debunked scare claims | | [217:01–234:41] | Deep dive: Bart Sibrel’s “smoking gun” debunked | | [239:40–240:48] | Artemis 2 preview and wrap-up |

Notable Quotes

• "If you get all the way deep enough, it becomes beautiful, and you really start to appreciate a lot of the things that had to be considered."
  — Tim Dodd ([04:20])
• "Let’s get humans back to the moon. They’ll fly around and through portions of the Van Allen radiation belts just like Apollo had to… and yeah."
  — Tim Dodd ([34:57])
• "Trying to use the capsule window would be the worst way to fake it. Any movement would give it away immediately."
  — Tim Dodd ([232:32])
• "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence... If they do have something [exotic propulsion], I hope it doesn’t destroy us before we get to learn about it."
  — Tim Dodd ([62:00], [201:28])
• "The truth is going to be buried in garbage. We already lost—we already are sewn disinformation to the point of us not even knowing."
  — Tim Dodd ([172:02])

For More

• Everyday Astronaut on YouTube: youtube.com/EverydayAstronaut
• Tim Dodd’s “The Truth about the Apollo Moon Landings” — The definitive technical deep-dive video.
• Artemis 2 Livestream: Follow the Everyday Astronaut YouTube channel for real-time coverage.

This summary skips all advertisements, sponsor reads, and off-topic banter, focusing exclusively on discussion and content relevant to spaceflight, the moon landing, and related conspiracies.