The Light Beside Apollo 11
On the way to the first Moon landing, the crew of Apollo 11 watched a light keeping pace with them and wondered what it could be.
What was reported
On their way to the Moon in July 1969, Buzz Aldrin noticed a light out of the window that seemed to be travelling alongside the spacecraft. Through a small telescope it looked like an L or a cylinder, depending on how it was turning.
The crew asked Mission Control where the spent third stage of their rocket was, and were told it was thousands of kilometres away. They decided not to say more over the radio, worried it might be misunderstood, and reported it after they were home.
Explanations offered
Aldrin has said that the most likely explanation is one of the four panels that had covered the lunar module during launch, which separated from the rocket and drifted along the same path. He has also said he regrets that his words were later used to suggest the crew saw an alien craft.
- When
- July 1969
- Where
- Between the Earth and the Moon, aboard Apollo 11
- Witnesses
- Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins
- Status
- Probably explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.