Skylab Crew's Unidentified Lights and Satellite, 1973
Astronauts reported flashing lights, streaks, and a bright reddish rotating object matching their orbit.
Jan 1, 1973
Pending
PURSUE Program
AI Disclosure Brief
AI assistedReported Object Read
Skylab crews reported unusual visual phenomena including frequent light flashes and streaks seen with eyes closed or open, and a bright reddish rotating object in a near-identical orbit observed for 10 minutes, brighter than planets, with no identification provided.
Notable Characteristics
- Color: reddish
- Luminosity: brighter than Jupiter
- Altitude: 30-50 nautical miles
Reported Motion
- held position with slight drift; rotating with 10-second period
Evidence Notes
- Multiple astronaut testimonies in official debriefings.
- Consistent descriptions across crew members.
Skylab astronauts consistently reported visual phenomena including intraocular light flashes—possibly cosmic ray effects—and an unidentified bright reddish object in close orbital proximity, with no ground-provided identification.
Unclear
visual
85%
Prosaic Leads
- Light flashes consistent with cosmic ray interactions in retina, noted in spaceflight literature.
- Reddish object likely a tumbling satellite or debris, though orbital match and lack of re-sighting unusual.
- Flashing lights possibly other orbital objects reflecting sunlight.
Anomalous Indicators
- Object maintained relative position for 10 minutes with minimal drift.
- Brightness exceeding planets; 10-second rotation period.
- No identification provided despite crew inquiry.
Evidence Gaps
- No independent telemetry or photographic confirmation.
- Precise timestamps require channel A tape review.
- No follow-up on object identification in debrief.
Evidence Quotes // source statements
Open archive"This bright reddish object was out there and we tracked it for about 5 or 10 minutes. It was obviously a satellite in a very similar orbit to our own. It was rotating and had a period of almost exactly 10 seconds."
Owen Garriott, Skylab Astronaut / NASA
Describing unidentified satellite observed from Skylab.
"What satellite it was and how it happened to end up in such a similar orbit, no one ever explained to us."
Owen Garriott, Skylab Astronaut / NASA
Request for identification of observed object.
"We saw light flashes. I think all of us saw them... They were numerous at times - two or three per minute."
Joseph Kerwin, Skylab Astronaut / NASA
Intraocular light flashes during mission.
Pattern Mesh // linked sightings
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and 57 seconds of video footage from an infrared (IR) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-01:55: No content. 01:56: An area of contrast becomes distinguishable against the background in the center of the right side of the display. 02:04: The IR sensor pans to center on the area of contrast. 02:14: The sensor field-of-view narrows to zoom in on the area of contrast. 02:15-03:26: The area of contrast remains generally in the center of the sensor field-of-view. 03:27-04:57: The sensor motion causes the area of contrast to move erratically across the display. Due to this motion, the sensor system repeatedly loses and reacquires the area of contrast within the center area of the display. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 43 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-00:17: An area of contrast remains generally within the top left quarter of the display. 00:17-00:18: The sensor pans from right to left, causing the area of contrast to pass through the center of the display. The sensor then pans from left to right, causing the area of contrast to return to its approximate initial position within the sensor field-of-view. 00:29: The sensor stops tracking the area of contrast, causing it to leave the sensor field-of-view on the left side of the screen. 00:30-00:43: The sensor resumes its motion relative to the background but does not reacquire the area of contrast. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:01-00:03: Two semi-transparent, irregularly shaped orange areas overlay the background imagery, persisting for less than two seconds each. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of six seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:02-00:04: An area of irregular color and brightness, mainly consisting of white and red highlights, appears near the center of the top edge of the sensor display. The area extends to a width of approximately one-third of the horizontal frame, with a vertical area comprising approximately one-sixth of the viewing area. Overall, its shape is best described as a horizontally-oriented half-oval bisected along its major axis. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:00-00:01: An indistinctly shaped multi-colored area moves from right to left across the top edge of the sensor display within the first second of the video. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, July 2022
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 14 seconds of video footage from an infrared (left) and electro-optical (right) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D16, described the UAP as “moving from north to south.” Video Description: At the five second mark, the video depicts an object moving from right to left across the top right quarter of the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Chronology Trace // before & after
Apollo 12 NASA UAP Image, 1969
Moon
Apollo 17's Flashing Distant Object, 1972
Moon
Apollo 17's Lunar Triangle Dots, 1972
Moon
Apollo 12 Lights Escaping Moon, 1969
Moon
Papua New Guinea Overflights Inquiry, 1985
Japan
Papua New Guinea High-Speed Overflights, 1985
Japan
Kazakhstan Boeing 747 UFO Encounter, 1994
Kazakhstan
Official Files // source material
1 linkedNASA-UAP-D7, Skylab Techincal Crew Debriefing 1973
BE4/J. GRIMwir JSC-08053 - SKYLAB 1/2 TECHNICAL CREW DEBRIEFING JUNE 30, 1973 PREPARED BY TRAINING OFFICE CREW TRAINING AND SIMULATION DIVISION NOTICE: This document may be exempt from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U. S. C. 552). Requests for its release to persons outside the U. S. Government should be handled under the provisions of NASA Policy Directive 1382.2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration LYNDON B. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER Houston, Texas KERWIN ( CONT'D) Unusual or Unexpected Visual Phenomenon. We saw light flashes. I think all of us saw them. I saw them most often when I was in the sack at night with my eyes closed but awake naturally. They tended to wax and wane in frequency. Someone asked me if that was in conjunction with the South Atlantic
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