Unsealed: Alien Files (2012–…): Season 2, Episode 21 - Astronaut Encounters - full transcript
In the 1960s we too our first steps into a vast new realm-bound for the Moon. But NASA astronauts would soon find they weren't the only ones out there.
[narrator] In the 1960s, our species
took its first steps
into a vast new realm.
But NASA astronauts would soon find
they weren't the only ones
charting a course
around the Earth and the moon.
I think, the last few decades
have proven that NASA's
definitely covering up something,
when it comes to the connection
between UFOs and our astronauts.
But what is it?
[narrator] Could NASA be hiding
the knowledge that by entering space,
humanity may have crossed a line
that threatens every person on the planet?
Join us for the shocking truth
about astronaut UFO encounters
on Unsealed: Alien Files.
A global effort has begun.
Secret files hidden
from the public for decades,
detailing every UFO account,
are now available to the public.
We are about to uncover the truth
behind these classified documents.
Find out what the government
doesn't want you to know.
Unsealed: Alien Files,
exposing the biggest secrets
on planet Earth.
Baltimore, March 14, 1989.
Donald Ratsch,
an American ham radio operator,
intercepts a message
unlike anything he's heard before.
The signal's source
is the space shuttle Discovery
in orbit around the planet.
Even more remarkable
is the content of the message itself.
[astronaut] Houston, this is Discovery.
We still have the alien spacecraft
under observance.
[narrator] Discovery is allegedly
face to face with a UFO.
Moments later, the spacecraft reports
that it has lost power.
At this point,
mission control instructs the crew
to switch to another frequency.
Ratsch is stunned by what he hears.
And he's not the only one.
[static]
Other ham radio operators
intercept the same message,
and some record it.
Despite the many witnesses,
NASA quickly denies any such exchange
ever took place.
Why would America's space agency
deny possible evidence of UFOs
in Earth's backyard?
As it turns out, the Discovery incident
is just one of dozens
of alleged UFO encounters
reported by astronauts
over the last 50 years.
1961. President John F. Kennedy
appeals to Congress
and the American public
to support his vision
of putting a man on the moon.
Now it is time to take longer strides.
Time for a great new American enterprise.
Time for this nation to take
a clearly leading role
in space achievement, which in many ways
may hold the key to our future on Earth.
[narrator] The race to be the first nation
to set foot on another world is on.
[John] When Kennedy put forth
the national goal for America
to put a man on the moon,
the facade was
it was to beat the Russians.
But it was about a lot more than that.
[narrator] While NASA is introducing
its heroes and their achievements
to captivate the masses,
behind the scenes
a very different show is going on.
June 1965. Gemini IV commander
James McDivitt
allegedly captures startling images
of an unidentified object
that approached their capsule in orbit.
McDivitt later states, "The UFO..."
[narrator reading]
A few months later, in December 1965,
Gemini VII astronauts Frank Borman
and James Lovell
are recorded in this communication
with mission control.
[astronaut] A bogey at 10 o'clock high.
[man] This is Houston. Say again, VII.
[astronaut] We have a bogey
at 10 o'clock high.
[narrator] But instead of
breaking the news to the world,
the agency allegedly makes every effort
to keep these incidents secret.
After many of the Gemini astronauts
started to see things in space,
they came up with code words
like "fire," "bogey,"
even "Santa Claus" to describe craft
they were seeing
flying outside of the spaceship.
[narrator]
Spurred on by a rash of sightings
both on the ground and in orbit,
in 1966, the US government
sets up a special committee
led by leading nuclear physicist
Edward Condon,
to investigate the growing UFO phenomenon.
Unsealed case file:
the Condon Committee.
The Condon Committee
reviews hundreds of UFO files,
including those sightings
reported by NASA astronauts.
When the group submits
its final report in late 1968,
it concludes the incidents
are definitely unexplained
and in the highest category
of credibility.
Nonetheless, NASA conducts
no further investigations
of the Gemini sightings.
During the 1960s,
American astronauts allegedly report
a growing number
of UFO sightings in orbit.
But some experts believe NASA
kept these reports from the public.
NASA not only knew about an ET presence,
but that it was dealing
with an ET presence on a regular basis.
