As they aged and their careers were less likely to be affected by revealing, even a bit, of their knowledge, a number of America's astronauts have let it be known that we are not alone in the universe. Several of these American heroes have stated that every space mission was observed either at a distance or close-up by alien craft. "Santa Claus" became the code word for the sighting of an unknown spacecraft so that the common citizens of Earth would not "panic" at the thought of superior technological entities being in our space. Even Neil Armstrong admitted that other huge vessels joined the first Earth vessel, Eagle One, while they were on the lunar surface.

Despite the sometimes obvious airbrushing of sections of the moon's surface in photographs taken by satellites and orbiting humans, it becomes a growing knowledge that our moon has been the home to an advanced alien race for a long time. Photographic evidence, especially taken from the far side of the moon has revealed geometric structures, artifacts, craft, and indications of a very long-term presence of some intelligence there. What appear to be circular transparent domes have been seen to glow with an internal light. People who have worked in and around NASA and the NSA have come forward with their stories of the insider knowledge of these bases.

There is even a series of popular video, taken during a Lunar Mission that was not supposed to have occurred, that shows we actually went back to take a close-up look at one of the ancient abandoned cities whose ruins are still standing. The skeptics say "there was no Apollo 20 flight" and it is true that NASA, the CIVILIAN SPACE PROGRAM, did not undertake this effort. However, at the end of NASA's moon missions at least two Saturn V rockets were already complete and others well into their construction. Florida is not the only place in the United States that rockets are launched. Among the many units assigned to the Vanderburg Air Force Base in California is the 30th Space Wing.

Military space launches are routine from Vandenburg as are rocket tests. It is rumored that the unused Saturn V rockets were taken there and the two missions to explore the alien ruins on the moon were launched with no publicity. The locals are used to rockets heading out from there and know better than to inquire as to the purpose. Anomalous activity on the lunar surface is not confined to the far side. Even amateur astronomers with backyard telescopes have often seen moving lights and other indications of activity on the moon. While the video from Apollo 20 is of an ancient ruin, there is rumor and indications that there are also more recent bases and mining facilities in evidence. As long as it seems some of these objects seem to have been in existence, it is no wonder they consider the moon at least to be theirs and, as Neil Armstrong put it, "the fact is, we were warned off! There was never any question then of a space station or a moon city."

Beyond a few subsequent, quick, lunar visits, humanity's journeys into space have been pretty well kept to our own planet's orbit. While unmanned robotic probes have been launched to the other planets, many have mysteriously quit working and others have seemingly been well guided to make sure nothing has been made public to "disturb" the Earth folk. But, if we have stayed out of the greater depths to our own solar system does this mean that an alien presence considers it their property and us indigenous creatures merely, as yet undomesticated, property on the planet we call home?

Despite the popular media habit of ridiculing those who have witnessed UFO's and then spoken up about it, there are some witnesses to these events that are deemed above reproach. Since the very beginning of the American space program's journeys above our Earth, our astronauts have been routine witnesses to these unidentified flying craft. In the words of Scott Carpenter, "At no time, when the astronauts were in space were they alone: there was a constant surveillance by UFOs."

Major Gordon Cooper was making a 22-orbit trip around the planet on May 15, 1963 in a Mercury space capsule when he reported a glowing greenish object approaching him. It was also picked up on the Muchea (Australia) tracking radar. Despite Cooper's mention of the UFO being broadcast on the NBC television network, reporters were warned not to ask about the event when he got back to Earth.

A few years later, June 1965, and astronauts Ed White and James McDivitt were sailing far above Hawaii in their Gemini capsule when they spotted a strange looking metallic object in orbit with them. Rather than a saucer shape, this UFO had a number of long "arms" sticking out from it. Despite taking photographs and motion pictures of the object, none of these images have been released for the public to see. Later that year, in December, James Lovell and Frank Borman were aboard Gemini 7 when they reported a bogey at 10 o'clock. Gemini Control asked if they were just seeing the booster rocket. Lovell replied that, "We have several actual sightings. We also have the booster in sight."

