Armstrong’s remark as he climbed down the ladder of the lunar module – “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – is arguably the most famous sentence ever uttered by a human being. His arrival marked the end of a voyage which had cost billions of dollars as NASA raced to fulfil President John Kennedy’s promise to put a man of the Moon by the end of the 1960s. However, conspiracy theorists have had a field day ever since, pointing to a series of supposed inconsistencies, ranging from the US flag which they say can be seen flapping in the wind, to a moon rock which they claim has the letter “c” written on it, as evidence that the footage was shot in a television studio.

Apart from anything else, if it was a fake, they would only have done it once!

Express.co.uk reader

You responded in force – and the result, while conclusive, was not entirely emphatic: as of 3.40pm today, out of 8,352 votes, 5,089 (61 percent) said the landings actually happened.

However, almost a third – 2,713 (32.5 percent) said they had been faked, with a further 550 (6.5 percent) undecided.

One Express.co.uk reader commented: “There were nine Apollo missions to the moon between December 1968 and December 1972. 24 men visited the moon.

“Apart from anything else, if it was a fake, they would only have done it once!”

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon’s surface in 1969 (Image: GETTY)

The verdict was clear – if not emphatic (Image: Express.co.uk)

In a similar vein, another added: “If Conspiracy Theorists think Apollo 11 was fake, do they think the other 4 landings were fake as well?”

A third pointed out: “12 Astronauts have walked on the Moon I think, 6 Moon Landing Missions, there were other test missions.

“If they’re all Fake that’s a Very big Secret to Keep, especially with all the people who would need to be involved in keeping it.”

One Express.co.uk reader aimed his comments at YouTuber Shane Dawson, who has aired his doubts about the moon landing in various clips, saying: “Wow, somebody who wasn’t around at the time and has a Bambi ornament thinks he has all the answers.”

Neil Armstrong’s famous moon footprint (Image: GETTY)

Another had a rather novel take on the question, saying: “The Apollo Program was REAL but what most people don’t know is that this conspiracy theory was deliberately circulated by the US intelligence service to cast doubt.

“Why? Because human beings never went back to the moon in a public capacity, which they don’t want you to know about.

“Spreading this rumour deflects the focus on the public asking why?”

There was nevertheless some support for idea that the Apollo missions were a hoax.

Apollo 11 was crewed by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin (Image: GETTY)

One sceptic said: “50 years and they have never been back.

“There is something strange and it’s just not funding, technology has advanced so much since 1969.”

Another said: “Suspiciously, the space lunar program ended at the very moment when the Soviet Union sent the first Salyut orbital station into space.

“Because from the orbital station, the Moon is perfectly visible. And no one else has flown there in 50 years, not a single flight to the moon! Is it not suspicious?

A third added: “The one thing I cannot get my head round is the landing thrusters did not kick up any sand or other material. This points to there wasn’t a landing.”

Officially at least, 12 men landed on the Moon in Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 – Armstrong, Aldrin, Charles Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, David Scott, James Irwin, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt.

Tomorrow will be marked by events across the world commemorating what many regard as mankind’s greatest achievement.