STS-80 Unidentified Object Image 2, 1996
- File
- NASA-UAP-D031
- Type
- Image
- Agency
- NASA
- Date
- 1996
- Place
- Low-Earth Orbit
- Released
- Release 4, July 10, 2026
The government's 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 second photograph, the object is visible near the center of the frame, to the right of the limb of the Earth. It appears to have rotated or tumbled about its major axis, which is consistent with the behavior of a free-floating object.