Since first being used by Walter Schirra on his Mercury 8 flight, the code name "Santa Claus" has been used to indicate to ground control when a UFO has been spotted tracking an Earth space capsule. This was to minimize public knowledge of just what was going on in the space above our planet when we ventured outward. Knowing this code helps remove the jauntiness of James Lovell's comment when he first came out from behind the moon on his Apollo 8 fly-around and greeted the world with the words, "Please be informed that there is a Santa Claus."

The ultimate close encounter with "Santa Claus" was to be experienced by Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin made their historic moon landing in Apollo 11 in July of 1969. After reporting a "light" in or on the crater wall, Mission Control asked for more details and then the public broadcast from the astronauts was cut. Several ham radio operators with their own VHF receivers did record the following conversation, which was cut from the "official" broadcast.

NASA: "What’s there? Mission Control calling Apollo 11..."

Apollo 11: "These "Babies" are huge, Sir! Enormous! OH MY GOD! You wouldn't believe it! I'm telling you there are other spacecraft out there, Lined up on the far side of the crater edge! They're on the Moon watching us!"

If we cannot believe the words of our own spacefaring heroes about the reality of extraterrestrial life and spacecraft, whom then can we believe?

NASAs Apollo space mission were for the exploration of the moon. In 1969 Apollo 11 manned by Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, was the first one that allowed a moon walk. These two men were the very first astronauts to ever set foot on the surface of the Moon. In 1972 NASA launched their final Apollo mission; Apollo 17. There were altogether 20 missions scheduled for the Apollo mission. Apollo 18, Apollo 19 and Apollo 20 were coordinated, but were scrapped due to budgeting limitations.

Although there can be found on the internet plenty of erroneous reports of an Apollo 20 mission, Apollo 20 was cancelled on January 4th, 1970. The reason for its cancellation at that time was Skylab’s need for Apollo 20’s Saturn V rocket. Because of budget restrictions the Saturn V had a limited production; only the original 15 that were created.

One such erroneous report of Apollo 20 is linked to William Rutledge who had made claims that as a former scientist for Bell Laboratories and was working for the United States Air Force he had knowledge of a secret Apollo mission which was a joint project of the Soviets and Americans. It was also purported that Apollo 20 had discovered an alien craft on the surface of the Moon.

This conspiracy theory states that Apollo 20 made its moon visit on the 16th of August, 1976. This was just about 4 years later following the final Apollo mission. An impact crater on the Moons dark side, Delporte was the intended landing site. Along with Rutledge, Crew Members of this Apollo 20 mission were said to have included Leona Snyder and Alexei Leonov. They were sent to investigate an Alien craft that was apparently detected earlier by the crew of the Apollo 15 mission crew (James Irwin, David Scott and Alfred Worden) in 1971.

Alexei Leonov was indeed an astronaut; he was the first man to walk in space on the 18th of March, 1965. Leonov commanded the Apollo-Soyuz mission, which was the first space mission involving both the USA and the Soviets, on the Soviet side. In the book 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke, Alexei Leonov the Cosmonaut was named for him. But Leonov never admitted to being a part of the Apollo 20 top-secret mission.

The astronauts visited an ancient city and an alien space craft on the Moon’s surface, if you believe Rutledge's story. The astronauts had also been able to collect some nifty alien gadgets and they even brought back one of the two deceased alien pilots to their Lunar landing module.

From analysis of the density of meteor impacts revealed the ship and ancient city were there for 1½ billion years. And the ship seemed to have been explored previously, perhaps by a different alien race.

This story probably had some inspiration from a similar story about some pictures taken while on the Apollo 15 mission. The images are genuine and can be found at the Universities Space Research Association webpage. You can see in the NASA images that there is an object that looks quite strange.

It is probably no more than optical illusion, but it’s quite interesting-looking. It’s a cigar-shaped object inside of a crater. A strange aspect is that it seems to have a shadow.