[narrator] By late 1968,
NASA's Apollo program is ready
to leave Earth orbit for the first time
on a mission to orbit the moon.
Apollo VIII is commanded by Frank Borman
and piloted by Jim Lovell.
With them is lunar module
pilot Bill Anders.
Their flight path takes them
to the dark side of the moon
and out of communication range
with mission control.
When the spacecraft re-emerges,
the following exchange
with mission control is recorded.
[static]
[astronaut] Roger. Please be informed
there is a Santa Claus.
[narrator] It's a shocking revelation.
According to alleged NASA radio code,
Apollo VIII has indicated
the presence of a UFO
in close proximity to the moon,
a world they are scheduled
to land on in just 7 months' time.
Despite public denials,
by the time of Apollo VIII,
NASA was beginning to take the possibility
of strange occurrences
on the moon... seriously.
Unsealed case file:
the catalog of reported lunar events.
Released in 1969,
the catalog of lunar events
remains the single most complete listing
of recorded lunar anomalies,
from the year 1500 to 1967.
Reports include observations
of strange colors,
streaks of light, and mists.
The timing of the study
raises a number of questions.
Did NASA already have evidence
of alien activity on the moon?
And if it did, what would happen
if the public ever found out?
Would the agency be forced to put
its Apoll o plans on permanent hold?
Today, many experts believe that NASA
gets its astronauts to sign an agreement
giving the agency final authority
about what they can and cannot say
to the public about their missions.
Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper was
the last American to fly into space alone.
In a letter read at a UN meeting
on November 9, 1978,
Gordon Cooper wrote...
[narrator reading]
If Cooper is right
about extraterrestrials visiting Earth,
then what would the astronauts find
when they at last set foot
on another world?
[Michael Collins] Well, I kind of
have two moons in my head, I guess,
whereas most people have one moon.
But every once in a while,
I do think of a second moon,
the one that I recall from up close.
[narrator] July 18, 1969.
Apollo XI takes off
on its historic voyage to the moon.
The mission commander is Neil Armstrong.
Piloting the command module
is Michael Collins.
Buzz Aldrin is the pilot
of the lunar module
that will set down on the surface.
Hundreds of millions around the world
are glued to TV sets,
watching events unfold minute by minute.
But two days into the mission,
the crew learns
they may have another audience.
They reportedly observe
an unidentified object
moving alongside their module.
The three astronauts are stunned,
but are allegedly unable
to discuss the object
for millions to hear.
The astronauts consider
the only plausible explanation
is that the object is the S-IVB,
the third stage of their booster rocket,
jettisoned shortly after liftoff
two days earlier.
They ask Houston for confirmation
of how far the S-IVB is from the module.
But the answer they receive
sends shockwaves through the crew.
[man] Apollo XI, Houston, the S-IVB is
about 6,000 nautical miles from you now.
- Over.
-[beep]
[narrator] It didn't make sense.
The object they were observing
was at a much closer range.
To this day, the alleged object
has not been identified,
and NASA has never officially acknowledged
its presence during the mission.
But if the astronauts' story is true,
Apollo XI wasn't alone.
And it's not the last controversy
surrounding their historic mission.
The last few decades have proven
that NASA's definitely
covering up something
when it comes to the connection
between UFOs and our astronauts.
But what is it?
During the 1960s, NASA astronauts
allegedly reported
multiple encounters with UFOs
in orbit around Earth.
It's an otherworldly drama that would
reach its climax with Apollo XI.
July 20, 1969.
The lunar module touches down on the moon.
[astronaut] Tranquility base here.
The eagle has landed.
[man] Roger, Tranquility.
We copy you on the ground.
You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue
who are breathing again. Thanks a lot.
[narrator] A few hours later,
an estimated 500 million people watch
as Neil Armstrong becomes the first human
to set foot on another world.
[Neil] I'm going to step off the LM now.
That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind.
[narrator] It's a milestone achievement
in human history.
But many experts believe
that during their brief stay,
the Apollo astronauts saw much more
than the rest of the world
was permitted to see.
