Apollo 17 cislunar bright particles and flashes near S-IVB

The Apollo 17 air-to-ground transcript records the crew describing bright particles during the spacecraft's maneuver away from the S-IVB stage. While maneuvering, the command module pilot reported a few very bright particles or fragments drifting by. The lunar module pilot said there was a whole bunch of big ones at his window. The command module pilot described jagged, angular fragments that were tumbling.

The crew and Houston discussed what the fragments might be. The command module pilot guessed they might have come off the side of the S-IVB, and suggested ice chunks or paint. The capsule communicator recalled seeing something that looked like it was peeling on a stage during a visit the previous week. Commander Cernan later described flat, flakelike particles, some possibly 6 inches across, most appearing to twinkle and move away. The crew then went on to the launch vehicle separation checklist, and the command module pilot remarked, "look at the junk!". A separate audio excerpt dated December 7, 1972 was catalogued with crew speculation of paint or ice chips from the S-IVB.

A second episode appears later in the transcript, at about 02 18 46. Cernan described a bright object obviously rotating because it was flashing, far off, at about 11 o'clock and 10 to 12 Earth diameters when looking back at Earth (page 8). Houston proposed working out gimbal angles to look through the optics. Cernan reported a bright flash followed by a dull one on each rotation (page 9). The lunar module pilot said he saw the side of the S-IVB and then the engine bell. He added that the flashing had been noticed for about 24 hours and that he had not put it together as maybe being the S-IVB.

The NASA analysis of the transcript states that no official UAP conclusion was given and that no investigation was opened. It records the crew's own explanations as debris, ice, paint and the S-IVB.