A major batch of U.S. government UFO files was released on May 8, 2026, under orders from President Donald Trump, shedding light on decades of reports and mystery surrounding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). The first tranche includes around 160 declassified documents, photos, videos and memos from agencies like the Pentagon, FBI, NASA and Defense Department, part of a transparency initiative aimed at letting the public decide what to make of unexplained aerial sightings.

The release comes as world curiosity about extraterrestrial life continues to rise, and social media buzzed with reactions from excitement and skepticism to conspiracy theories and scientific caution.

What’s in the UFO Files? Strange Sightings, Apollo Mission Details and More

The newly released files span a long period from sightings reported in the 1940s through more recent unexplained events. Highlights include:

  • Military and civilian sighting reports of aerial objects that could not be readily identified or explained.
  • Photographs and videos of objects described as “bright orbs” or unusual shapes seen near restricted airspace or during military operations.
  • NASA Apollo mission transcripts and images, including references to unusual objects seen during moon missions.
  • Reports in FBI memos describing metallic crafts and witness accounts that remain “unresolved.”

Officials emphasized that many of the cases remain unresolved meaning the evidence is incomplete or unclear and that the files do not contain confirmed proof of extraterrestrial life.

Alleged “Beings in Space Suits”: What the Files Say

One of the moments triggering public attention was an old FBI internal memo from 1966 revealed in the files, which described eyewitness claims about encounters with small humanoid figures, about three and a half to four feet tall, reportedly wearing what were described as “space suits and helmets” near unidentified crafts. The memo suggested 1965 had seen a surge in UFO sightings that defied easy explanation.

These descriptions are in decades‑old documents that were never confirmed and have long been part of UFO lore and conspiracy theories. Experts caution that such accounts are anecdotal and not evidence of alien life.

Government’s Position: Transparency and Public Judgment

President Trump and government officials framed the release as part of an effort to provide unprecedented transparency and let the public see UAP/UFO case files for themselves. The Pentagon said videos and documents including some from military radar and flight logs would be described on a public UFO archive site, with further releases expected in the coming weeks.

Trump himself said on social media that this would allow citizens to “judge for themselves” what the data means, emphasizing that the files included a range of reports and encounters compiled over decades.

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Scientists Weigh In: Skepticism and Science Over Speculation

While the release generated enormous online interest, scientists and space experts urged caution. Many said the files contain poorly documented sightings and “murky images” that could easily be misidentified natural phenomena or human‑made objects, rather than extraterrestrial technology.

Some experts pointed out that while belief in alien life is widespread, there is no definitive proof of extraterrestrial visitation in the released UFO/UAP files. Others suggested that studying UAP data could help improve scientific understanding of atmospheric, optical or radar phenomena without jumping to conclusions about aliens.