On Friday, May 8, the American Department of Defense announced that it had released 160 previously classified documents on UFOs. Among them are reports of individual UFO sightings, space mission reports, and images from the military.
The US Department of Defense made public a first batch of documents on flying objects, or UFOs, on May 8th, a subject that even fascinates Donald Trump, who was behind this release. The department estimated that the public can now form their own opinion with this publication.
On the ministry’s website, 160 documents are listed in a futuristic graphic page. They come from the Pentagon, FBI, State Department, and NASA. Dating from the 1940s to 2026, some are written documents, sometimes scanned pages of typewritten reports, while others are photos or videos. They include military memos, Apollo mission reports, and numerous UFO sightings reported by individuals who often suspect extraterrestrial origins.
In one category, there is a 143-page report from 1949 entirely dedicated to sightings of “flying saucers” and another file from 1948 by the Air Force intelligence services from the following year, which lists sightings of “unidentified aircraft” and “flying saucers.”
Context: The American government’s release of these UFO-related documents has generated widespread interest and speculation.
Fact Check: It is important to note that the documents cover a wide range of UFO sightings and reports from various sources, including the military and space agencies.
Orbs in the Sky Resembling the Eye of Sauron
Another file compiles reports from seven government employees who claim to have witnessed “unidentified abnormal phenomena” – considered one of the most convincing reports on the subject according to the accompanying note. In one incident, three federal police teams separately reported “seeing orange ‘orbs’ emitting or releasing smaller red ‘orbs’ in the sky.”
In another case, two federal agents reported observing “a bright orange orb (…) resting near a rocky peak.” Their testimony is accompanied by a drawing depicting a red-orange circle crossed by a yellow streak. The object was described as resembling “the eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings, but without the pupil.”
Context: The reports of unusual phenomena, including orbs and lights, add to the mystery surrounding UFO sightings.
Lights Seen in Space
The Department also released transcripts of mission reports from astronauts on Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 17, the missions that sent men to the Moon. For the Apollo 11 mission – where the first Moon landing took place – astronaut Buzz Aldrin reported observing several unexplained phenomena.
He described seeing “double flashes” and a “rather bright light that we provisionally attributed to a possible laser.”
Fact Check: The documents include descriptions of astronauts witnessing strange lights and particles during their space missions.
Military Images
Numerous documents on the government website are also reports of unidentified anomalies observed abroad and held by the Department of Defense. These mainly consist of videos or photos taken by US military infrared sensors, showing flying shapes of varying visibility and speed.
For example, a 21-second video captured in the United Arab Emirates in 2024 shows a round shape moving above the water with a “rod or circular bar” hanging below, potentially a “reflection of a submerged object.”
In another video from the Middle East in 2022, a shape moves rapidly across the screen – speculated to be a missile or a bird. Some documents provide possible explanations, while others do not.
Context: The release of military images and reports adds to the intrigue surrounding UFO sightings and encounters.
Fact Check: The documents also include historical reports from renowned engineers and associations regarding potential alien encounters.
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