Project MOON DUST was a top-secret multiple agency investigation launched in the fall of 1957, aimed at collecting and analyzing raw intelligence reports on fallen space debris and objects of unknown origin. According to documentation from the Project Blue Book files, MOON DUST’s mission was “to recover objects and debris from space vehicles that had survived re-entry from space to earth.”

The project’s existence first came to light in the mid-1980s when skeptic Robert Todd received a document dump from the US Department of State through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The documents, labeled as “MOON DUST,” sparked intense curiosity and a race to learn more about the mysterious project.

UFO researcher Cliff Stone, based in Roswell, New Mexico, followed up on the MOON DUST lead, receiving dozens of related documents. Stone’s efforts piqued the interest of then US Senator Jeff Bingaman, who inquired about MOON DUST with the Air Force. The initial response from Lieutenant Colonel John E. Madison denied the existence of any such project, stating, “There is no agency, nor has there ever been, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which would deal with UFOs or have any information about the incident in Roswell. In addition, there is no Project Moon Dust or Operation Blue Fly. Those missions have never existed.”

However, armed with documentation proving MOON DUST’s existence, Bingaman renewed his request. The Air Force was forced to admit its mistake, with Colonel George M. Mattingley, Jr., writing, “Upon further review of the case (which was aided by several attachments to Mr. Stone’s letter), we wish to amend the statements contained in the previous response to your inquiry.”

Mattingley provided further details on MOON DUST’s origins and operations:

• In 1953, during the Korean War, the Air Defense Command organized intelligence teams to deploy, recover, and exploit downed enemy personnel, equipment, and aircraft at the scene.
• The unit responsible for maintaining these teams was located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
• In 1957, the mission was assigned to Headquarters, United States Air Force, and expanded to include:
  • Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), to investigate reliably reported UFOs in the United States
  • Project MOON DUST, to recover objects and debris from space vehicles that had survived re-entry from space to earth
  • Operation Blue Fly, to expeditiously retrieve downed Soviet Bloc equipment

According to Mattingley, these teams were eventually disbanded due to a lack of activity, and Project MOON DUST and Operation Blue Fly missions were discontinued. However, evidence suggests that MOON DUST continued operations, with its name eventually changed to a classified moniker in the mid-1980s, as confirmed by Colonel Philip E. Thompson in a 1987 letter.

The AARO report’s omission of Project MOON DUST raises concerns about the comprehensiveness of their investigation. If such a significant project was overlooked, what else might have been missed or hidden from the analysts?

One missed opportunity was the proposed Project Horse Fly, designed to provide young officers with investigative experience and temporary duty assignments at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. While there is no evidence that Horse Fly was ever implemented, its existence suggests potential leads worthy of exploration.

Furthermore, General Arthur Exon, who served as the base commander at Wright-Patterson in the 1960s, recalled receiving periodic telephone calls about investigative teams arriving from Washington, D.C. These accounts hint at additional undisclosed operations that AARO may have overlooked.

AARO’s failure to uncover Project TWINKLE, a study of anomalous phenomena, and their seeming inability to grasp the full significance of Project STORK, further underscore the gaps in their analysis. While the report provides a valuable chronology of government investigations and research, these oversights raise doubts about its completeness.

It’s important to note that these omissions do not necessarily negate the entire AARO report. However, they highlight the need for a more comprehensive and thorough examination of the historical evidence surrounding government involvement in UFO investigations.

Ultimately, the AARO report serves as a foundation upon which the UFO community can build, but it should not be regarded as the definitive and exhaustive account of the subject. Continued research, diligence, and collaboration are crucial to uncovering the full truth about the government’s interest and involvement in investigating unidentified aerial phenomena.