During the two-and-a-half-hour moon walk,
the broadcast is interrupted
for a period of two minutes.
the world waits with bated breath
for the signal to be restored,
wondering what as gone wrong.
But then, just as suddenly
as the signal disappeared,
it returns, and the broadcast resumes.
NASA insists the problem resulted
from one of the onboard
television cameras overheating,
interfering with the transmission.
But many experts question
the plausibility of this explanation
and what happened
during those missing minutes.
According to author Otto Binder,
not everyone was left in the dark.
Binder claims to have
later been in contact
with independent ham radio operators
whose equipment bypassed
NASA's broadcasting outlets
and picked up an extraordinary exchange
between the astronauts and Houston.
[Armstrong] No one's
going to believe this.
[man] Repeat. Repeat.
[astronaut] I say that there were
other spaceships
that lined up
in the other side of the crater.
There... there they are
and they're watching us.
[narrator] Is it possible?
Did Armstrong and Aldrin
really see UFOs on the moon
during those mysterious missing minutes?
Maurice Chatelaine, former chief
of NASA communication systems,
would confirm
aspects of the story in 1979,
stating that Armstrong had indeed
reported seeing two UFOs
on the rim of a crater.
According to Chatelaine...
[narrator reading]
They also reported what they believed
to be mining equipment.
Are extraterrestrials mining the moon?
And was the lunar camera blackout
really a simple malfunction?
[Jason] Anytime we look
at the communication
taking place between cap com
and astronauts in space,
there are two channels of news.
There's the public channel
relaying information.
There's also the secret channel
or the department of defense line
where they can cut off the public feed
and communicate securely
between the astronauts and cap com.
[narrator] Many ufologists believe
the broadcast blackout
may have prevented
this stunning development
from being revealed to the world.
Some also claim that Aldrin
actually captured film footage
of the lunar UFOs,
only to see it confiscated by the agency
after the Apollo XI crew's
return to Earth.
Additional evidence has surfaced
pointing to an alleged NASA cover-up.
Photos of huge domes,
tunnel openings, lunar cities,
and other artificial structures
have been documented.
If we look at some of the reports
that actually have taken place where,
when we've gone to the moon,
sent our astronauts there,
they report seeing
a full-on extraterrestrial base.
It's possible that what we
photographed on the moon in entirety
was never shown to the general public.
[narrator] As of today,
structures of possible alien origin
have been allegedly discovered
in no fewer than 44 different regions
of the lunar surface.
In my personal opinion,
there are alien bases on the moon,
and they understood that there were
a lot of political factors
as to why the Apollo missions
had to go ahead
and why there had to be
a certain, uh, degree of, uh,
a manned presence on the moon.
But at a certain point the aliens said,
"Well, this is our turf.
Um, you don't belong here.
And don't come back."
[narrator] Soon, they may again
have visitors from Earth.
NASA's Apollo XI astronauts
are alleged to have confirmed
the existence of an alien mining colony
on the moon.
But if this is true,
what has brought them here?
What treasure does this
lifeless world contain?
Some experts believe the answer begins
not with the moon
but with the sun.
The sun is a massive
nuclear fusion reactor,
and one of the byproducts
of this massive release of energy
is an invisible substance known as...
helium 3.
The Earth's atmosphere prevents helium 3
from reaching its surface.
But the moon has no atmosphere.
For billions of years the surface
has been bombarded
by a constant stream of helium 3.
Some ufologists believe
that alien spacecraft
are powered by fusion engines
and that the fuel
for those engines is helium 3.
They are convinced that extraterrestrials
are mining the substance
on the lunar surface.
Both China and Russia have stated
the primary objective
of any future mining operations
is the extraction of helium 3.
Whoever controls its supply,
may control the future of planet Earth
and space exploration.
Experts believe it won't be long
before the United States
is forced to join this new space race.
But what will happen when Earth's
three great rival powers
come face to face with the aliens
reported to already be
in control of the moon?
There's some type of reality
to the extraterrestrial presence
not only here on Earth,
but obviously out there,
possibly on our moon.
Possibly on other planets.
[narrator] Will these new lunar missions
spark an interplanetary conflict
that will engulf the Earth?
