The Pentagon on Friday began releasing “never-before-seen” files relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena — previously and more infamously known as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs — that the government has been holding onto for decades.
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The files have been a source of intrigue and fascination for generations of skeptical Americans wondering if we’re alone in the universe.
The release came nearly a month after President Donald Trump gave a sneak preview of the possible contents, telling a conservative gathering that some “very interesting documents” would be released by the Department of Defense “very, very soon.”
The first batch of the long-awaited files on what the government is calling Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are being housed on a dedicated government site, https://www.war.gov/UFO/, and additional files will be added to the site “on a rolling basis,” Pentagon Public Affairs said in a press release.
“The American people can now access the federal government’s declassified UAP files instantly,” the press release said. “The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place — no clearance required.”
Among the files included in the newly unsealed trove are incidents from the Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 moon missions. During Apollo 12 in 1969, astronaut Alan Bean reported “flashes of light” that he described as “sailing off into space.”
