A former NASA contractor with top-secret security clearance alleged that the space agency has systematically removed evidence of extraterrestrial life from photographs before releasing them to the public. Donna Hare, who illustrated graphics for NASA from 1967 to 1981, claimed that technicians in NASA's photo lab were instructed to airbrush images of UFOs from satellite pictures.
Hare first shared her story publicly in 2001 at a press conference in Washington D.C. She recounted an incident in 1970 or 1971 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston where a photo lab technician showed her an image of a round, white object with distinct edges hovering above trees. When Hare asked if it was a UFO, the technician replied, "I can't tell you that," and then indicated that such objects were "always" airbrushed out before images were sold to the public.
Despite Hare's repeated claims over two decades, the original photograph, the technician's name, or any official NASA policy on airbrushing UFOs have never been publicly revealed. NASA and the U.S. government have consistently maintained that there is no verifiable proof of UFOs or alien life visiting Earth.
Hare also alleged that a NASA worker involved in the medical quarantine and debriefing of returning astronauts stated that nearly all Apollo astronauts claimed to have seen alien craft on the moon. According to Hare, these astronauts were reportedly told to remain silent for national security reasons and to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Some Apollo astronauts have publicly shared accounts of witnessing unusual phenomena. Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon in 1971, stated before his death that he believed UFOs were real and that governments were withholding information. He recounted hearing from fellow astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr. about seeing objects that "we have nothing that goes that fast and goes that high."
Recent years have seen increased government attention to unidentified aerial phenomena. As of July 2026, the Pentagon has released several tranches of previously classified files related to UFO encounters and the search for extraterrestrial beings. However, these released files have not contained evidence confirming Hare's specific allegations about NASA doctoring photos, nor have they presented images suggesting the removal of alien craft. The files have, however, included images from the Apollo missions featuring unexplained lights and shapes in space.