Apollo 17: three dots in triangular formation, lunar sky, 1972

A NASA still from Apollo 17 — released for the first time as part of PURSUE Release 01 — shows three small dots in a tight triangular formation in the lunar sky. Released alongside Apollo 17 crew transcripts and technical debriefings.

Released for the first time as part of PURSUE Release 01, the photograph NASA-UAP-VM6 shows three small dots in a tight triangular formation in the lunar sky during Apollo 17. The image is paired with NASA-UAP-D2 (the December 1972 Apollo 17 mission transcript) and NASA-UAP-D6 (the technical crew debriefing held in 1973).

The Apollo 17 image is the most-circulated still from PURSUE Release 01. The five additional Apollo 12 images (NASA-UAP-VM1 through NASA-UAP-VM5) released in this tranche are accompanied by the Apollo 12 transcript NASA-UAP-D1, with additional context in the Apollo 11 technical crew debriefing (NASA-UAP-D4) and Skylab transcripts (NASA-UAP-D7).

Imagery & video

NASA-UAP-VM6 — Apollo 17, 1972. Three dots in triangular formation in the lunar sky. NASA / Public Domain

NASA-UAP-VM1 — Apollo 12, 1969 (lunar still). NASA / Public Domain

NASA-UAP-VM2 — Apollo 12, 1969 (lunar still). NASA / Public Domain

Source documents

Primary sourceNASA / U.S. Department of War — PURSUE Release 01