Artemis II Returns From the Moon as Old Conspiracies Find New Life Online

9 April 2026

Paul Francis

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A Mission in Motion, Not Preparation

Artemis II is no longer a promise or a plan. It is a live, unfolding mission.

Having successfully travelled beyond low Earth orbit and looped around the Moon, the crew are now on their return journey to Earth. In doing so, they have already secured their place in history as the first humans in more than half a century to venture into deep space. The mission itself has been widely followed, not just through official NASA channels but across social media, where images, clips and astronaut updates have circulated in near real time.

Among the most striking moments so far have been the views of Earth from lunar distance. These are not abstract renderings or archival references. They are current, high-resolution visuals captured by a crew physically present in deep space. For many, it has been a powerful reminder of both scale and perspective, reinforcing the reality of human spaceflight beyond Earth orbit.

Yet as these images spread, something else has travelled with them.

Earthrise over the Moon's horizon, showing Earth partially lit against the blackness of space. The Moon's surface is grey and textured.

The Return of a Familiar Narrative

Alongside the excitement and global attention, Flat Earth narratives have begun to reappear with renewed visibility. As with previous milestones in space exploration, the mission has acted as a catalyst rather than a cause.

Footage from Artemis II, particularly anything showing Earth as a curved, distant sphere, has been picked apart across various platforms. Claims of digital manipulation, lens distortion and staged environments have resurfaced, often attached to short clips or isolated frames removed from their original context.

This is not evidence of a growing movement in terms of numbers. It is, however, a clear increase in visibility. The scale of Artemis II has pulled these conversations back into mainstream timelines, where they sit alongside genuine public interest and scientific engagement.

Real-Time Content, Real-Time Reaction

What distinguishes Artemis II from earlier missions is the immediacy of its coverage. This is not a mission filtered through delayed broadcasts or carefully edited highlights. It is being experienced as it happens.

That immediacy has a double edge. On one hand, it allows for unprecedented access and transparency. On the other, it provides a constant stream of material that can be reinterpreted, clipped and redistributed without context.

A reflection in a window, a momentary visual artefact in a video feed, or even the way lighting behaves inside the spacecraft can quickly be reframed as suspicious. Once those clips are detached from their technical explanations, they take on a life of their own within certain online communities.

The speed at which this happens is key. Reaction no longer follows the event. It unfolds alongside it.

Scepticism in the Age of Algorithms

Flat Earth content does not exist in isolation. It is sustained by a broader culture of scepticism towards institutions, particularly those associated with government and large-scale scientific endeavour.

NASA, as both a symbol of authority and a source of complex, hard-to-verify information, naturally becomes a focal point. Artemis II, with its deep space trajectory and high visibility, fits neatly into that framework.

Social media platforms then amplify the effect. Content that challenges, contradicts or provokes tends to perform well, regardless of its factual basis. As a result, posts questioning the mission often gain traction not because they are persuasive, but because they are engaging.

This creates a distorted sense of scale. What is, in reality, a fringe viewpoint can appear far more prominent than it actually is.

The Broader Public Perspective

Outside of these pockets of scepticism, the response to Artemis II has been largely one of fascination and admiration. The mission has reignited interest in human spaceflight, particularly among audiences who have never experienced a live crewed journey beyond Earth orbit.

There is also a noticeable difference in tone compared to previous eras. The Apollo missions were moments of collective attention, where a single narrative dominated public consciousness. Artemis II exists in a far more fragmented environment, where multiple conversations unfold simultaneously.

In that landscape, it is entirely possible for celebration, curiosity and conspiracy to coexist without directly intersecting.

A Reflection of the Modern Media Landscape

The re-emergence of Flat Earth narratives during Artemis II is not an anomaly. It is part of a broader pattern that defines how major events are now experienced.

Every significant moment generates its own parallel discourse. One is grounded in reality, driven by science, engineering and exploration. The other is shaped by interpretation, scepticism and the mechanics of online engagement.

Artemis II, currently making its way back to Earth, sits at the centre of both.

The mission itself is a clear demonstration of human capability and technological progress. The conversation around it, however, reveals something different. It highlights how information is processed, challenged and reshaped in real time.

In that sense, Artemis II is not just a journey through space. It is a case study in how modern audiences navigate truth, trust and visibility in an increasingly complex digital world.

