Description

During STS-80, between November 19 and December 7, 1996, astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia captured a series of three images of an unidentified object in low-Earth orbit. In the third photograph, the object is visible near the center of the frame, superimposed against the Earth. It appears to have continued along a trajectory passing between Columbia and the Earth.

🏛️ Official U.S. government release — batch 4 (Jul 10, 2026)
Released by: NASA
Official file: NASA-UAP-D032
When: 1996
Where: Low-Earth Orbit