And will the ultimate prize be
control of the final frontier?
This is Unsealed: Alien Files,
exposing the biggest secret
on planet Earth.
Adjusted CORNELDVD
took its first steps
into a vast new realm.
But NASA astronauts would soon find
they weren't the only ones
charting a course
around the Earth and the moon.
I think, the last few decades
have proven that NASA's
definitely covering up something,
when it comes to the connection
between UFOs and our astronauts.
But what is it?
[narrator] Could NASA be hiding
the knowledge that by entering space,
humanity may have crossed a line
that threatens every person on the planet?
Join us for the shocking truth
about astronaut UFO encounters
on Unsealed: Alien Files.
A global effort has begun.
Secret files hidden
from the public for decades,
detailing every UFO account,
are now available to the public.
We are about to uncover the truth
behind these classified documents.
Find out what the government
doesn't want you to know.
Unsealed: Alien Files,
exposing the biggest secrets
on planet Earth.
Baltimore, March 14, 1989.
Donald Ratsch,
an American ham radio operator,
intercepts a message
unlike anything he's heard before.
The signal's source
is the space shuttle Discovery
in orbit around the planet.
Even more remarkable
is the content of the message itself.
[astronaut] Houston, this is Discovery.
We still have the alien spacecraft
under observance.
[narrator] Discovery is allegedly
face to face with a UFO.
Moments later, the spacecraft reports
that it has lost power.
At this point,
mission control instructs the crew
to switch to another frequency.
Ratsch is stunned by what he hears.
And he's not the only one.
[static]
Other ham radio operators
intercept the same message,
and some record it.
Despite the many witnesses,
NASA quickly denies any such exchange
ever took place.
Why would America's space agency
deny possible evidence of UFOs
in Earth's backyard?
As it turns out, the Discovery incident
is just one of dozens
of alleged UFO encounters
reported by astronauts
over the last 50 years.
1961. President John F. Kennedy
appeals to Congress
and the American public
to support his vision
of putting a man on the moon.
Now it is time to take longer strides.
Time for a great new American enterprise.
Time for this nation to take
a clearly leading role
in space achievement, which in many ways
may hold the key to our future on Earth.
[narrator] The race to be the first nation
to set foot on another world is on.
[John] When Kennedy put forth
the national goal for America
to put a man on the moon,
the facade was
it was to beat the Russians.
But it was about a lot more than that.
[narrator] While NASA is introducing
its heroes and their achievements
to captivate the masses,
behind the scenes
a very different show is going on.
June 1965. Gemini IV commander
James McDivitt
allegedly captures startling images
of an unidentified object
that approached their capsule in orbit.
McDivitt later states, "The UFO..."
[narrator reading]
A few months later, in December 1965,
Gemini VII astronauts Frank Borman
and James Lovell
are recorded in this communication
with mission control.
[astronaut] A bogey at 10 o'clock high.
[man] This is Houston. Say again, VII.
[astronaut] We have a bogey
at 10 o'clock high.
[narrator] But instead of
breaking the news to the world,
the agency allegedly makes every effort
to keep these incidents secret.
After many of the Gemini astronauts
started to see things in space,
they came up with code words
like "fire," "bogey,"
even "Santa Claus" to describe craft
they were seeing
flying outside of the spaceship.
[narrator]
Spurred on by a rash of sightings
both on the ground and in orbit,
in 1966, the US government
sets up a special committee
led by leading nuclear physicist
Edward Condon,
to investigate the growing UFO phenomenon.
Unsealed case file:
the Condon Committee.
The Condon Committee
reviews hundreds of UFO files,
including those sightings
reported by NASA astronauts.
When the group submits
its final report in late 1968,
it concludes the incidents
are definitely unexplained
and in the highest category
of credibility.
Nonetheless, NASA conducts
no further investigations
of the Gemini sightings.
During the 1960s,
American astronauts allegedly report
a growing number
of UFO sightings in orbit.
But some experts believe NASA
kept these reports from the public.
NASA not only knew about an ET presence,
but that it was dealing
with an ET presence on a regular basis.
[narrator] By late 1968,
NASA's Apollo program is ready
to leave Earth orbit for the first time
on a mission to orbit the moon.
