NASA Debunks Hoax Claiming Earth Will Lose Gravity on 12 August 2026

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has issued a firm clarification debunking a hoax that claims Earth will lose gravity on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The rumour, which has circulated widely on social media, is linked to a conspiracy theory about a secret NASA project called Project Anchor.

NASA senior science communicator Karen Fox told Newsweek that the nonsensical conspiracy theory frequently resurfaces. In an official statement, NASA stressed that a global loss of gravity is scientifically impossible. “Earth will not lose gravity on Wednesday. Earth’s gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass,” the statement read. “The only way for Earth to lose gravity is if the Earth system—the combined mass of its core, mantle, crust, oceans, land water, and atmosphere—lost mass.”

The hoax gained traction ahead of 12 August, with fact-checking organisation Snopes reporting that the rumour originated from claims about a leaked NASA document in November 2024. The false narrative warned of a seven-second gravitational anomaly causing mass casualties. NASA further explained that while the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon affects tides, it does not alter Earth’s total gravity, and these forces are well understood and predictable decades in advance.