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After the Machines: Can Creative Work Survive the AI Age?

Paul Francis
Jul 30, 2025
3 min read

It started with a row of birthday cards.

While shopping at a local Tesco, I spotted a display full of birthday cards that didn’t look quite right. At first glance, they seemed like any other range of quirky illustrations and sentimental messages, but something was off. The characters had odd expressions, the hands and proportions weren’t quite human, and there was that unmistakable uncanny quality that comes from AI-generated art.

Greeting cards on display feature animals, kids, and humorous themes. Categories include "Almost Funny," "Get Well," and "Thank You."

I work in the creative industry and regularly use tools like Leonardo AI. I recognised the signs immediately. Every single one of those cards had been made by a machine.

It was a quietly shocking moment. Not because AI art exists, we’ve all seen it by now, but because it has gone mainstream, tucked into a supermarket aisle where once there had been work by real illustrators and designers. The thought struck hard: this is already happening, and it’s happening faster than people realise.

But as creative work becomes cheaper to generate, a bigger question emerges: when most people have lost their jobs to AI, who will still have the money to buy what these companies are selling?

The Jobs at Risk

Freelance illustrators designing cards and similar products might typically earn between £30 and £250 per piece, depending on the client and usage. Over the course of a year, a dedicated freelancer might bring in between £25,000 and £35,000, though that varies with commissions and demand.

It’s not a high-income job, but it supports a wide network of creative professionals, from recent graduates to long-time freelancers. These are the very people now being undercut by companies using generative AI tools to produce hundreds of designs in hours.

AI-generated content is already appearing in online marketplaces, book covers, and even music videos. It’s a quiet revolution, and not one that has left much time for retraining or regulation.

Surreal cityscape with geometric buildings, pastel colors, floating spheres, and sketched figures. The mood is dreamlike and tranquil.

If Jobs Go, What Happens Next?

The reality is simple: if creative workers lose their incomes, their ability to participate in the economy vanishes with it.

One widely discussed solution is Universal Basic Income (UBI). The concept involves giving every citizen a regular, unconditional payment to cover essential living costs. Trials in Finland, Canada and the United States have shown promising results. People were able to focus on long-term goals, retrain, or pursue creative work without the pressure of living month to month.

However, critics argue UBI could be expensive to sustain and difficult to fund without significant changes to taxation. Even so, in a world where AI threatens jobs across multiple industries, such support systems may soon become a necessity.

New Creative Roles With AI in the Loop

Some companies are working towards new hybrid roles. Instead of replacing creative professionals, they aim to involve them in the AI process.

Examples include:

AI Prompt Artists, who specialise in writing detailed inputs to guide AI tools.
Creative Curators, who review AI-generated work and refine it for production.
AI Trainers, often artists themselves, who help improve how generative models understand style and composition.

While these roles are still emerging, they offer a glimpse into a future where creativity doesn’t disappear, but shifts into new forms.

Protecting the Artists Who Came First

There’s growing pressure on governments and platforms to protect the rights of original artists. Most AI tools are trained on vast datasets scraped from the internet, often without consent.

Several lawsuits are already underway, challenging the legality of this training data. In response, the EU’s AI Act and similar legislation in the UK may soon require greater transparency, and even give artists the option to opt out of training datasets.

Some creatives are also calling for a royalties system. Just as musicians earn money when their songs are streamed, visual artists could receive micropayments when their style or content is used in an AI-generated image.

Consumer Power and the "Human Made" Movement

A growing number of consumers are beginning to notice when something is made by AI. In response, some companies are experimenting with Human Made labels, signalling when a product or design is created without AI tools.

This shift could give consumers the power to support real artists directly. Subscription platforms like Patreon and Ko-fi already allow for fan-driven support, and ethical marketplaces are beginning to highlight human creators.

But the movement needs wider awareness to have a lasting impact.

The Bigger Picture

No technology arrives in isolation. AI isn’t just changing how we work; it’s changing how we value work.

If companies can produce products without human labour, but also eliminate the spending power of the people they replaced, they risk breaking the cycle that keeps economies turning.

The Tesco card display was a small moment, but it points to a much larger shift. As a creative, it made me question where things are heading, and what it might take to ensure there’s still room for real human talent in the world ahead.

The machines are here. What happens next is up to us.