Declassified UAP

NASA-UAP-D013

Mercury Atlas 7, May 24, 1962

Agency
NASA
Format
Audio
Incident date
5/24/62
Released
Release 02, May 22, 2026
Source
DVIDS
Topics
Spaceflight, Military aircrew

Description from war.gov

During the fourth crewed spaceflight and second orbital flight of Project Mercury, Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7), Aurora 7 pilot Scott Carpenter describes white particles in view that appear to move at “random” and “look exactly like snowflakes.” He describes these phenomena as reflective, and that some seemed to move faster than the Aurora 7 spacecraft.

Transcript

I have the more of the white particles in view below the capsule. They appear to be traveling exactly my speed. There is one drifting off. It's going faster than I am, as you might heard back. Hi Roger, I understand. I haven't seen the great numbers of these particles, but I've seen a few of them. Their motion is random. They look exactly like snowflakes to me. Hi Roger, have you tried to return? Negative, let me get within scanner limits first. Say yes, I must adjust my attitude to within scanner limits first. Roger. There were some more of those little particles. They definitely look like snowflakes this time. Roger, I understand your pointing will look like definite snowflakes. However, Roger.
Download the audio Open on DVIDS

Machine summary

Written by Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic) on May 22, 2026, from the record's text and war.gov's description. It is not part of the record and can contain errors; check it against the document.

NASA-UAP-D013 is an audio transcript from the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission, May 24, 1962, involving NASA astronaut Scott Carpenter aboard the Aurora 7 capsule in low Earth orbit. During the flight, Carpenter reports observing white, reflective particles visible below and around the capsule. He describes their motion as random and compares their appearance directly to snowflakes. Notably, he states that at least one particle appeared to be moving faster than the spacecraft itself. The transcript captures real-time voice communication between Carpenter and ground control, with brief acknowledgments from mission controllers.

This record is relevant to early astronaut UAP observations, predating and paralleling John Glenn's similar "firefly" particle reports during Friendship 7 three months earlier. The phenomenon was eventually attributed by NASA to frozen condensation or paint flakes from the capsule exterior, though Carpenter's observation of a particle exceeding the spacecraft's velocity remains unexplained within that framing. The transcript is brief and the audio source is not included in this release; no redactions are noted, but surrounding mission context and any follow-up investigation documentation are absent from this record.

Most frequent words

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roger particles look snowflakes exactly mercury aurora describes white view appear move random faster understand seen within scanner limits first fourth crewed spaceflight second orbital flight project atlas pilot scott

Closest matches by the text of the documents.

  1. NASA-UAP-D011 Mercury Atlas 9 Audio Excerpt, May 15, 1963 NASA Audio 5/15/63
  2. NASA-UAP-D012 Mercury Atlas 8 Audio Excerpt, October 3, 1962 NASA Audio 10/3/62
  3. NASA-UAP-D010 Mercury Atlas 9 Audio Excerpt, May 15, 1963 NASA Audio 5/15/63
  4. NASA-UAP-D015 Astronaut Scientific Debriefings, 1962-1963  NASA Document 1962-1963
  5. NASA-UAP-D003A Gemini 7 Audio Excerpt, 1965 NASA Audio 12/5/65
  6. NASA-UAP-D009 Apollo 17 Audio Excerpt, December 7, 1972 NASA Audio 12/7/72
  7. NASA-UAP-D023 Interview Excerpt with Astronaut Gordon Cooper, 1962  NASA Audio November, 1962
  8. NASA-UAP-D003 Gemini 7 Transcript, 1965 NASA Document 12/5/65