Yesterday was the thirty-ninth anniversary of the return to earth of the first two men to walk on the moon — Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin of the Apollo XI crew.
The day before yesterday, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, a member of the Apollo XIV crew and the sixth man to walk on the moon, did a phoner with Kerrang! Radio’s Nick Margerrison.

The headline in yesterday’s London Daily Mail pretty much sums up the story about what Dr. Mitchell said:

Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made contact – but it has been covered up for 60 years

Kerrang! (the ! is part of the name) is a British rock and roll station. Mr. Margerrison is the host of “The Night Before” program; his nickname is “The Nicholarse”. So it’s fair to say that the venue wasn’t exactly like “Earth and Sky” or “Science Friday” and that The Nicholarse isn’t the West Midlands’ Ira Flatow. But the medium shouldn’t prejudice the reception of the message.

In fact, Dr. Mitchell, who is now seventy-seven years old, has been saying this (or things very much like this) for some time. He has only been the most committed and outspoken of the several former Apollo astronauts (including Russell Schweikart, Brian O’Leary, Scott Carpenter, and Mr. Aldrin) who have been involved, in varying degrees, in the controversy over whether UFOs exist

The whole story can be heard as it unfolds on Radio Kerrang!’s website.

NASA’s reply to Mr. Margerrison’s producer regarding Dr. Mitchell’s claims was succinct…and diplomatic:

Dear Alex,
NASA does not track UFOs.
NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe.
Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinion on this issue.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment.