Aldrin: Yes, and we weren’t sure but what it might be the S-IVB. We called the ground and were told the S-IVB was 6000 miles away. We had a problem with the high gain about this time, didn’t we? Collins: There was something. We felt a bump or maybe I just imagined it. Armstrong: He was wondering whether the MESA had come off Collins: I don’t guess we felt anything. Aldrin: Of course, we were seeing all sorts of little objects going by at various dumps and then we happened to see this one brighter object going by. We couldn’t think of anything else it could be other than the S-IVB. We looked at it through the monocular and it seemed to have a bit of an L-shape to it. Armstrong: Like an open suitcase. Aldrin: We were in PTC at the time so each of us had a chance to look at this and it certainly seemed to be within our vicinity and of a very sizeable dimension. Armstrong: We should say it was right at the limit of the resolution of the eye. It was very difficult to tell just what shape it was. And there was no way to tell the size without knowing the range or the range without knowing the size. Aldrin: So then I got down in the LEM and started looking for it in the optics. We were grossly misled because with the sextant off focus what we saw appeared to be a cylinder. Armstrong: Or really two rings. Aldrin: Yes. Armstrong: Two rings. Two connected rings. Collins: No. It looked like a hollow cylinder to me. It didn’t look like two connected rings. You could see this thing tumbling and, when it came round end on, you could look right down its guts. It was a hollow cylinder. But then you could change the focus on the sextant and it would be replaced by this open book shape. It was really weird. Aldrin: I guess there’s not much more to say about it other than it wasn’t a cylinder. Collins: It was during this period when we thought it was a cylinder that we enquired about the S-IVB and we’d almost convinced ourselves that’s what it had to be. But we don’t really have a conclusion as to what it might have been, how big it was, or how far away it was. It was something that wasn’t part of the urine dump, we’re pretty sure of that. (17)
As Apollo 11 approached the Moon, the astronauts, like their predecessors in Apollo 8, also began to hear strange noises, which interfered with the space communication hook-up. Mission control even asked "Are you sure you don’t have anybody else up there with you?" NASA photograph catalogue number 11-37-5438 (above) suggests that something at least was with them above the lunar surface.
The same objects were later captured on film by astronauts of the Apollo 12 mission. (White object over the lunar surface above.)
Then, at 10:56pm (Florida time) on Sunday 20th July 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the Moon with the historic words "that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Shortly after being joined on the surface by Aldrin, they unveiled a plaque inscribed with the words ‘Here men from the planet earth first set foot on the Moon, July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.’ Little were they to realise what was to happen next. However this is detailed in the next chapter. Apollo 12, with astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad, Richard F Gordon Jr. (known as Dick) and Alan L Bean, started its journey to the Moon on 14th November 1969, returning ten days later complete with parts of the old Surveyor 3 probe which it met up with in space (as you do).
The day following their launch, and 132,000 miles into their mission, the astronauts reported to mission control: "We have had an object which is in the same place all the time and appears to be tumbling. We have had it with us ever since yesterday and it just seems to be tagging along with us … Its usually out our centre hatch window when our roll angle is about 35 … maybe that will give you a clue and somebody can figure out … what we are really looking at." (18) No solution was forthcoming, and the journey to the Moon continued. The Apollo 12 – Mission Control discussed the sighting further:
Mission Control: That’s affirmative. We’ve heard it now for about the past 45 minutes. Dick Gordon: That’s right, so have we. What is it? (20) No cause for the noise was ever publicly released, if indeed it ever became known. What is known, however, is that the astronauts not only encountered white orbs speeding across the lunar surface but they also saw a strange orange object or light over the Moon’s surface. They were able to take a photograph of this anomaly as it ‘hovered’ over the lunar landscape. (NASA Catalogue No. AS 12-51 –7553.)
