FOUR-foot figures were reportedly seen stepping out of UFOs in one of the most startling claims buried in newly released FBI files.
The records also describe mysterious wreckage made from unknown metal and packed with microscopic spheres.
A picture taken by Cernan, on December 13, 1972 shows Schmitt seated in the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the Apollo 17 mission Credit: AFP
A memo dated October 19, 1966 was sent from the FBI’s San Francisco office to then-Director J Edgar Hoover Credit: War.gov
The claims appear in released Friday as part of President Donald Trump’s UFO transparency push.
One memo details how investigators reviewed reports from 1965, which was described as “the year of the greatest number of UFO sightings.”
The sightings were allegedly reported by multiple witnesses around the world.
The file described strange metallic craft that could hover silently and move at “fantastic speeds.”
It also said some objects appeared to interfere with electromagnetic equipment.
But the most eye-catching section focused on alleged occupants who were seen leaving the craft, the Daily Mail reported.
Ronald Evans, left, Harrison Schmitt, middle, and Eugene Cernan, right, manned Apollo 17, the last trip where astronauts landed on the moon’s surface Credit: Getty
An archival photo from Nasa’s Apollo 17 Mission to the moon in 1972 appeared to show three unexplained dots hovering above the dark lunar terrain Credit: Getty
“A few witnesses have reported seeing crewmen who had landed from the objects,” the document stated.
The figures were described as “three and a half to four feet tall, wearing what appear to be space suits and helmets.”
The memo was dated October 19, 1966.
It was sent from the FBI’s San Francisco office to then-Director J Edgar Hoover.
The subject line read “Unidentified Flying Objects.”
The file referred to earlier FBI bulletins on “Flying Discs.”
Correspondence to and from FBI regarding aliens UFOs released by Department of War Credit: War.gov
The document came at a time of growing public pressure over UFO sightings Credit: War.gov
It was also used to circulate an article titled Armed Forces – Focus on UFO from the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle.
The document came at a time of growing public pressure over .
It mentioned Gerald Ford, who was then a congressman and later became president.
Ford had publicly called for congressional hearings into UFO incidents.
The memo also said the Air Force had asked University of Colorado physicist Edward U Condon to lead a government-backed study into flying saucers.
The project was expected to cost $300,000 over 18 months.
The memo described the objects as polished metal craft giving off heat and light Credit: War.gov
An FBI composite sketch that depicts an eyewitness’ reported encounter with an ‘ellipsoid bronze metallic object’ in September 2023 Credit: Getty
Much of the FBI memo focused on the book Flying Saucers – Serious Business by Frank Edwards.
The bureau described the book as a possible reason for rising public interest and controversy around UFOs.
The file said Edwards argued UFOs were “space vehicles sent to observe activities on earth.”
It also said he claimed the US Air Force had “deliberately withheld information and given misleading explanations because it fears a mass panic by the public if the public were told the truth.”
The memo described the objects as polished metal craft giving off heat and light.
“The book describes UFOs as polished metal objects, radiating heat and light (sufficient to have burned witnesses who were too near), and emitting some force field that interferes with electromagnetic instruments and power sources,” the document reads.
The file said the objects had appeared in several colors.
“Colors range from brilliant white to dull reds and brilliant orange,” it stated.
“Some objects have carried blind striking lights.”
The document listed three reported shapes. They included zeppelin-like ships up to 300 feet long.
Other sightings involved objects ranging from a few feet wide to about 100 feet.
Many were reportedly about 30 feet in diameter, and the third type was described as egg-shaped objects.
The file said those were the ones Edwards claimed had been seen most recently.
The objects were said to move without sound before suddenly shooting away.
Some allegedly hovered in the air before accelerating with bursts of light from underneath.
The memo also said the ground below some craft was reportedly scorched after takeoff.
The document claimed many witnesses named in the book were considered reliable.
“Many of the persons named in the book who have reported them are reliable individuals, including law enforcement officers, military personnel on official duty, military pilots, commercial airline pilots, civilian defense officials, etc,” the FBI file said.
It added that several photographs had been included in the book.
“A number of photographs of the objects have been reproduced in the book, some reportedly taken by reputable persons,” the memo said.
“Many reported sightings are from atomic and missile research areas.”
The file also described alleged wreckage from crashed saucers.
It claimed material had been recovered on at least three occasions.
One sample was described as a magnesium alloy.
Another was said to be pure magnesium.
A third was described as an “exceptionally hard unknown metal.”
The document said that material contained “thousands of 15-micron metal spheres throughout.”
It also claimed the surface showed signs of micro-meteorite impacts.
The memo said Edwards predicted UFOs would soon make an “overt landing” or deliberate contact with Earth.
The FBI records were among hundreds of files, photographs, and videos released Friday.
They included NASA mission transcripts, military incident reports, and infrared images from aerial encounters.
Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett, who has pushed for UFO disclosure, praised the release on X.
“Remember the Feds told us these files didn’t exist and [Donald Trump] stood up to the deep state,” he wrote.
“The 1st drop will be big, but in comparison to what is coming they will be a drop in the bucket.
“I would say “Holy Crap” is coming.”
The release followed directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and federal agencies to declassify records tied to UFOs, UAPs, and alleged extraterrestrial encounters.
UFO researchers have pointed to the FBI memo as one of the most dramatic files released so far.
But officials and skeptics have warned the records do not prove alien life exists.
The memo largely summarized claims, reports, and witness accounts rather than confirmed evidence.
Officials have repeatedly said historical sightings should not be treated as proof of extraterrestrial life or advanced non-human technology.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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