Just Cause - 1987 03 - No 11 - New Series

Magazine Overview

Title: JUST CAUSE
Issue: 11
Volume: NEW SERIES
Date: March 1987
Publisher: Lawrence Fawcett
Editor: Barry Greenwood
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $10 for 4 issues ($15 foreign)

A UFO OVER THE MOON?

This article investigates reports of UFO sightings by astronauts during lunar missions. The author notes that while many accounts are outlandish, some reports of unidentified lights have occurred. The magazine aims to verify more vivid sightings, though no concrete evidence of alien machines has been uncovered. However, they keep an open mind to discourage potential witnesses from remaining silent.

Bob Davis's Account

The article features an account from 'Bob Davis' (pseudonym), a former NASA Safety Inspector at the Johnson Space Center. Davis describes his patrol of the Integrated Mission Control Center (IMCC) Building #330. He recounts an incident where he and another inspector, 'Mike Brown' (pseudonym), were in the viewing room when several men, including the director of JSC, entered excitedly.

They were pointing at the large TV screen, which was showing a feed from the Lunar Rover camera. The camera, usually focused on astronauts working on the surface, was unexpectedly tracking a shiny object hovering in space above the moon. Davis initially thought it was the Command Module. The object then moved, and the Rover camera followed it. After making a circuit, the object left at high speed. When Davis questioned what it was, he and Mike Brown were confronted by officials, including possibly Dr. Kraft. The explanation given was that it was an 'oil bubble on the camera lens at the rear of the screen.' Davis was threatened and told to keep quiet.

Television Broadcast Sighting

The article then shifts to a personal recollection by the author, who believes they saw a similar event on television during the Apollo 15 mission (July 26, 1971). While watching a live broadcast of astronauts working near Hadley Rille, the author noticed a small, bright, roundish object moving from left to right across the top of the screen. It was brighter than the surrounding scenery and seemed too distinct to be the Apollo capsule. The object moved towards a mountain and disappeared. The astronauts did not notice it, but the ground controller at Houston made a comment like, "What's that?" The author recalls that despite the sighting being broadcast nationally, no mention was made of it on the news. Later, a newscast suggested the object was caused by a piece of ceramic molding bursting from the rover antenna, an explanation the author found unconvincing due to the object's slow movement and lack of other debris.

New State Department Release

The magazine also reports on a 143-page file released by the Department of State concerning UFOs, following a request by CAUS. The file covers incidents in various locations. Of particular interest are reports of strange radar trackings off Barbados on April 12, 1984. Air traffic control radar at Grantley Adams International Airport detected UFOs in formations tracking towards the airport. The objects later split and moved off the island. The Barbadian government inquired with the United States about military exercises, which were denied. The American embassy stated that there was no generally accepted explanation, rejecting possibilities like equipment malfunction or temperature inversion.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings during space missions, particularly on the moon, and unexplained aerial phenomena observed via radar. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded skepticism, encouraging the reporting of unusual events while maintaining a critical approach to explanations. The magazine aims to investigate such phenomena without immediately dismissing them, as evidenced by their desire not to discourage potential witnesses.