The United States government has released a sweeping collection of declassified files detailing decades of unexplained aerial and space-related phenomena, including accounts from Apollo astronauts who reported witnessing mysterious objects while travelling to and from the Moon. The disclosures, described by officials as an unprecedented effort in transparency, have revived public debate over unidentified flying objects and whether governments have long concealed information about unexplained encounters in space and the skies above Earth.
Among the most striking revelations are photographs and transcripts linked to NASA’s Apollo missions. One image captured during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, the final time humans walked on the Moon, appears to show three bright objects arranged in a triangular formation hovering in the darkness of space. Another photograph from Apollo 12 in 1969 shows what officials described as a vertical blue haze moving across the lunar surface.
The newly released files include communications between astronauts and mission control that reveal moments of confusion and astonishment during the historic journeys. During Apollo 17, astronaut Ronald Evans reported seeing unusual objects drifting past the spacecraft while manoeuvring in lunar orbit.
“Now we’ve got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we manoeuvre,” Evans told mission control. Fellow astronaut Harrison “Jack” Schmitt compared the scene outside the spacecraft window to “the Fourth of July,” while Evans described the objects as “very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling.”
The Pentagon acknowledged that analysts still have no agreed explanation for the incident, though preliminary reviews suggested the objects may have been physical in nature rather than optical distortions or camera defects.
The files also revisit testimony from Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who during a post-mission debrief described several “unusual” experiences during humanity’s first Moon landing mission in 1969. Aldrin recalled observing a sizeable object near the spacecraft while en route to the Moon, prompting the crew to examine it through a monocular device. He also reported unexplained flashes inside the cabin occurring at regular intervals and a bright light source that astronauts speculated might have been connected to a laser.
The release is part of a much larger archive assembled by the Pentagon, the FBI, NASA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other federal agencies. The documents contain blurry photographs, radar observations, witness testimony and internal reports involving unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, the term now officially used by the US government instead of UFOs.
Many of the files detail incidents involving military pilots and surveillance operators across several decades. One report describes an object seen flying above the Strait of Hormuz in September 2020 at an altitude of around 1,800 feet. Another FBI document includes photographs allegedly showing unidentified objects near a US aircraft on New Year’s Eve in 1999.
A particularly dramatic account emerged from a 2025 FBI interview with a senior intelligence official who claimed he encountered mysterious glowing orbs at a US military facility. According to the transcript, officials searching the area by helicopter observed a “super-hot” orb hovering over the ground before accelerating at speeds too fast to pursue. The witness said several more glowing objects appeared shortly afterwards before fading away.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the release as a historic moment for government openness. He argued that decades of secrecy surrounding unexplained sightings had fuelled speculation and mistrust among the public.
“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fuelled justified speculation,” Hegseth said. “It’s time the American people see it for themselves.”
The administration of President Donald Trump framed the disclosures as part of a broader campaign for government transparency. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump declared that previous administrations had failed to fully inform Americans about UFO-related investigations.
“It was my honor to direct my Administration to identify and provide Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects,” Trump wrote. “The people can decide for themselves, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?’”
The release comes after years of increasing public pressure on Washington to disclose what it knows about unexplained aerial sightings. Congress formally ordered the Pentagon in 2022 to begin releasing historical UFO records after military personnel testified about encounters with unidentified craft displaying unusual flight characteristics.
The Pentagon subsequently established a dedicated office tasked with investigating UAP incidents and reviewing classified archives. Its first major report in 2024 catalogued hundreds of cases but concluded there was no verified evidence that the US government had encountered extraterrestrial technology.
Experts caution that the latest disclosures are unlikely to provide definitive answers. Many scientists and aerospace analysts argue that most sightings can eventually be explained as classified military programmes, optical illusions, atmospheric effects or misunderstood technology. A Pentagon report released last year acknowledged that the US military itself had historically encouraged fake UFO narratives to conceal the testing of advanced aircraft and weapons systems during the Cold War.
Even so, the public fascination surrounding the files remains intense, fuelled by decades of conspiracy theories and popular culture depictions of alien encounters. The Apollo revelations in particular have drawn attention because they involve astronauts widely regarded as some of the most credible witnesses in modern history.
Critics, however, questioned the political timing of the release. Some opponents accused the administration of using UFO disclosures to divert attention from other controversies, including criticism over the handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files and mounting public concern over foreign policy tensions.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump ally who has increasingly criticised the administration, argued that the sudden focus on UFOs was intended to distract Americans from economic pressures and overseas conflicts. In a social media post, she claimed the government was promoting excitement over extraterrestrial mysteries while avoiding accountability on other major issues.
Despite the controversy, officials indicated that the current release represents only the beginning of a broader declassification effort. Additional videos and documents, including material requested by lawmakers and whistleblowers, are expected to be published in stages over the coming months.
For now, the files have succeeded in reviving one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring questions: whether strange lights in the sky and unexplained objects seen by astronauts, soldiers and pilots represent misunderstood earthly technology — or evidence of something far beyond human understanding.
