Trans-Earth coast aboard Apollo 16 Command Module Casper, United States space mission
The Apollo 16 UFO Film
A roughly four-second Apollo 16 film sequence shows a disc-like object apparently moving outside the command module during the return to Earth. NASA later performed a detailed photographic reconstruction and concluded that the object was the spacecraft's own EVA floodlight/boom seen from an unfamili
Why This Case Matters
An excellent identification case because the original NASA imagery is genuine and the apparent saucer shape was resolved through spacecraft geometry rather than dismissed generically.
Chronology
- 27 Apr 1972 Apollo 16 films object during trans-Earth coast
- frame sequence later circulates as astronaut UFO footage
- NASA analysts compare multiple film frames and spacecraft geometry
- reconstruction identifies EVA floodlight/boom
The Witnesses
Evidence
The following evidence types are documented for this case:
Conventional explanations: The EVA floodlight/boom identification is strongly demonstrated and is the preferred conclusion.
What Remains Unresolved
- Very little remains once the geometry is accepted
- exact archival frame/film indexing can still be improved for presentation.
Key Takeaways
- This is genuine Apollo imagery of an initially unidentified object, but NASA's reconstruction identifies it as part of the spacecraft.
Sources
Primary and secondary sources for this case file: