President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday made public dozens of formerly classified records and photographs tied to alleged unidentified anomalous phenomena, asserting the release represents "unprecedented transparency" for the American public. The U.S. Defense Department said more materials will be declassified and released in the future.
The tranche posted by the Defense Department comprised roughly 170 files. Among them were a photograph described as showing an "unidentified phenomena" taken from the lunar surface during the Apollo 12 mission in 1969 and a transcript from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 in which crew members recounted sightings of unidentified objects.
In the Apollo 17 transcript, pilot Ronald Evans is recorded saying, "a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver." Mission control is quoted responding, "Roger. Understand."
Hegseth said the records had long been held back by classification and that public access was overdue. "These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation - and it’s time the American people see it for themselves," he said in a statement.
The Defense Department indicated the initial disclosure is not the last, noting that additional documents and videos will be declassified and posted as review processes conclude.
Support for the release came from members of Congress who have pushed for greater transparency on the subject. Representatives Tim Burchett and Anna Paulina Luna both welcomed the disclosures; Luna added that another tranche of material was expected in about 30 days.
Not all reactions were positive. Some observers criticized the timing and intent of the disclosures, characterizing them as a diversion from President Trump’s political challenges. Critics pointed to ongoing criticism of the U.S. military campaign against Iran and continuing public demands for files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as context for their concerns.
Former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed her own skepticism on social media, writing on X, "I really don’t care about the UFO files. I just don’t. I’m so sick of the ‘look at the shiny object’ propaganda."
The release of these records is likely to reopen debate about government secrecy and the question of extraterrestrial life. The Defense Department framed the action as allowing the American people to examine the materials for themselves, while indicating a steady pace of further declassifications going forward.