PROJECT ANCHOR: Will Gravity Shut Off for 7 Seconds Tomorrow? The Countdown Has Begun
Viral conspiracy theories claiming that Earth’s gravity will briefly disappear on Wednesday, August 12, triggering a global catastrophe supposedly being hidden by the government, are completely false, NASA has confirmed.
“Earth’s gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass,” NASA told Snopes, emphasizing a basic principle of elementary-school science.
Earth will not lose its gravity on August 12, 2026. According to NASA, the only way Earth could lose gravity would be if the planet itself lost mass—including material from its core, mantle, crust, oceans, land, and atmosphere. That will not happen.
The bizarre claims about an impending “gravitational anomaly” began circulating online in late 2025 and gained momentum as August 12 approached. The theories centered on an alleged leaked NASA document describing “Project Anchor,” supposedly an $89 billion government program created to prepare for a catastrophic gravitational event.
According to the conspiracy theory, intersecting gravitational waves from black holes would cause Earth’s gravity to disappear for seven seconds beginning at 10:33 a.m. EST on Wednesday. The claims suggested that anything not physically anchored 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 theory further claimed that when gravity returned, everything would crash back to Earth, resulting in tens of millions of deaths and an economic collapse lasting a decade or more. Other versions alleged that NASA and the U.S. government were secretly building bunkers to protect essential personnel and people selected for their genetic diversity to help repopulate the planet.
However, the supposed “Project Anchor” quickly fell apart under scrutiny. Snopes traced the story to a December 2025 Instagram post from an account known for publishing AI-generated conspiracy stories. The claim was subsequently amplified through TikTok, X, and other social media platforms.
The conspiracy gained additional attention because August 12 coincides with several notable astronomical events, including a solar eclipse, a planetary alignment visible in the dawn sky, and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
NASA has also rejected any connection between those events and a change in Earth’s gravity.
“A total solar eclipse has no unusual impact on Earth’s gravity,” the space agency said. While the Sun and Moon exert gravitational forces on Earth that influence tides, those forces do not cause Earth’s overall gravity to disappear. Their effects are well understood and can be predicted decades in advance.
In short, there is no evidence of a coming gravitational blackout, no “Project Anchor,” and no scientific basis for claims that Earth’s gravity will vanish on August 12.
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