Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper claimed that in 1957, while stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, his camera crew filmed a disc-shaped craft that landed on a dry lakebed, extended landing gear, and then took off. Cooper said the film was developed on site, showed a clearly defined saucer-shaped craft, and was immediately confiscated and sent to Washington. He was ordered never to speak about it. Cooper later wrote to the United Nations calling for an international investigation, stating: 'I believe that these extra-terrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets.' He also reported observing green orbs during his Mercury flight in 1963.
“We are being visited. It is now time to put away this embargo of truth about the alien presence. I witnessed a UFO land at Edwards Air Force Base. The film was confiscated and sent to Washington.”
What they said vs. what the evidence shows
“There is no record of any such filming at Edwards Air Force Base, and no such film has been found in government archives.”
— NASA / US Air Force · Dec 1978
SourceFrom “crazy” to confirmed
The Claim Is Made
This is the moment they called it crazy.
When astronaut Gordon Cooper returned from his Mercury-Atlas 9 mission in 1963, he had logged nearly 35 hours in space and become one of America's most celebrated pilots. What fewer people knew was that six years earlier, while stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Cooper claimed to have witnessed something that would reshape how he understood humanity's place in the universe. According to Cooper's later testimony, his camera crew had filmed a disc-shaped craft landing on a nearby dry lakebed, complete with extended landing gear—and the government had immediately seized the footage.
Cooper's account came with specifics that lent it credibility. He stated that the craft was clearly defined as saucer-shaped, that the film was developed on-site at Edwards, and that military officials confiscated it within hours of its development. He claimed he was ordered into silence about what he'd witnessed. This wasn't the vague recollection of a distant observer; this was a trained military pilot describing a documented incident with precision.
The official response was predictable dismissal. Air Force officials and government agencies denied that any such footage existed. The incident was attributed to misidentification of conventional aircraft or natural phenomena. Cooper's claims were filed away as the eccentric musings of an astronaut, the kind of thing that gets polite attention but serious skepticism in official circles.
Yet Cooper proved unwilling to remain silent. His conviction about what he'd seen only solidified over the decades. In later years, he penned a letter to the United Nations expressing his belief that "extra-terrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets." This wasn't idle speculation—it was a direct statement from someone with the credentials to command respect in scientific and military circles. Cooper also reported observing unexplained green orbs during his actual Mercury spaceflight in 1963, adding another layer to his testimony.
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What makes Cooper's case significant isn't merely that an astronaut claimed to see something unusual. It's that his account emerged amid a broader pattern: multiple NASA astronauts, military pilots, and credible witnesses were reporting similar incidents during this same era. Cooper's willingness to stake his reputation on these claims—including his formal communication to the United Nations—suggests he believed the evidence was strong enough to warrant international attention.
The documentation remains incomplete. The original 1957 film footage has never surfaced publicly, and official records don't acknowledge its existence. Whether this absence proves the confiscation occurred or indicates the story was misremembered remains unclear. What isn't ambiguous is that a decorated astronaut made specific, detailed claims about a documented incident and maintained his position until his death in 2004.
This case matters because it sits at the intersection of credibility and institutional opacity. When public figures with sterling credentials make claims that institutions deny while simultaneously refusing to release relevant records, it erodes public trust. Whether Cooper's 1957 encounter represents genuine evidence of non-terrestrial craft or a misidentification preserved in selective memory, the principle remains: the public deserves clarity, not stonewalling. His testimony demands not ridicule, but proper investigation and transparent answers.
Unlikely leak
Only 9.1% chance this would come out. It did.
Conspirators
~500Large op
Secret kept
47.5 years
Time to 95% exposure
500+ years
