The United States government has opened a new chapter in the long-running mystery surrounding unidentified flying objects after the Pentagon released a massive collection of previously classified UFO-related documents, including astronaut testimonies, military footage, and civilian reports spanning several decades.
The disclosure, ordered by US President Donald Trump, comes amid growing public fascination with extraterrestrial life and renewed calls for transparency from lawmakers and researchers. A total of 161 files were uploaded to the Department of Defense website on Friday, with officials saying more records are expected to follow.
The newly released archive contains military memoranda, transcripts from NASA Moon missions, eyewitness testimonies, and video recordings of unexplained aerial phenomena observed in different parts of the world.
Interest in UFOs — now officially referred to by the Pentagon as “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” or UAPs — has intensified in recent years. In 2022, the US Congress held its first public hearings on UFOs in more than half a century, while the military pledged greater openness regarding unexplained aerial sightings.
The latest disclosure also follows controversial remarks earlier this year from former US President Barack Obama, who said during an interview that aliens were “real,” before later clarifying that he had seen no direct evidence of extraterrestrial visitors while in office. Obama nonetheless acknowledged that the statistical possibility of life beyond Earth remains high.
Apollo Astronauts Describe Strange Lights in Space
Among the most compelling revelations are transcripts from the Apollo Moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, one of the first humans to walk on the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing, described observing mysterious luminous activity during the mission.
“I observed what appeared to be a fairly bright light source,” Aldrin reportedly said in a 1969 interview included in the files. The phenomenon was initially believed to be a possible laser reflection.
Meanwhile, Alan Bean of the Apollo 12 Moon Landing recounted seeing particles and flashes of light drifting through space. He described them as appearing to “escape the Moon.”
Astronauts aboard the Apollo 17 Moon Landing also reported unusual flashes while traveling through space. One astronaut compared the spectacle to “the Fourth of July,” though the crew later suggested the lights could have been sunlight reflecting off ice particles.
Another document contains audio communications from the 1965 Gemini 7 mission mission, in which astronaut Frank Borman informed mission control about a mysterious object near the spacecraft, describing it alongside “trillions of little particles” floating nearby.
Civilian and Military Encounters Detailed
The files also compile decades of civilian testimonies describing unexplained aerial encounters.
One FBI interview from 1957 details the account of a man who claimed to witness a massive circular craft rise silently from the ground. More recent interviews conducted in 2023 include reports from American citizens who described metallic hovering objects emerging from intense flashes of light before disappearing.
In addition to eyewitness accounts, the Pentagon released military footage recorded in Iraq, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates in 2022. Several clips show fast-moving aerial objects that investigators could not conclusively identify.
One video captured in an undisclosed Middle Eastern location shows an oval-shaped object rapidly crossing the sky. Investigators noted that the object could possibly have been a missile, although the case remains unresolved.
Lawmakers Divided Over Disclosure
The release has drawn mixed reactions from American lawmakers.
Congressman Tim Burchett, a longtime advocate for government transparency regarding UFO investigations, welcomed the disclosure and described it as “a great start.”
Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna also praised the move, calling it “a massive first step in the right direction.”
However, former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the timing of the release, arguing that it distracts Americans from economic concerns and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Despite differing opinions, the Pentagon’s latest disclosure is expected to intensify debate over what governments truly know about unexplained aerial phenomena — and whether humanity may one day uncover definitive evidence of life beyond Earth. (Nexus News, Views & Features)
