NASA-UAP-D009, Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972

Official Conclusion

Crew-speculated probable paint chips or ice chips from the separated Saturn S-IVB stage

Official Description

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.

Key Findings

• →Apollo 17 crew observed small bright 'particles' or 'fragments' described as 'jagged' and 'angular' drifting near the spacecraft during transit to the moon.
• →The observed objects were seen in proximity to the separated Saturn S-IVB stage, suggesting a plausible origination source.
• →The crew themselves proposed mundane explanations — paint chips or ice chips — as the likely source of the lights.
• →The objects were described as 'twinkling' and moving away from the Saturn S-IVB stage, consistent with debris dispersal in microgravity.
• →All three Apollo 17 crew members — Cernan, Schmitt, and Evans — were present as witnesses during the observation.

Extracted Entities