Apollo VIII is commanded by Frank Borman
and piloted by Jim Lovell.
With them is lunar module
pilot Bill Anders.
Their flight path takes them
to the dark side of the moon
and out of communication range
with mission control.
When the spacecraft re-emerges,
the following exchange
with mission control is recorded.
[static]
[astronaut] Roger. Please be informed
there is a Santa Claus.
[narrator] It's a shocking revelation.
According to alleged NASA radio code,
Apollo VIII has indicated
the presence of a UFO
in close proximity to the moon,
a world they are scheduled
to land on in just 7 months' time.
Despite public denials,
by the time of Apollo VIII,
NASA was beginning to take the possibility
of strange occurrences
on the moon... seriously.
Unsealed case file:
the catalog of reported lunar events.
Released in 1969,
the catalog of lunar events
remains the single most complete listing
of recorded lunar anomalies,
from the year 1500 to 1967.
Reports include observations
of strange colors,
streaks of light, and mists.
The timing of the study
raises a number of questions.
Did NASA already have evidence
of alien activity on the moon?
And if it did, what would happen
if the public ever found out?
Would the agency be forced to put
its Apoll o plans on permanent hold?
Today, many experts believe that NASA
gets its astronauts to sign an agreement
giving the agency final authority
about what they can and cannot say
to the public about their missions.
Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper was
the last American to fly into space alone.
In a letter read at a UN meeting
on November 9, 1978,
Gordon Cooper wrote...
[narrator reading]
If Cooper is right
about extraterrestrials visiting Earth,
then what would the astronauts find
when they at last set foot
on another world?
[Michael Collins] Well, I kind of
have two moons in my head, I guess,
whereas most people have one moon.
But every once in a while,
I do think of a second moon,
the one that I recall from up close.
[narrator] July 18, 1969.
Apollo XI takes off
on its historic voyage to the moon.
The mission commander is Neil Armstrong.
Piloting the command module
is Michael Collins.
Buzz Aldrin is the pilot
of the lunar module
that will set down on the surface.
Hundreds of millions around the world
are glued to TV sets,
watching events unfold minute by minute.
But two days into the mission,
the crew learns
they may have another audience.
They reportedly observe
an unidentified object
moving alongside their module.
The three astronauts are stunned,
but are allegedly unable
to discuss the object
for millions to hear.
The astronauts consider
the only plausible explanation
is that the object is the S-IVB,
the third stage of their booster rocket,
jettisoned shortly after liftoff
two days earlier.
They ask Houston for confirmation
of how far the S-IVB is from the module.
But the answer they receive
sends shockwaves through the crew.
[man] Apollo XI, Houston, the S-IVB is
about 6,000 nautical miles from you now.
- Over.
-[beep]
[narrator] It didn't make sense.
The object they were observing
was at a much closer range.
To this day, the alleged object
has not been identified,
and NASA has never officially acknowledged
its presence during the mission.
But if the astronauts' story is true,
Apollo XI wasn't alone.
And it's not the last controversy
surrounding their historic mission.
The last few decades have proven
that NASA's definitely
covering up something
when it comes to the connection
between UFOs and our astronauts.
But what is it?
During the 1960s, NASA astronauts
allegedly reported
multiple encounters with UFOs
in orbit around Earth.
It's an otherworldly drama that would
reach its climax with Apollo XI.
July 20, 1969.
The lunar module touches down on the moon.
[astronaut] Tranquility base here.
The eagle has landed.
[man] Roger, Tranquility.
We copy you on the ground.
You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue
who are breathing again. Thanks a lot.
[narrator] A few hours later,
an estimated 500 million people watch
as Neil Armstrong becomes the first human
to set foot on another world.
[Neil] I'm going to step off the LM now.
That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind.
[narrator] It's a milestone achievement
in human history.
But many experts believe
that during their brief stay,
the Apollo astronauts saw much more
than the rest of the world
was permitted to see.
During the two-and-a-half-hour moon walk,
the broadcast is interrupted
for a period of two minutes.
the world waits with bated breath
for the signal to be restored,
wondering what as gone wrong.
