NASA-UAP-D012, Mercury Atlas 8 Audio Excerpt, October 3, 1962

Official Conclusion

Witness self-attributed both observations to mundane causes: capsule particle debris and solar sunset phenomenon.

Official Description

During the Mercury Atlas 8 mission, Sigma 7 pilot Walter M. “Wally” Schirra Jr. describes observing “little white objects that tend to come from the capsule itself and drift off.” Schirra later also refers to those objects as “particles” and “lathe shavings.” Schirra also describes seeing a burst of light in the window, whose source he cannot identify. He speculates that his observation corresponds with the moment the sun passes below the horizon during sunset.

Key Findings

• →Astronaut Wally Schirra observed 'little white objects' that appeared to originate from the capsule itself and drift away, which he described as 'particles' and 'lathe shavings'.
• →Schirra observed a burst of light in the capsule window whose source he could not immediately identify.
• →Schirra speculated the burst of light corresponded with the sun passing below the horizon at sunset.
• →Both observations were given prosaic explanations by the witness himself during the mission transmission.
• →No official UAP designation or follow-up investigation is indicated in the document description.

Extracted Entities