On February 9, 1971 Edgar Mitchell (along with Alan Shepard) as part of the Apollo 14 mission walked on the moon. Astronauts are the rock stars of space exploration. The Apollo missions were genuinely hazardous and required a tremendous amount of physical prowess, skill, and training. So Mitchell deserves respect as a true and brave hero.

Unfortunately, this also means that whenever Mitchell utters anything controversial, no matter how absurd, the press will be there to report on what this astronaut says – primarily because they can then run a headline that reads “Astronaut Says.”

Here is a recent example, “Astronaut: We’ve Had Visitors.” Now, reading this headline you might be tempted to think that this astronaut (Mitchell) is revealing some first hand knowledge of NASA’s involvement with aliens – and you would be wrong. You might also assume, recklessly, that the astronaut has some new evidence to back up these claims, and again you would be disappointed.

The article is the result of nothing more than Mitchell repeating his previously stated beliefs during a lecture. There is no new evidence, no new insights, nothing. But the press got their “Astronaut” headline.

Mitchell claims:

A few insiders know the truth . . . and are studying the bodies that have been discovered,…

Evidence? None. All we have are Mitchell’s highly imaginative suspicions. But he’s an astronaut, so to the press, and much of the public, that means he gets taken seriously. Mitchell has used his astronaut cred to promote a series of new age beliefs – beliefs that have nothing to do with his stint as an astronaut. Mitchell is the one who believes that while in space he experienced a profound connection with the universe – not just a poetic experience, but an actual spiritual connection with the cosmos. He also believes he was magically healed of his prostate cancer.

Mitchell is also the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, an institution that has benefited tremendously from his astronaut title. While IONS tries to sell itself as a legitimate science research organization, it is an ideological organization dedicated to proving new age spirituality.

The lesson in all this is that a skeptic should reject the implied argument from authority of backing up claims of aliens and a big government cover up with the celebrity of an astronaut. By the same token, we should avoid the ad hominem argument that Mitchell must be wrong about the aliens because he also has some wacky new age beliefs. This should make us suspicious of his credibility, but it does not make the alien claims wrong. But we reject the alien claims because of lack of evidence.

One might argue that citing Mitchell’s history as an astronaut is not an argument from authority but rather an acknowledgment of his first hand experience with NASA and space exploration. However, Mitchell admits that he did go to the moon, and that no aliens followed his Apollo capsule or were encountered while in space. So to the extent that he can personally testify to anything, his story confirms NASA’s account of things. His belief in NASA’s involvement with aliens has nothing to do with his history as an astronaut.

But it still makes a good headline.