NASA-UAP-D002, Apollo 17 Transcript, 1972
Apollo 17 was the ninth crewed U.S. mission to the Moon, and the sixth to land astronauts on the lunar surface. This document is an excerpt from the Apollo 17 Technical Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription, December 1972, highlighting three periods in which astronauts reported observing unidentified phenomenon: a nine minute period on the first day, a three hour period on the second day, and a six minute period on the third day. • Day 00, Hour 03, Minute 34, Second 10 through Day 00, Hour 03, Minute 42, Second 29: o Command Module Pilot (CMP), Ronald Evans, reported observing “very bright particles or fragments” drifting and “tumbling” near the spacecraft as it maneuvered. Lunar Module Pilot (LMP), Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, described the phenomenon as looking “like the Fourth of July.” The astronauts speculated that the phenomenon may be attributable to ice or paint fragments dislodging from a separated component of the spacecraft (S-IVB) but characterized that assessment as a “wild guess.” • Day 02, Hour 18, Minute 42, Second 34 through Day 02, Hour 21, Minute 07, Second 05: o Mission Commander, Eugene A. Cernan, reported difficulty sleeping and described having observed “some sets of the streaks.” He also described an intense light flashing between his eyes, describing its intensity as comparable to that of a train headlight and characterizing it as “imposing.” Over the next three hours, Cernan described observing several flashing, rotating phenomenon that he assessed as corresponding to physical objects in space rather than a purely optical phenomenon. LMP Schmitt also reported observing similar phenomenon, though he again assessed the source of his observation to be a separated rocket stage (S-IVB). At 02:20:55:22, Cernan reported observing two additional distant flashing objects, though he assessed them as Spacecraft/Lunar Module Adapter panels (SLA panel), another separated component of the Saturn V rocket. • Day 03, Hour 15, Minute 33, Second 25 through Day 03, Hour 15, Minute 39, Second 46: o At 03:15:38:09, LMP Schmitt exclaimed that he had observed a flash on the lunar surface north of Grimaldi (crater).
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Document Intel
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- Source
- War.gov PURSUE
- Type
- Report
- Classification
- Unclassified
- Agency
- NASA
- Reference #
- RELEASE-01-FILE-140-NASA-UAP-D2-APOLLO-17-TRANSCRIPT-1972
- Published
- 2026-05-08
- Content Type
- application/pdf
- Pages
- 16
Structured Analysis
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Ronald Evans reported observing 'very bright particles or fragments' drifting and 'tumbling' near the spacecraft.
CMP, Ronald Evans, reported observing 'very bright particles or fragments' drifting and 'tumbling' near the spacecraft.
Harrison Schmitt described the phenomenon as looking 'like the Fourth of July.'
LMP, Harrison 'Jack' Schmitt, described the phenomenon as looking 'like the Fourth of July.'
Eugene A. Cernan reported difficulty sleeping and described having observed 'some sets of the streaks.'
Mission Commander, Eugene A. Cernan, reported difficulty sleeping and described having observed 'some sets of the streaks.'
Cernan described an intense light flashing between his eyes, describing its intensity as comparable to that of a train headlight.
He also described an intense light flashing between his eyes, describing its intensity as comparable to that of a train headlight and characterizing it as 'imposing.'
Cernan observed several flashing, rotating phenomena that he assessed as corresponding to physical objects in space.
Over the next three hours, Cernan described observing several flashing, rotating phenomenon that he assessed as corresponding to physical objects in space rather than a purely optical phenomenon.
Schmitt assessed the source of his observation to be a separated rocket stage (S-IVB).
LMP Schmitt also reported observing similar phenomenon, though he again assessed the source of his observation to be a separated rocket stage (S-IVB).
Cernan reported observing two additional distant flashing objects, assessed as Spacecraft/Lunar Module Adapter panels (SLA panel).
At 02:20:55:22, Cernan reported observing two additional distant flashing objects, though he assessed them as Spacecraft/Lunar Module Adapter panels (SLA panel).
Harrison Schmitt observed a flash on the lunar surface north of Grimaldi (crater).
At 03:15:38:09, LMP Schmitt exclaimed that he had observed a flash on the lunar surface north of Grimaldi (crater).
Apollo 17 astronauts reported observing unidentified phenomena during their mission.
This document is an excerpt from the Apollo 17 Technical Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription, December 1972, highlighting three periods in which astronauts reported observing unidentified phenomenon.
The astronauts speculated that the phenomenon may be attributable to ice or paint fragments dislodging from a separated component of the spacecraft.
The astronauts speculated that the phenomenon may be attributable to ice or paint fragments dislodging from a separated component of the spacecraft (S-IVB) but characterized that assessment as a 'wild guess.'
Chronology extracted from the document text.
Apollo 17 mission
Apollo 17 was the ninth crewed U.S. mission to the Moon.
Second observation period
Eugene A. Cernan observed streaks and intense light.
Third observation period
Harrison 'Jack' Schmitt observed a flash on the lunar surface.
First observation period
Ronald Evans reported observing bright particles or fragments.
Observation of bright particles or fragments
Ronald Evans reported observing 'very bright particles or fragments' drifting and 'tumbling' near the spacecraft.
Observation of streaks and intense light
Eugene A. Cernan reported difficulty sleeping and described having observed 'some sets of the streaks' and an intense light flashing between his eyes.
Flash observed on lunar surface
Harrison Schmitt observed a flash on the lunar surface north of Grimaldi (crater).
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