astronaut claims UFOs are real

in a surprising radio interview, dr. ed mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, claims that extraterrestrials are real, have visited earth multiple times since WWII, and the truth about it all has been covered up... though he suspects the truth will begin to come out soon.

generally, radio interviews about UFOs are a dime a dozen, but this one is striking considering the highly respected source—dr. mitchell holds the record for longest moonwalk. in the interview, mitchell claims to have been "briefed" about the existence of alien visitors and to have worked closely with scientists who have first-hand knowledge of the subject.

the radio producers later contacted NASA, which issued a statement denying involvement in "any sort of cover up".

there's no way to really know whether dr. mitchell speaks the truth, whether he's simply mistaken or delusional, or whether it's all some sort of hoax (and if so, whether he's in on it). the laws of probability suggest that intelligent life must be out there somewhere, but stating that aliens have been to earth—and their visits have been covered up—is the type of claim that usually gets you branded a crackpot.

you can listen to the interview here. at the very least, it should make for good sample material.

update: this is not the first time dr. mitchell has spoken on the existence of UFOs, though this interview may contain his boldest statements yet on the topic.

also, his wikipedia entry and official bios suggest an interest in other paranormal subjects. ¶