UFO Files Reveal ‘Unusual’ Sightings by Astronauts on 1969 Moon Mission
The Trump administration has released more than 160 files relating to UFOs and UAPs. Announcing the release, President Donald Trump said he had directed relevant departments to release the material “based on the tremendous interest shown.”
In recent months, the U.S. government has come under increasing pressure from lawmakers and the public to disclose details about sightings and investigations involving UFOs—also known as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs)—as part of a continuing political drive for greater transparency. A 2021 Pew Research survey found that a majority of Americans believe in life beyond our own planet.
“President Trump directed the Department of War to identify and release government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena, and unidentified flying objects because he is the most transparent president in history,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek.
“While past administrations have sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, the President is focused on providing maximum disclosure to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files. The American people asked, and President Trump delivered—enjoy!”
What Did Buzz Aldrin See?
The documents include numerous reported sightings of unidentified objects in the sky, including those from various Apollo missions. One document details the technical crew debriefing from the Apollo 11 mission, which took man to the moon for the first time in 1969.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin is quoted as having made three observations. He said that the “first unusual thing that we saw, I guess, was one day out or something pretty close to the moon. It had a sizeable dimension to it, so we put the monocular on it.”
The crew speculated that it could have been the S-IVB stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle.
Aldrin also detailed seeing “little flashes inside the cabin, spaced a couple of minutes apart” while trying to sleep, as well as “a fairly bright light source which we tentatively ascribed to a possible laser.”
What Other Apollo Missions Reported Seeing
The newly released files also include transcripts from other Apollo missions in which astronauts described seeing unexplained lights, particles and flashes during flights to the moon.
During Apollo 12, astronauts reported observing strange illuminated objects outside the spacecraft while orbiting near the moon. In one exchange, lunar module pilot Alan L. Bean described seeing particles and flashes of light “sailing off in space.”
The files from Apollo 17 contain even more extensive discussions of unusual sightings. Astronauts described “very bright particles or fragments” drifting and tumbling near the spacecraft shortly after launch, with lunar module pilot Harrison “Jack” Schmitt comparing the scene to “the Fourth of July.” The crew speculated the objects may have been ice or paint fragments shed from parts of the Saturn V rocket, though they admitted that explanation was largely a “wild guess.”
Later in the mission, Commander Eugene A. Cernan described seeing intense flashing lights while trying to sleep in deep space, saying one burst was as bright as a train headlight shining between his eyes.
Circular Vehicles and ‘Hovering’ Objects
Also included in the tranche of documents is a 1957 FBI report detailing an interview with Wladyslaw Krasuski, who recounted seeing a large, circular, vertically-rising vehicle in 1944 near a German military compound.
“This vehicle, observed from approximately 500 feet, was described as circular in shape, 75 to 100 yards in diameter, and about 14 feet high, consisting of dark gray stationary top and bottom sections, five to six feet high. The approximate three foot middle section appeared to be a rapidly moving component producing a continuous blur similar to an aeroplane propeller, but extending the circumference of the vehicle so far as could be observed,” the document said.
Another document says that in March 2023, an individual reported seeing a “large blue featureless triangular object with a solid, unwavering silhouette emitting powerful ‘whitish blue’ light from multiple points along its perimeter.”
The object, spotted in the Pacific Time Zone, was described as “hovering stationary above or near a national security facility for approximately three minutes.”
The reporter said the object appeared to be “‘backing up’ in a ‘jerking’ or ‘jumping’ manner inconsistent with ‘smooth’ jet propulsion.” The individual added that they did not believe the object was a drone and could not identify its means of propulsion.
In November 2023, a UAP was reported in Syria during U.S. Central Command’s operations. The report says the UAP was “shaped as a bouncy ball” and was observed by Air Force personnel for around seven minutes before going out of range. The object was not considered a threat to the aircraft, and it had no effect on the crew members.
A video from June 2024 shows a UAP consisting of an “object with a vertical pole or bar attached to the bottom of the object,” according to the U.S. Northern Command.
“An area of contrast visually resembling an inverted teardrop with a vertically linear trailing mass suspended below remains generally within the center of the sensor field-of-view throughout the video,” a description of the video says.
Lawmakers Link UFO Files to Christian Beliefs
Some members of Congress have weighed in on the release, linking aspects of the files to Christian beliefs and theology. Representative Lauren Boebert commented on some of her beliefs in a video shared by Right Wing Watch on Friday.
“We serve an infinite God, a God of the universe,” the Colorado Republican said. “To say this is the only realm is ignorant…I do believe that this is more spiritual and, if you really want to go there, demonic.”
Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who has been among the lawmakers pushing for the release of the file, has encouraged her followers on X to read the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish religious text best known for its vivid supernatural themes. It expands on a brief passage in Genesis by describing the fall of a group of angels called the Watchers, who descend to Earth, mate with human women, and produce the Nephilim—giant offspring whose violence helps provoke the biblical flood.
In modern pop culture, some “ancient astronaut” or alien-oriented interpretations reframe Enoch’s supernatural beings and heavenly journeys in science-fiction terms—reading the Watchers as extraterrestrials, though scholarly responses are generally skeptical of such theories.
Some pastors have publicly said they attended a secretive meeting with officials where they were told disclosure was forthcoming, and warned that any revelations could raise theological questions.
UFO Files Teased by Anna Paulina Luna
The release of the files was anticipated in a cryptic post from Luna, who wrote “8 a.m.” on X.
Luna has been among the more outspoken voices on UFO disclosure, alongside Republican Representatives Eric Burlison and Tim Burchett. The drop was celebrated by the three, with Luna describing the release as “a massive first step in the right direction,” and Burchett calling it “a great start.”
“This is a historic first step in what I trust will be just one of many,” said Burlison.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Friday’s release is “the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification and release effort.”
Luna, who chairs the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, had previously called on the Pentagon to deliver a tranche of videos relating to alleged UFO encounters, though she had reported that an April 14 deadline for this was missed.
Luna also directed her followers, shortly after her mysterious “8 a.m.” post, to watch a recent episode of Joe Rogan’s eponymous podcast, in which Burchett appeared as a guest.
In the episode, Burchett, of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District, alleged a longstanding government cover-up since at least 1947—the year of the much-debated Roswell incident—and suggested he was skeptical of what any forthcoming disclosure may reveal.
“They don’t give up that easy,” he said.
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