A mysterious object observed near the International Space Station (ISS) on October 15 has prompted claims that astronauts narrowly avoided a collision. The unidentified object appeared in a NASA live stream during the approach of a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft delivering supplies.
Scott C Waring of UFO Sightings Daily stated that the object, estimated to be about 23 feet across, could have been catastrophic had it impacted the station. He also claimed that another unidentified craft was seen moving erratically around the Dragon cargo ship. However, NASA's official report of the docking described a routine operation, delivering over 6,300 pounds of supplies, experiments, and solar arrays, with no mention of any threats or unusual encounters.
Cameras tracking the cargo ship captured a faint, cone-like image passing the SpaceX vehicle on two occasions as it traveled over Earth. Waring described its movement as "bizarre" and not conforming to expected physics. He admitted that the image was faint and he could not definitively prove it was a UFO.
A SpaceX camera also recorded the object passing the Dragon spacecraft, with Waring estimating it was approximately 82 feet away from the station's solar panels. The ISS has been impacted by micrometeoroids and orbital debris, but never by an object of the size claimed to have passed on October 15.
Astronomers have noted that even an object the size of a ping-pong ball could be "catastrophic" if it struck a critical area of the station, potentially leading to rapid loss of oxygen and pressure. The ISS experienced a scare in June when an air leak in the Russian-controlled section necessitated preparations for an emergency evacuation, though the situation was ultimately resolved.
While NASA streams have occasionally shown unknown objects in Earth orbit, the agency has not confirmed any as extraterrestrial. The U.S. government has also historically maintained that no definitive proof of UFOs or alien life has been recovered.