Most flat-earthers claim that space don’t exist.  Oftentimes this is about a misunderstanding of the concept of vacuum.  The “vacuum” people are familiar with from contact with everyday objects is actually an under-pressure.  The vacuum of space instead consists of the virtual absence of matter.  There is nothing filling up space as some imagine it.  As such there is neither anything which would “suck up” the air.  It just gradually sparse out until air-pressure becomes negligible.

It is common to believe spacecraft to be unaffected by the Earth’s gravity.  It does not stop abruptly but grows gradually weaker.  The further away from the Earth one gets the weaker its gravity becomes.  Spacecraft are usually not as far away as one might think.  Most of gravity is still there.  But if one and everything around one moves at the same speed one does not notice it.  This can also be created on airplanes, however only for 20 – 30 seconds.

People which deny the existence of spaceflight claims everything from space to be faux.  For example, that everything shoot is space would be made using special effects.  Trouble is the claimed effects all have their limitations.  Depictions for film or TV made on the ground or in the air all keep within those.  What is really shoot is space exceeds such limitations.  Moreover, often with interest.

In the same way there are people claiming that satellites don’t exist.  In that case they probably expect one too see them all at once.  Naturally one does not.  Satellites are only visible to the unaided eye under certain specific circumstances.  This is shortly before sunrise and shortly after sunset.  Then they may reflect enough light to be visible against the darker sky.  But I think this is just for a short while when they pass close to the direction the sun is below the horizon.  Do they pass in this direction they may still be too faint.

One does not have to rely on spaceflight to see the celestial bodies at all.  Apart from what can be seen by the unaided eye there are amateur telescope for sale.  Flat-earthers claim them to be programed to show fake images.  As if all privately owned telescopes would contain sufficiently new electronics.  Such technology came during my lifetime.  There are certainly many privately owned ones not containing any electronics at all.  In addition, it is still possible for amateurs to build their own.  I even have a book printed in 1989 containing instructions for how to build one’s own.

Uploaded on the 1st of November 2023.