On the original NASA print the object is very small, however, an enlargement highlights what appear to be control panels and lights. NASA has refused to pass comment on the photograph. On their return to Earth, the following transmission was made in respect of a bright red object flashing below them over India: Apollo 12: Also right in the centre of the Earth, now we have some real bright light shining, staying on that, Dick is looking at it with binoculars. It’s real bright. Mission Control: Roger. Understand. Does it appear to be coming from your nadir point, which should be just off the eastern coast now? Apollo 12: Yes. It looks like its coming just about out of the centre of what we’re looking at. I would say down from Burma and east of India. Mission Control: Roger. That’s just about your nadir. Apollo 12: I can’t imagine what this is. Mission Control: We can’t either. We’re checking the possibilities. Apollo 12: (As checks were being carried out.) It’s a steady light and it appears in size to be as big as any of the thunderstorms flashing. Mission Control: Roger. Understand. Apollo 12: Its hard to tell if it is exactly in the centre of the Earth or not. It’s pretty close to being right in the centre. Maybe just a little bit to our right – whatever that means. Just a little to the side that the Sun did not go behind the Earth on." (21)
NASA however has refused to comment on this photograph. This object has a cylindrical or cigar shape that will continue to be a feature of unknown objects observed both in space and above the Earth.
Apollo 15 (26th July – 7th August 1971) continued the intrigue in the summer of 1971 as astronauts David R. Scott, James B. Irwin and Alfred M. Worden landed the lunar module Falcon at the Hadley-Apennine site: Capcom: You talked about something mysterious …
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1969. The task for
astronauts Thomas P Stafford, John W Young and Eugene A Cernan (right), was to
test the lunar landing vehicle in the skies above the moon’s surface and
duplicate every manoeuvre that the subsequent Apollo 11 would carry out, except
the landing itself. 
Apollo 11 (16th – 24th July 1969) was
destined to finally end the initial objective of the space race; to land man on
the Moon’s surface. Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin were
to carry the honour of this historic mission that blasted into space on
16th July 1969. Then, a day after leaving Earth, the crew spotted an
unusual object between their ship and the Moon. At first they thought it was the
Saturn V booster rocket; however after calling Houston for confirmation, they
were advised that the booster was 6000 miles away. The technical debriefing held
after the astronauts’ returned home gives further details of this
sighting:
It will be noted that Aldrin commenced the interview by
referring to the "first unusual thing that we saw." And sure enough,
there was more to come.
Then the astronauts witnessed circular objects streaking across the surface of
the Moon the day before Armstrong was to place man’s foot on the Moon for the
first time. 
These circular objects proved to be just one of a number
of anomalous features captured on film around the lunar surface. Other examples
include this large object (right) seen hovering in orbit over the Moon.
Up to this mission, Apollo crews had comprised a mixture of
astronauts with civilian, airforce or even civilian backgrounds. However Apollo
12 was strictly a Naval affair, the military agency that had allegedly captured
a UFO during the war and been at the forefront of the technological battle since
that time and the agency that had invaded Antarctica ‘after’ the war had ended
to root out "flying objects which could fly from pole to pole at incredible
speeds." As the Apollo 12 journey got underway, observatories from all over
Europe began reporting that they had sighted two bright flashing unknown objects
in the spacecraft’s vicinity, and that these objects could even be sighted
through large telescopes. One of the objects appeared to be following Apollo 12,
the other in front of it. 
Another object was photographed from the command module of
Apollo 12, the ‘Yankee Clipper.’ 
Yet again, the space
programme had encountered something it could not explain; this time something as
large as a thunderstorm flashing up at the spacecraft from lower down in the
Earth’s atmosphere. Again, no solution has ever been publicly forthcoming.
Apollo 13 also joined the ranks of the missions that
encountered strange phenomenon. This mission is best remembered for the near
disaster that befell it and the crew’s enduring limp home, however it should
also be remembered for anomalous phenomena it photographed before the oxygen
tank explosion. These pictures included the red, cigar shaped object shown
above. Apollo 13 also photographed NASA catalogue number 13-60-8609 , which
appears to show an object over the lunar surface.
This second photograph shows two objects with the Moon in
the background. The object to the right hand side lacks any definite form,
however computer enhancement of the left-hand object shows it to be solid and
not a reflection. 
Apollo 14 (31st January – 9th February 1971)
continued the tradition of photographing anomalous objects in space with this
object seen manoeuvring over a crater on the surface.
Capcom:
We copy that. Charlie. (22)
Apollo 16 (16th – 27th April 1972)
continued the theme of strange sightings and this time with this intriguing NASA
photograph AS16-19238 (right), which appears to show a huge cigar-shaped object
between the camera and the Moon.
NASA scientist, Farouk El Baz (left), however, was not convinced the
light seen by Mattingly was a micrometeorite. He stated in Saga magazine "The
one thing I can’t explain – that I do not know about or what it could be are
those enormous flashes of light. 
