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← Declassified UAP case filesNASA-UAP-D032DECLASSIFIED · R04

NASA-UAP-D032, STS-80 Unidentified Object Image 3, 1996

Incident date
1996
Incident location
Low-Earth Orbit
Agency
NASA
File type
Image
A photograph of an unidentified object in low-Earth orbit, taken from Space Shuttle Columbia in 1996.
IMG · ANALYSIS
Presets

Key facts

Official file ID
NASA-UAP-D32 (cited as NASA-UAP-D032 in this file)
Document type
Image
Agency
NASA
Released in
R04 · 2026-07-10
Incident date
1996
Incident location
Low-Earth Orbit
VIRIN
260710-O-D0360-1136

Official 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.

✦ AI visual analysis

Orbital photograph showing the curved limb of Earth capped with white cloud against the black of space. The Space Shuttle window frame and cabin hardware occupy the lower right, catching greenish reflections. Small red telemetry marks are visible at the left edge of the grainy frame.

earth limbcurvaturespacecloudsspace shuttlewindowblack skyNASAorbitreflection

Generated with AI from the official file — may contain errors.

Source: U.S. Department of War / AARO — public domain · war.gov/ufo

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