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Apollo 12 crew saw mysterious ‘streaks of light’: Inside the new batch of UFO files

The recording includes astronauts from the Apollo 12 mission describing unusual flashes they saw even though their eyes were shut.

Updated on: May 22, 2026, 22:16:14 IST
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The US defense department on Friday released another set of previously classified records linked to alleged UFO sightings, including an audio recording of the Apollo 12 crew discussing seeing strange “streaks of light” while trying to sleep during their journey in deep space.

Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., Apollo 12 commander, stands beside the United States flag after it was unfurled on the lunar surface during the first extravehicular activity (EVA), on Nov. 19, 1969. (NASA)
Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., Apollo 12 commander, stands beside the United States flag after it was unfurled on the lunar surface during the first extravehicular activity (EVA), on Nov. 19, 1969. (NASA)

Notably, the first set of files had earlier been released on May 8 following an order by President Donald Trump.

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the records, photographs and videos related to what are officially called "unidentified anomalous phenomena" had for years led to public speculation.

Inside the ‘mysterious’ audio clip of Apollo 12 crew

The recording, titled “NASA-UAP-D008, Apollo 12 Medical Debriefing - Tape 12, 1969”, includes astronauts from the Apollo 12 mission describing unusual flashes they saw even though their eyes were shut.

Notably, Apollo 12 flew only a few months after Apollo 11 became the first mission to land humans on the Moon. The mission later reached the lunar surface and completed a highly precise landing at its planned location.

The recording from a post-mission medical discussion captured Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr, Richard "Dick" F Gordon and Alan L Bean speaking about the unusual flashes they experienced despite their eyes being closed.

“The astronauts each reported that these experiences occurred in the dark as they tried to sleep,” according to details provided on the defense department’s UFO website.

Notably, NASA's medical team looked into whether similar experiences earlier reported by Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin could have been linked to cosmic rays affecting the retina.

Later, the US space agency concluded that the Apollo 12 crew's reports were due to visual effects within the astronauts’ own vision and were not caused by external light sources.

New batch of UFO files out

The 222 files made public on Friday were part of the second collection of documents posted on the department of war website, released weeks after Trump ordered the publication of government records related to unidentified flying objects.

Among the files released on Friday was a 116 page document linked to several reported sightings and investigations at a top-secret site in New Mexico’s Sandia between 1948 and 1950.

"This file contains 209 sightings of 'green orbs', 'discs', and 'fireballs' reported near the military base," the defense department said.

Experts told news agency Reuters that the earlier batch included fresh footage linked to known incidents but found no clear evidence of alien technology or life beyond Earth.

With inputs from agencies

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