But then, just as suddenly
as the signal disappeared,
it returns, and the broadcast resumes.
NASA insists the problem resulted
from one of the onboard
television cameras overheating,
interfering with the transmission.
But many experts question
the plausibility of this explanation
and what happened
during those missing minutes.
According to author Otto Binder,
not everyone was left in the dark.
Binder claims to have
later been in contact
with independent ham radio operators
whose equipment bypassed
NASA's broadcasting outlets
and picked up an extraordinary exchange
between the astronauts and Houston.
[Armstrong] No one's
going to believe this.
[man] Repeat. Repeat.
[astronaut] I say that there were
other spaceships
that lined up
in the other side of the crater.
There... there they are
and they're watching us.
[narrator] Is it possible?
Did Armstrong and Aldrin
really see UFOs on the moon
during those mysterious missing minutes?
Maurice Chatelaine, former chief
of NASA communication systems,
would confirm
aspects of the story in 1979,
stating that Armstrong had indeed
reported seeing two UFOs
on the rim of a crater.
According to Chatelaine...
[narrator reading]
They also reported what they believed
to be mining equipment.
Are extraterrestrials mining the moon?
And was the lunar camera blackout
really a simple malfunction?
[Jason] Anytime we look
at the communication
taking place between cap com
and astronauts in space,
there are two channels of news.
There's the public channel
relaying information.
There's also the secret channel
or the department of defense line
where they can cut off the public feed
and communicate securely
between the astronauts and cap com.
[narrator] Many ufologists believe
the broadcast blackout
may have prevented
this stunning development
from being revealed to the world.
Some also claim that Aldrin
actually captured film footage
of the lunar UFOs,
only to see it confiscated by the agency
after the Apollo XI crew's
return to Earth.
Additional evidence has surfaced
pointing to an alleged NASA cover-up.
Photos of huge domes,
tunnel openings, lunar cities,
and other artificial structures
have been documented.
If we look at some of the reports
that actually have taken place where,
when we've gone to the moon,
sent our astronauts there,
they report seeing
a full-on extraterrestrial base.
It's possible that what we
photographed on the moon in entirety
was never shown to the general public.
[narrator] As of today,
structures of possible alien origin
have been allegedly discovered
in no fewer than 44 different regions
of the lunar surface.
In my personal opinion,
there are alien bases on the moon,
and they understood that there were
a lot of political factors
as to why the Apollo missions
had to go ahead
and why there had to be
a certain, uh, degree of, uh,
a manned presence on the moon.
But at a certain point the aliens said,
"Well, this is our turf.
Um, you don't belong here.
And don't come back."
[narrator] Soon, they may again
have visitors from Earth.
NASA's Apollo XI astronauts
are alleged to have confirmed
the existence of an alien mining colony
on the moon.
But if this is true,
what has brought them here?
What treasure does this
lifeless world contain?
Some experts believe the answer begins
not with the moon
but with the sun.
The sun is a massive
nuclear fusion reactor,
and one of the byproducts
of this massive release of energy
is an invisible substance known as...
helium 3.
The Earth's atmosphere prevents helium 3
from reaching its surface.
But the moon has no atmosphere.
For billions of years the surface
has been bombarded
by a constant stream of helium 3.
Some ufologists believe
that alien spacecraft
are powered by fusion engines
and that the fuel
for those engines is helium 3.
They are convinced that extraterrestrials
are mining the substance
on the lunar surface.
Both China and Russia have stated
the primary objective
of any future mining operations
is the extraction of helium 3.
Whoever controls its supply,
may control the future of planet Earth
and space exploration.
Experts believe it won't be long
before the United States
is forced to join this new space race.
But what will happen when Earth's
three great rival powers
come face to face with the aliens
reported to already be
in control of the moon?
There's some type of reality
to the extraterrestrial presence
not only here on Earth,
but obviously out there,
possibly on our moon.
Possibly on other planets.
[narrator] Will these new lunar missions
spark an interplanetary conflict
that will engulf the Earth?
And will the ultimate prize be
control of the final frontier?
This is Unsealed: Alien Files,
exposing the biggest secret
on planet Earth.
Adjusted CORNELDVD