Apollo 17: tumbling fragments and Cernan's distant 'flasher'
In their own words
“way out in the distance... there is something out there... It's something physical in the distance”
Day 0: Evans saw 'very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling', Schmitt said 'it looks like the Fourth of July', and Evans called the paint-or-ice idea 'a wild guess'; he photographed them (AS17-148-22673 to 22678). Day 2, 02:18:47:51: Cernan reported a bright, rotating object 'way out in the distance... there is something out there... It's something physical in the distance', with a bright and a dull flash in rhythm. Schmitt guessed the spent stage; Cernan said he 'couldn't see the engine bell if he had 10 monoculars'. Two hours later Cernan saw 'two of those flashers out there... widely separated'.
Evidence, in date order (3)
- Dec 1972Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17 lunar module pilot)witnesssaw the fragments ('like the Fourth of July') and discussed the flasher war.gov NASA-UAP-D002: Apollo 17 transcript (1972)
- Dec 1972Ronald Evans (Apollo 17)documentphotographed the tumbling fragments (AS17-148-22673 to 22678) Ronald Evans
- 2026NASA / Department of WardocumentApollo 17 transcript released as PURSUE file NASA-UAP-D002 war.gov NASA-UAP-D002: Apollo 17 transcript (1972)
How plausible · High
Transcript and photos record several astronauts describing fragments and a distant flasher never explained.
- ●●Access Direct observation or instruments.
- ●●No gain sought Nothing to gain.
- ●●Restraint Reported plainly.
- ●●Character record Trained professionals.
- ●●Independent convergence Independent sources agree.
- ●●Checkable details check out Released official records.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- Transcript: war.gov NASA-UAP-D002.
- Fragment photos found and scanned.