The United States Department of Defense unsealed an extensive collection of records regarding unexplained aerial sightings across American airspace. The newly disclosed documentation outlines firsthand accounts from military observers and scientific personnel who tracked luminous green spheres, disc-shaped crafts, and enigmatic fireballs operating near sensitive domestic installations. This public disclosure makes 222 files available across federal databases, detailing sightings logged over nearly eight decades by service members, civilian contractors, and defense radar stations.
This release forms the second installment of public files authorized under an executive directive signed by President Donald Trump. The government initiative builds upon a systematic declassification effort regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena, formally known as UAP, that originally commenced in the late 1970s to establish broader public transparency. Federal departments coordinated the process through the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office alongside intelligence agencies to ensure national defense capabilities remained shielded during the document review.
Historical records unseal Sandia sightings and Apollo 12 crew reports
Among the 222 files included in the release, one 116-page dossier focuses on multiple aerial encounters and investigations centered around a classified installation in Sandia, New Mexico. Compiled by the Armed Forces Special Weapons Program between 1948 and 1950 during intense postwar defense research, the file contains 209 distinct witness statements describing green orbs, discs, and exploding fireballs maneuvering near the facility. Witnesses documented objects flying out of sight at abnormal speeds, disappearing abruptly, or detonating in midair. Investigators also conducted laboratory analyses on physical anomalies at the locations, including traces of copper residue recovered from sites where sightings were recorded.
A separate report preserved in the military repository details a medical debriefing conducted with the crew of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission in 1969. Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, command module pilot Richard “Dick” Gordon, and lunar module pilot Alan L. Bean reported observing mysterious flashes and distinct streaks of light while attempting to sleep inside their darkened spacecraft. The astronauts noted that these visual events occurred even with their eyes closed during translunar transit. Medical officers evaluated whether cosmic radiation penetrating the spacecraft hull struck the human retina to generate the sensation, a biological phenomenon that flight crews across early lunar missions regularly encountered in deep space.
White House directive drives federal declassification of aerial files
The rollout followed an initial delivery of files published on May 8, 2026, fulfilling specific disclosure instructions issued by President Donald Trump. Federal authorities established an open digital repository on the war.gov/ufo platform to house documentation on unidentified anomalous phenomena for direct citizen access. That opening tranche made more than 160 files public, including mission transcripts from Apollo 17 where astronauts described luminous particles moving through space. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth defended the release schedule, arguing that decades of official secrecy had fueled unnecessary speculation regarding national aerospace encounters.
Pete Hegseth announced in an official statement that the American public deserved direct access to evaluate government observations without bureaucratic filtering. Earlier in February 2026, Donald Trump instructed federal agencies to locate and declassify records concerning unidentified aerial phenomena, unidentified flying objects, and potential non-terrestrial life. Defense officials underscored that the disclosure effort reflects an unprecedented commitment to openness. The Department of War also criticized previous administrative policies, stating that earlier officials sought to discourage public inquiry into aerospace anomalies.
Federal classification standards define unresolved aerial encounters
The term unidentified anomalous phenomena serves as the official administrative designation for aerial, maritime, or transmedium events that lack immediate conventional scientific explanations. Government analysts stress that classifying an event as unexplained does not confirm the presence of extraterrestrial technology, but rather reflects an absence of conclusive sensor telemetry. An incident enters the permanent archive when optical sensors, radar data, and pilot observations cannot reconcile the performance of a craft with standard aeronautical physics. The Defense Department confirmed that the archived materials represent open cases where investigators could not establish a definitive baseline.
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Military leaders are actively encouraging commercial aerospace companies, independent scientists, and academic researchers to analyze the declassified dataset to help resolve lingering technical questions. Defense officials confirmed that specialized analytical teams will continue publishing separate documentation whenever conclusive technical explanations resolve specific historical incidents. This approach pairs archival transparency with systematic investigation, allowing external specialists to test alternative hypotheses against raw defense tracking logs.
The released documentation spans decades of military operations and scientific investigations, highlighting several recurring types of reported phenomena:
- Green spheres, circular craft, and exploding fireballs recorded across 209 incidents near the Sandia military complex in New Mexico between 1948 and 1950.
- Unexplained light flashes and luminous streaks described during post-mission medical debriefings by Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad, Richard Gordon, and Alan Bean.
- Infrared sensor tracking footage captured by airborne military surveillance platforms operating across global combatant command sectors.
Military infrared sensor footage captures anomalous aerial encounters
The second tranche of documentation also features visual materials captured by high-precision infrared sensors mounted on United States military platforms. These forward-looking infrared sensors recorded anomalous aerial targets traversing military operational zones during routine patrol flights. One specific video sequence dates back to 2022, when an airborne sensor documented an unidentified object operating within the official area of responsibility overseen by United States Central Command. The target exhibited distinct thermal contrast against its background without displaying standard propulsion exhaust or aerodynamic control surfaces.
A complementary sensor recording originates from 2021 within the Central Command theater, while an additional clip captures an unexplained target tracked in 2023 under United States Northern Command oversight. Military personnel submitted the digital media through secure classified channels in February 2023 and June 2024 before declassification officers approved their general distribution. Government analysts reviewed each video to ensure sensor capabilities, radar frequencies, and collection parameters remained protected prior to public release. The unsealing of these verified sensor recordings provides instrument telemetry to accompany historical witness testimonies preserved across federal archives.