Trump Admin Releases First UFO Files: Apollo 17 Crew Saw 'Fourth of July' Lights, But No 'Smoking Gun'

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Trump administration has officially launched the first phase of the largest government disclosure of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) records in U.S. history, releasing 162 declassified documents, videos, and photos from federal agencies on Friday, May 8 .

The files are now accessible to the public without any clearance requirement on a dedicated portal at war.gov/ufo, under the newly established Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) .

Apollo 17 Transcripts: "Looks Like the Fourth of July"

Among the most compelling materials released are transcripts and images from NASA's Apollo 17 mission-the last time humans walked on the moon in 1972 .

During the mission, astronauts described seeing strange, unidentified objects outside their spacecraft with the lights described vividly in the official logs.

• Ronald Evans (Pilot): "Now we've got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver" .

• Harrison Schmitt (Pilot): "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" .

The files also include a NASA photograph showing three dots in a triangular formation hovering above the lunar surface. The Pentagon confirmed that a preliminary analysis suggests this anomaly "could be a physical object," though there remains no final consensus on its nature .

What Else Is Inside the Files?

The first release (Release 01) contains 162 "unresolved" cases-incidents where the government lacked sufficient data to identify the phenomena .

Key highlights include:

• A football-shaped object reported by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command near Japan in 2024.

• Infrared photographs of unidentified objects over the western United States captured in September and December 2025.

• UAP footage over Greece, Iraq, the UAE, and the Gulf of Oman.

• Witness testimony from other Apollo missions (Apollo 11 and 12) regarding strange lights and debris in space .

Officials: "Unprecedented Transparency"

The release is the direct result of a February directive from President Trump ordering the declassification of UAP records. Trump announced last week that the information would be "very interesting to people" .

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated: "The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency. These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation - and it's time the American people see it for themselves" .

FBI Director Kash Patel added that this is the "first time in history" the public has had "unfettered access" to such records .

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the agency's role: "Our job is to bring the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear, follow the data, and share what we learn" .

The Big Question: Proof of Aliens?

Despite the historic nature of the drop, the initial batch contains no definitive "smoking gun" proving the existence of extraterrestrial life. Most materials remain unresolved due to a lack of sufficient data, with the Pentagon stating that many files "have not yet been analyzed for resolution of any anomalies" .

Skeptics noted that while the government is finally being transparent, the evidence largely consists of artifacts from cameras or sensors. However, the Trump administration has committed to rolling releases. Officials confirmed that the review process involves "tens of millions" of records across multiple agencies .

President Trump invited the public to decide for themselves: "Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, 'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?' Have fun and enjoy!" .

What's Next

The Department of War has promised additional batches of files will be released "on a rolling basis every few weeks" as records are identified and declassified . The next release is expected in approximately 30 days .