NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972
Official released audio
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972
The released record says apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon. File: NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972. NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 combines an official, playable audio, 11 extracted claims, 1 evidence record, and 1 timeline entry, and file-level provenance that can be compared with related release records.
- File
- Audio · Release 02
- Date
- Dec 7, 1972
- Location
- Cislunar Space
- Agency
- NASA
Probed Assessment
The released record says apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon. File: NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972.
Key takeaways
- The released record says the Apollo 17 crew describe bright 'particles' or 'fragments' as being 'jagged,' 'angular,' and drifting near the Apollo spacecraft and the separated Saturn S-IVB stage.
- The released record says the Apollo 17 crew speculate that paint chips or ice chips are likely the source of these lights.
- NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 3:16.448
Why it matters
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 combines an official, playable audio, 11 extracted claims, 1 evidence record, and 1 timeline entry, and file-level provenance that can be compared with related release records.
Corroboration
For NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972, the release establishes official provenance but does not independently verify the record's statement that apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon.
Open questions
- • Do the full recording and surrounding mission records add context beyond the 63 available transcript segments?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
During the eleventh and final crewed mission in the Apollo program, Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon. The crew describe bright “particles” or “fragments” as being “jagged,” “angular,” and drifting near the Apollo spacecraft and the separated Saturn S-IVB stage. The Apollo 17 crew speculate that paint chips or ice chips are likely the source of these lights and note that they “twinkle” and move away from the Saturn S-IVB stage.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
Apollo 17 transcript mentions ice chunks and paint as possible explanations
The Apollo 17 audio transcript records a possible explanation for bright drifting fragments involving RCS logic, ice chunks, or paint coming off the spacecraft.
Apollo 17 crew described jagged fragments tumbling outside the spacecraft
The Apollo 17 transcript describes jagged, angular fragments tumbling slowly outside the spacecraft during transit.
Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt
The record states: Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 02
- Official ID
- release-02-file-058-nasa-uap-d009-apollo-17-audio-excerpt-december-7-1972
- Cleared
- May 22, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Apollo 17 Lights Incident
Apollo 17 crew reports seeing small lights outside the spacecraft during transit to the moon.
LinkedApollo 17
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon.
Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans report seeing small lights outside the Apollo spacecraft during transit to the moon.
The Apollo 17 crew describe bright 'particles' or 'fragments' as being 'jagged,' 'angular,' and drifting near the Apollo spacecraft and the separated Saturn S-IVB stage.
The crew describe bright 'particles' or 'fragments' as being 'jagged,' 'angular,' and drifting near the Apollo spacecraft and the separated Saturn S-IVB stage.
The Apollo 17 crew speculate that paint chips or ice chips are likely the source of these lights.
The Apollo 17 crew speculate that paint chips or ice chips are likely the source of these lights.
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 0:29.426.
[0:27.370] shape . They're very , uh , jagged , [0:29.426] angular , uh , fragments , and they're [0:31.592] tumbling . Does it look like fluid of
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 0:03.700.
[0:00.029] If you Very bright . Particles or [0:03.700] fragments or something that Drifting by [0:06.969] as I do understand .
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 3:16.448.
[3:14.226] is essentially static except for a very [3:16.448] slight tumbling within the fragments . [3:19.610] Roger , copy that . Every once in a
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 3:12.059.
[3:09.729] At 2 o'clock , OK , and the with the [3:12.059] maneuver complete , the fragment field [3:14.226] is essentially static except for a very
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes an official-explanation reference at 2:48.720.
[2:44.779] S4B . I guess . RCS logic [2:48.720] is ice chunks possibly and maybe [2:51.179] there's paint coming off of it . Right ,
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 0:00.029.
[0:00.029] If you Very bright . Particles or [0:03.700] fragments or something that Drifting by
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 2:13.466.
[2:11.410] Bob , for the most part , uh , these [2:13.466] fragments are tumbling [2:16.429] are not - or are tumbling at a very slow rate . I've tried a couple of
NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 transcript includes a particle or fragment reference at 2:28.971.
[2:26.860] Roger , I got you . We're all ears on [2:28.971] these fragments if you think you can [2:31.027] figure out what they might be . You
Source Material & Evidence
Transcript
If you Very bright . Particles or
fragments or something that Drifting by
as I do understand .
Yeah , there's a whole bunch of big
ones on my window that are just bright .
Looks like the 4th of July out Ron's
window . Yeah ,
and now you can see some of them in
shape . They're very , uh , jagged ,
angular , uh , fragments , and they're
tumbling . Does it look like fluid of
some sort ? Not to me . They look like
pieces of something , uh . We're here .
They're very bright , Jack . We'd like
Omni Charlie .
Bob , for the most part , uh , these
fragments are tumbling
are not - or are tumbling at a very slow rate . I've tried a couple of
pictures of them , uh , in different
settings , uh , you may get an idea of
what at least the patterns look like .
Roger , I got you . We're all ears on
these fragments if you think you can
figure out what they might be . You
know , I , I don't know . There are a
number of possibilities , uh , if you
had some kind of a , I got the
impression maybe they were curved a little bit. As if they
might be . Off the side of the
S4B . I guess . RCS logic
is ice chunks possibly and maybe
there's paint coming off of it . Right ,
I noticed on one trip up the elevator
last week , uh , one of the flags , I
pealing . Maybe that's what you got .
be on the S4 , looked like it was
And the S4B maneuver is complete .
At 2 o'clock , OK , and the with the
maneuver complete , the fragment field
is essentially static except for a very
slight tumbling within the fragments .
Roger , copy that . Every once in a
while , a fragment of considerably
higher velocity than the others goes
across my window , but that's very rare .
roger
Hey , that's that , uh , you have the
view I saw on I went back , you see it
now ? Yeah .
But There , there's no apparent
relative motion between fragments .
I do understand . I'll take 2
pictures about . It apart if I can .
And it'll be frame 70 .
OK , frame 70 . And Bob , uh ,
you know , my impression is that they
Ah , flat flake-like particles , some ,
uh , maybe , uh , 6 inches across . And
uh , although there's . No relative
motion between the two . Most of them
seem to be uh . Twinkling And I think
for the most part they're all moving
away from us .
Research Map
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