NASA Debunks Viral 2026 Gravity Loss Theory as Scientifically Impossible
A viral conspiracy theory warning of catastrophic consequences if Earth were to lose gravity for seven seconds in August 2026 has spread rapidly across social media platforms, drawing millions of views and fueling wild speculation about hidden NASA projects and impending global disaster. The theory centers on a supposed leaked document and coincides with a real astronomical event, but scientists say the premise itself fundamentally misunderstands how gravity works.
The Viral Theory and Its Catastrophic Claims
At the heart of the rumor is a claim that Earth will experience a brief gravitational anomaly on 12 August 2026, a date that happens to coincide with a total solar eclipse. According to posts circulating online, this seven-second event would trigger:
- Mass casualties estimated at 40 million deaths from falls
- Atmospheric collapse and oxygen loss into space
- Widespread geological destruction including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
- Long-term economic collapse and global panic
The conspiracy theory alleges the existence of a leaked NASA document titled Project Anchor, supposedly made public in November 2024. Some versions of the claim assert that NASA quietly allocated $89 billion to mitigate the anticipated damage from this gravitational event.
NASA's Unequivocal Rejection
NASA has rejected the claim outright through official communications. According to an email from a NASA spokesperson to fact-checking organization Snopes, the agency stated in unequivocal terms that the claim was completely untrue.
The Earth will not lose gravity on Aug. 12, 2026, NASA emphasized. Earth's gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass. The only way for the Earth to lose gravity would be for the Earth system, the combined mass of its core, mantle, crust, ocean, terrestrial water, and atmosphere, to lose mass.
NASA also addressed the eclipse connection explicitly: A total solar eclipse has no unusual impact on Earth's gravity. The gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon on the Earth, which doesn't impact Earth's total gravity, but does impact tidal forces, is well understood and is predictable decades in advance.
The Misunderstood YouTube Video
The theory gained further traction through short-form videos on TikTok and YouTube, with many users pointing to an older explainer uploaded in 2020 by the YouTube science channel What If. This video explores a purely hypothetical scenario in which Earth suddenly loses gravity for five seconds, describing a chain reaction of catastrophic events:
- Anything not firmly anchored would lift off the surface
- Bodies of water would rise and spread into the air
- The atmosphere would begin unraveling as gases drift into space
- Earth's core would expand, triggering earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
- When gravity returned, everything suspended would fall simultaneously
Crucially, the video presents this as a thought experiment rather than a prediction. It does not argue that such an event is physically plausible, a distinction that has largely been stripped away as fragments of the scenario circulate across social platforms without proper context.
Why the Scenario Cannot Occur
As NASA notes, Earth's gravity is inseparable from its mass. For gravity to disappear, the planet would have to lose its core, mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere - an event that would itself render any discussion of survival academic.
The only real astronomical event scheduled for 12 August 2026 is a total solar eclipse. While eclipses affect how sunlight reaches Earth, they do not alter gravitational forces. The pull exerted by the Sun and Moon changes tides, not gravity itself.
There is no evidence of a project called Project Anchor, no budget allocation tied to gravitational containment, and no scientific mechanism by which Earth's gravity could briefly switch off and restart. The viral theory, scientists say, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of basic physics rather than a suppressed scientific risk.
