Cooper describes chasing metallic, wingless craft over Germany during the Cold War and reveals that photographers at Edwards captured images of a saucer-shaped vehicle with tricycle landing gear that landed on the dry lakebed. After reporting the incident through official channels, a general ordered the negatives shipped to Washington immediately. Cooper confirms he never received an explanation. He also recounts flying alongside Neil Armstrong when they investigated a distant object that turned out to be a weather balloon.
Throughout the conversation, Cooper states his strong belief in extraterrestrial intelligence and criticizes Project Blue Book as a cover-up. He expresses disappointment that America has not returned to the Moon or reached Mars, and advocates for privatizing space travel. Cooper discusses his forthcoming book Leap of Faith and offers his perspective on shuttle footage from STS-80 that appears to show an object launching from Earth at tremendous speed.
Key Moments
Cooper debunks the Mercury UFO rumor but confirms his real sighting: Cooper says the famous claim that he saw a UFO during his Mercury mission is fabricated, but admits he and other Air Force pilots in Germany scrambled after metallic, wingless saucer-shaped craft flying east-to-west in formation, faster than their fighters.
Gemini 5 film of Area 51 confiscated: Cooper says his Gemini 5 photographs - taken with a 1,250mm Questar lens capable of resolving license plates from orbit - were seized because he had unknowingly imaged Area 51. Art ties this to his own Pahrump triangle sighting just over the mountains from the base.
Cooper calls Project Blue Book a cover-up: Asked whether the Air Force's official conclusion that UFOs posed no threat was credible, Cooper flatly says no and labels Project Blue Book a deliberate whitewash designed to make the issue go away.
Cooper's own scramble turned out to be a weather balloon: Cooper describes scrambling on afterburners to chase a saucer-shaped object only to find a weather balloon with a radio package hanging beneath it - a candid admission that despite his belief in UFOs, he applies skepticism to individual sightings.