Pentagon Unseals Declassified UFO Files: From Apollo Moon Missions to Modern Combat Zones

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a landmark move for government transparency, the Pentagon (Department of War) released a historic first batch of declassified files regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) on Friday, May 8, 2026. The disclosure follows a direct mandate from President Donald Trump, who ordered federal agencies to identify and release all records related to extraterrestrial life and "unidentified flying objects."

The initial release includes 162 files—ranging from high-definition sensor footage to raw eyewitness testimonies—now available to the public without security clearance at WAR.GOV/UFO.

Startling Disclosures from the Apollo Missions

Among the most captivating records are transcripts and audio from NASA’s Apollo missions. During the Apollo 12 mission in 1969, astronaut Alan L. Bean reported seeing mysterious "flashes of light" that appeared to be accelerating away from the lunar surface.

"It looks like some of those things are escaping the Moon," Bean radioed to mission control. "They really haul out of here and just press off at the stars."

Similar reports from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 described bright particles of light in a triangular formation, with Lunar Module Pilot Harrison “Jack” Schmitt remarking, “It’s like the Fourth of July out there!”

Modern Combat Encounters and the "Western U.S. Dot"

The declassified files also provide fresh insight into recent sightings by U.S. troops and sensor arrays:

• The Western U.S. Sighting (Dec 2025): An infrared still shows a "black dot" moving at impossible speeds over the Western United States, including areas near the California-Arizona border.

• Combat Zone Anomalies: Mission reports from Iraq (2022) and Syria (2024) detail "small UAPs" and "glaring lights of unknown origin" tracked by military sensors during operations against ISIS.

• The "Eye of Sauron": A 2023 report from federal employees in the Middle East describes a glowing orange orb perched near a rock pinnacle, which witnesses likened to the "Eye of Sauron" from Lord of the Rings.

A New Era of Transparency

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the records have "long fueled justified speculation" and that it is time for the American people to see the data for themselves. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman echoed the sentiment, promising that the agency will remain candid about what remains to be discovered.

The Pentagon notes that these files reflect the "subjective interpretation" of the reporting officers and are not yet conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial life. However, with new tranches of data scheduled for release every few weeks, the global debate over what is truly happening in our skies—and beyond—is only just beginning.

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