Culture and science
Astronaut reports, NASA statements and the NASA UAP study team. 88 events, newest first.
Media1968
Swiss writer Erich von Daniken's first book, published in German in 1968 and in English as 'Chariots of the Gods?', argued ancient monuments showed alien visits. It launched the 'ancient astronaut' genre; scientists rejected his claims as contrary to historical and scientific evidence.
Photo: Stephen Jackson, Public domain
GovernmentNov 1966
During NASA's Gemini 12 flight, Jim Lovell reported four objects near the capsule and judged they were items the crew had thrown overboard. The Condon study agreed, finding the transcript shows four items were discarded, against claims by writer John Keel that only three were.
Photo: NASA/Jim Lovell, Public domain
SightingsSep 1966
Gemini 11 astronauts Pete Conrad and Richard Gordon reported and photographed a large tumbling object on their 18th orbit. NORAD identified it as the Soviet Proton 3 satellite, and the Condon study's review of the photos suggested several pieces of that launch.
Photo: NASA, Public domain
Government28 Mar 1966
House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan wrote to the leaders of the House Armed Services and Science and Astronautics committees urging an investigation of UFOs, calling the Air Force's 'swamp gas' explanation of the Michigan sightings flippant. The Armed Services hearing followed on April 5.
Photo: Gerald R. Ford / US Congress, Public domain
Sightings9 Dec 1965
After a fireball crossed several states, witnesses in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, said an object came down in the woods and military personnel hauled something away. A FOIA suit led NASA to a court-monitored search in 2007-2009 that found no records of a recovered object.
Photo: Ryright, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sightings4 Dec 1965
On their second orbit, Gemini 7 astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell reported a 'bogey' and many small particles alongside their booster. The Air Force-funded Condon study listed it among a few astronaut sightings it had not adequately explained.
Photo: NASA, Public domain
Sightings4 Jun 1965
In orbit over the Pacific, Gemini 4 commander James McDivitt reported a white cylindrical object that seemed to have arms. NORAD suggested the Pegasus B satellite; the Condon study doubted that match and listed the sighting among three astronaut cases not adequately explained.
Photo: NASA, Public domain
Government24 May 1962
On the Aurora 7 orbital flight, astronaut Scott Carpenter found that rapping the inside of his capsule released clouds of the glowing 'fireflies' John Glenn had reported. He judged them to be frost or ice flaking off the spacecraft, an explanation NASA accepted.
Photo: NASA, Public domain
Government20 Feb 1962
On the first U.S. orbital flight, John Glenn reported thousands of glowing specks he called 'fireflies' drifting past Friendship 7. On the next Mercury flight Scott Carpenter released similar showers by tapping the hatch, and NASA's history links them to frost on the capsule.
Photo: NASA, Public domain
GovernmentDec 1960
A Brookings Institution study done for NASA proposed research on the social effects of space activities, including how the public might react to discovering intelligent life or artifacts on the Moon, Mars or Venus, and whether such news might be presented to or withheld from the public.
Photo: Gryffindor, Public domain
MilitaryFeb 1960
The Navy's new Dark Fence space-surveillance radar detected an unidentified object in orbit, prompting speculation about a Soviet spy satellite. The Defense Department said it was part of a stray U.S. Discoverer satellite. The episode was later folded into the 'Black Knight' satellite legend.
Photo: Unknown US Air Force member, Public domain
Sightings7 Apr 1959
Cameras of the Ondrejov Observatory photographed a bright fireball whose meteorites fell near Pribram. It was the first meteorite fall traced back to its orbit in the solar system from photographs, a model for instrument-based study of fireballs.
Photo: Czech Wikipedia user Packa, CC BY-SA 3.0
Military1958
Tuskegee Airman Robert Friend led the Air Force's Project Blue Book from 1958 to 1963. He tried without success to have the project moved to a civilian agency such as NASA.
