UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RELEASERELEASE 04 · JULY 10, 2026

PENTAGON UFO FILE · IMAGE · NASA-UAP-D031

STS-80 Unidentified Object Image 2, 1996

NASAIncident: 1996Low-Earth Orbit2 MB
STS-80 Unidentified Object Image 2, 1996
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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.

The description is the government’s own, from war.gov/UFO, released on July 10, 2026. The Pentagon calls these unresolved cases — publishing a file does not mean it shows anything anomalous.

Last updated October 13, 2026