For months, a bizarre theory has been spreading online, warning that Earth could suddenly lose its gravity for several terrifying seconds this week. As the date tied to the prediction draws closer, the rumor has gained even more attention, fueled by claims of mysterious space events and a supposed secret government project. But is there any science behind the alarming prediction? NASA has now stepped in with a clear answer — and what the agency says may finally put the viral theory to rest.
NASA says Earth won’t lose its gravity
A bizarre conspiracy theory claiming Earth will suddenly lose its gravity this week has been spreading rapidly online, but NASA says there is no scientific basis for the alarming prediction.
The space agency directly addressed the rumors in a statement to fact-checking website Snopes, explaining that Earth’s gravity is tied to the planet’s mass. In other words, gravity cannot simply disappear without a fundamental change to the amount of matter that makes up Earth.
“Earth’s gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass,” NASA told Snopes, reminding the public of a basic principle of science.
“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 added. “The Earth will not lose gravity on Aug. 12, 2026.”
The statement puts to rest claims that a mysterious gravitational event is expected to strike Earth on Wednesday, August 12.
How the gravity conspiracy started
The claims began circulating online in late 2025 but gained significant momentum as the supposed date of the event approached.
Google searches for terms such as “gravity” reportedly jumped 60% this week compared with the previous week, showing just how much attention the theory has attracted.
At the center of the conspiracy is an alleged secret NASA document describing something called “Project Anchor.” According to the viral claims, the supposed $89 billion government program was created to prepare the United States for a catastrophic gravitational event.
The theory alleges that intersecting gravitational waves from black holes would cause Earth’s gravity to completely disappear for seven seconds beginning at 10:33 a.m. EST on Wednesday.
The supposed seven-second loss of gravity has been described online as a global catastrophe.
According to the conspiracy theory, anything outside that was not firmly attached to the ground—including people, animals, vehicles, rocks, trains, oceans, rivers and even the moon—would be lifted as high as 65 feet into the air.
The claims further suggest that buildings would begin breaking apart before gravity suddenly returned, sending everything crashing back toward the surface.
The fictional scenario supposedly would result in tens of millions of deaths and trigger an economic collapse that could last for a decade or longer.
Other versions of the conspiracy go even further, alleging that NASA and the U.S. government have secretly constructed underground bunkers to protect essential personnel and people with enough genetic diversity to repopulate the planet after the disaster.
There’s no evidence of ‘Project Anchor’
Despite the dramatic claims, the supposed secret project appears to have no connection to NASA or any legitimate government program.
According to Snopes, the story can be traced back to a single Instagram post published in December 2025 by an account known for publishing AI-generated conspiracy stories.
From there, the claim spread across TikTok, X, and other social media platforms, where additional posts helped transform the original story into a much larger conspiracy.
As the alleged August 12 event drew closer, the theory gained another boost from several real astronomical events scheduled to occur around the same time.
A rare combination of celestial events added to the confusion
August 12 does feature an unusual combination of activity in the sky, including a total solar eclipse, a planetary alignment visible around dawn and the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower.
For conspiracy theorists, the timing appeared to provide an opportunity to connect unrelated astronomical events to the supposed gravitational disaster.
NASA, however, said there is no connection between these celestial events and any sudden change in Earth’s gravity.
“A total solar eclipse has no unusual impact on Earth’s gravity,” the space agency said.
“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.”
With the supposed gravitational event now just days away, NASA’s explanation offers a much less frightening picture: Earth’s gravity is not about to disappear, and there is no evidence of a secret catastrophe waiting to unfold.
Source:
New York Post