Pentagon Unveils 162 UAP Files, Including Apollo Images
On May 8, the Pentagon revealed 162 UAP files, which include NASA Apollo moon photographs and audio recordings from astronauts captured in 1965.
Summary
- On May 8, the Department of Defense made 162 UAP files accessible at war.gov/ufo, chronicling sightings from 1942 to 2025, with 108 files including some redacted sections.
- Significant documents feature NASA records and images from the Apollo 12 and 17 lunar missions, highlighting three unidentified lights above the moon’s surface in an Apollo 17 image.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that additional files will be disclosed in phases, and the Pentagon has begun a formal investigation into the Apollo 17 image.
On May 8, the Pentagon published 162 UAP files containing NASA Apollo moon images and recordings of astronauts from 1965. These files were released at war.gov/ufo, as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE), following a directive from President Trump aimed at declassifying government documentation related to unidentified anomalous phenomena.
In his statement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted, “These files, previously concealed by classification, have generated significant interest — it’s time for the American public to access them.” The release includes documents from various agencies such as the FBI, State Department, NASA, and the Department of Defense, covering incidents from 1942 to 2025.
Contents of the Files
The key documents comprise NASA transcripts and images from the Apollo 12 and 17 missions. A notable Apollo 17 photograph shows three lights arranged in a triangular pattern above the lunar surface. Recent analysis by the U.S. government suggests that this feature might indicate a physical object. As a result, the Pentagon has initiated a formal investigation, securing the original Apollo 17 film for detailed analysis.
The 1965 audio includes astronaut Frank Borman reporting a “bogey at 10 o’clock high” from his Gemini VII capsule, alongside Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene Cernan describing a “flashing” object appearing to rotate rhythmically several miles from his capsule. Both audio recordings have been publicly available for years, while the original NASA transcripts seem to be recent public disclosures.
The files feature approximately 24 videos with a total duration of 41 minutes, showcasing infrared footage of objects making 90-degree turns at 80 mph over Greece in 2023, a football-shaped object near Japan, and semi-transparent shapes over Syria. Most footage captures small white objects observed by military cameras, offering no definitive explanations.
Information Withheld by the Pentagon
Out of the 162 files, 108 have redactions. The Pentagon confirmed that no redactions were applied regarding the nature or existence of any reported UAP encounters. The withheld information concerns witness identities, government facility locations, and military site details unrelated to UAP.
New files will be periodically released in rolling batches as materials are discovered and declassified. Former President Obama remarked earlier this week that the government is not hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life, clarifying previous statements that had circulated widely online.