Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell has made the astonishing claim that it was aliens, not diplomacy, which prevented the Cold War from descending into the Third World War.
Speaking to the Mirror Online, the veteran astronaut and sixth person to walk on the Moon claims that UFOs were spotted during US military tests, reportedly observing the weapons capabilities of the US at the height of the Cold War.
Mitchell claims aliens were keen to determine the military capabilities of both Russia and America including nuclear weapons testing.
Mitchell is no stranger to the concept of extraterrestrials though, not only did he grow up in the Roswell area but has long been a supporter of the view that aliens not only exist but have been visiting Earth for some time.
"You don't know the area like I do," he said.
In the interview with the site Mitchell said: "My own experience talking to people has made it clear the ETs had been attempting to keep us from going to war and help create peace on Earth."
"White Sands was a testing ground for atomic weapons - and that's what the extraterrestrials were interested in."
"They wanted to know about our military capabilities."
Mitchell's views seemingly coincide with those of another major UFO incident that took place near Rendlesham Forest in the 1980s.
RAF Bentwaters was a US air base used during the Cold War until 1993
Col. Charles Halt was the commander at the US military base that was currently stationed there and has long talked about the Rendlesham Forest UFO sighting as a case of aliens appearing deliberately within a military base.
More recently the Colonel came forward with what he claims as 'new evidence' which includes written statements from a number of now retired Radar operators at the base which confirm sighting a UFO passing overhead.
Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, the former deputy commander said:
"I have confirmation that (Bentwaters radar operators)... saw the object go across their 60 mile (96km) scope in two or three seconds, thousands of miles an hour, he came back across their scope again, stopped near the water tower, they watched it and observed it go into the forest where we were,"
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According to Mitchell, Colonel Charles Halt's experience is not unique to the period citing similar stories from those who were also working on military bases throughout the late 20th century saying,
"I have spoken to many Air Force officers who worked at these silos during the Cold War, they told me UFOs were frequently seen overhead and often disabled their missiles."
"Other officers from bases on the Pacific coast told me their [test] missiles were frequently shot down by alien spacecraft."
Mitchell isn't the only prominent figure to have made such a claim, former Canadian defence minister Paul Hellyer has long claimed that the UFO files are not only real but have been hidden as part of a major worldwide conspiracy which has been orchestrated by the world's security services.