The U.S. government released its first batch of declassified UFO files Friday morning — hundreds of videos, photographs, and mission transcripts that had been locked away for decades. The documents went live on the Department of War’s website, accompanied by a Truth Social post from the President that read, in part: “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Fine.
Among the most striking materials are images and transcripts from NASA’s Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions to the Moon. One photo, taken from the lunar surface, appears to show three unexplained dots hovering in the black sky above the moon. Another transcript captures astronauts mid-flight discussing mysterious objects drifting near the spacecraft.
“Now we’ve got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver,” one operator told mission control.
Another replied: “There’s a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there — just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window.”
Fourth of July. In space. While orbiting the moon.
The disclosure also included FBI images from New Year’s Eve 1999 showing unidentified objects near US military aircraft, along with photographs allegedly captured by military pilots — fast-moving objects streaking past planes mid-flight. One newly declassified military Mission Report described a service member observing “several bright objects maneuvering quickly west to east northeast” before tracking one with an onboard targeting pod for roughly 20 seconds. Then it dimmed and disappeared.
Officials noted that the descriptions reflected eyewitness observations and should not be interpreted as confirmation of the object’s nature or capabilities — a disclaimer that does all the heavy lifting in a sentence like that.
What’s Actually in the Trump UFO Files Disclosure
The release includes:
- Apollo mission transcripts and photos showing unexplained objects near the spacecraft and on the lunar surface
- Military Mission Reports (MISREPs) detailing encounters with fast-moving, maneuvering objects
- FBI images from 1999 showing unidentified phenomena near military aircraft
- Navy Range Fouler Reports documenting unauthorized objects entering restricted airspace
Witness statements from federal officers describe “orbs launching other orbs” and semi-transparent objects compared to “translucent kites” - One document summarized statements from seven federal officers assigned to different teams who independently reported witnessing multiple UAPs across the western US over two days in 2023. Several described seeing orange-colored orbs releasing smaller red orbs at least five times before fading in and out of view.
- Another report detailed a US military operator allegedly spotting a UAP flying just above the ocean’s surface before making multiple sharp 90-degree turns at an estimated speed of 80mph. Sharp turns. At 80mph. Just above the water.
The Official Response — Transparency With Asterisks
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the administration was committed to bringing “unprecedented transparency” to the government’s understanding of UFOs. Portions of several documents were redacted to protect witness identities and sensitive military locations — though officials insisted no information directly related to the reported encounters had been withheld.
FBI Director Kash Patel added: “For the first time in history, the American people have unfettered access to declassified government files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon — a level of transparency that no prior administration has delivered.”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman chimed in with a statement about bringing “the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear” and remaining “candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered.”
Translation: we’re looking at the same photos you are.
What the Files Don’t Tell Us
The release is being framed as a landmark moment in government transparency — the first time the public has been given direct access to declassified UAP records. But the files raise more questions than they answer. What were the Apollo astronauts actually seeing? Why did the objects disappear? What happened to the military operators who tracked these things on radar?
And why now?
Lawmakers have noted that Friday’s release is only the first batch, with more to come. A timeline has not been set. Which means this could be the beginning of a rolling disclosure — or the end of a news cycle that needed a distraction.
Either way, the files are out there. The Apollo transcripts are real. The military reports are documented. The photos exist.
Whether anyone believes them is another question entirely.
Resources:
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) — UAP Reports
https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/reports-publications/reports-publications-2021/item/2223-preliminary-assessment-unidentified-aerial-phenomena(The 2024 UAP assessment — the real government report)
Department of Defense — All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
https://www.aaro.mil/
(The Pentagon’s official UAP investigation office)
NASA UAP Independent Study
https://www.nasa.gov/uap
(NASA’s public UAP research page)
The Black Vault — Declassified UFO Documents Archive
https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/
(Massive searchable database of FOIA-released government UFO files)
CIA Reading Room — UFO Collection
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/ufos-fact-or-fiction
(Declassified CIA documents on UFO investigations)