A veteran space explorer reports an unsettling mid-air incident that defies conventional explanation

In a startling revelation that has caught the attention of both the aviation and UFO research communities, former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao has described a perplexing encounter with unidentified flying objects during a recent flight. The incident, which occurred while Chiao was piloting his light aircraft, adds another intriguing chapter to the ongoing dialogue about unexplained aerial phenomena.

The encounter

During an August flight back to Houston, Texas, Chiao—who holds the distinction of being the 311th human in space—experienced what could have been a catastrophic near-miss. “Two spherical metallic orbs,” approximately three feet in diameter, flew past his plane at an altitude of around 9,000 feet.

The veteran astronaut, speaking to NewsNation, provided a sobering account of the incident: “It’s just kinda dumb luck that they didn’t hit me. It could’ve been a bad result if they had actually hit me. It happened so quick, there wasn’t even a chance to get scared.” The objects reportedly came within 20 feet of his aircraft.

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Technical mystery

What makes this incident particularly puzzling is the complete absence of any technical indicators. Chiao noted, “It wasn’t on radar, air traffic control certainly didn’t alert me. [And] it wasn’t on my display that shows other airplanes that are participating with the FAA-required transponders. I don’t know what it was.”

While maintaining a measured perspective, Chiao offered his professional assessment: “My first guess is that it’s some kind of military program, a drone of some kind, but you know it’s hard to say, right? Frankly, I think whoever was operating the drone wasn’t aware that I was there.”

NASA’s perspective on UFO sightings

In response to the growing number of such reports, NASA, which maintains an active investigation program into unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), offers several possible explanations for such sightings.

Dave Prosper of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific provides insight into common misidentifications: “Venus is one of the most confused objects in the sky, especially when it is low to the horizon. Sirius and Jupiter are also often reported as UFOs, as well as Mercury. When bright planets are in alignment near the horizon they can appear to be a formation of ‘strange lights.'”

Prosper further elaborates that many reported sightings can be attributed to mundane sources: “Other ‘UFOs’ can be rocket launches, comets, military jets, weather balloons, satellites, meteors, experimental craft, or even lens flare.”

This incident adds to the growing body of UAP reports from credible observers, highlighting the continuing need for systematic investigation of unexplained aerial phenomena, particularly when they pose potential risks to aviation safety.