Buzz
Launched in November 1998, the International Space Station has provided humanity with a lasting presence in space—something that, only a few decades earlier, seemed like pure fiction. The valuable knowledge and insights we gain from its continuous orbit around Earth are immeasurable. But with this pursuit of discovery comes an array of bizarre events, observations, and encounters.
10. The STS 114 'Boomerang' Incident
The STS 114 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery marked the first flight of its kind following the Columbia disaster in 2003. In response to that tragic event, NASA had significantly reinforced its already stringent safety protocols. As a result, during Discovery’s launch, a piece of foam was noticed to have seemingly detached, sparking immediate concern.
Discovery’s mission involved docking with the International Space Station to deliver supplies to the crew already aboard. Before this, Commander Eileen Collins executed a maneuver that flipped the shuttle over, revealing its underside for photographic inspection by the space station, in an effort to detect any potential damage. After analyzing the images, it was confirmed that damage had occurred, prompting astronaut Steve Robinson to conduct a spacewalk for repairs. Following the repairs, a mysterious object appeared on a NASA camera.
The object appeared white against the black expanse of space, passing by the shuttle from a distance. It seemed to halt momentarily before shifting direction. This peculiar movement led to it being dubbed 'The Boomerang.' After analyzing the footage, NASA concluded that the object was simply space debris. However, some skeptics rejected this explanation, arguing that the object's change in direction indicated intelligent guidance.
9. Cherry Tree Grows Six Years Ahead of Schedule
In November 2008, 250 cherry tree seeds were sent to the International Space Station. After being safely delivered, they orbited Earth over 4,000 times before returning to the planet in July 2009. These seeds were planted in 14 locations, including the Ganjoji Temple in Japan.
By 2014, a sapling from one of the seeds had grown to 4 meters (13 feet), six years earlier than expected, and had blossomed with several flowers. Even stranger was that these flowers had five petals, instead of the typical 30. Similar results were observed in three other planting sites.
While scientists can't definitively confirm whether the time the seeds spent in orbit around Earth contributed to their accelerated growth back on Earth, they did acknowledge that it could be a factor. One theory offered was that the seeds' exposure to stronger cosmic rays in space might have played a role in the results. However, until more research is conducted, the reasons behind the saplings' rapid development remain unclear, and it is still uncertain whether this could simply be a coincidence.
8. Kelly Tweets A Photograph Of An 'Obvious UFO'
In July 2015, astronaut Scott Kelly casually tweeted a photo taken from the International Space Station. Kelly, who holds the record for the longest time spent in space, inadvertently sparked a stir online as UFO enthusiasts claimed to spot a peculiar tubular spacecraft in the top-right corner of the image.
The image quickly spread on YouTube through a short video that was viewed nearly a million times. The video’s uploader expressed disbelief, stating that it was hard to believe Kelly hadn’t noticed the strange object before posting the picture.
From afar, the unusual tubular shape does seem to resemble a UFO hovering above Earth. However, when the contrast of the image was adjusted, it became clear that the object was simply the space station's antenna. This not only clarified the true identity of the object, but also explained why Kelly wouldn't have seen anything out of the ordinary while taking the photo.
7. The 'Twins' Experiment
While Scott Kelly was not sharing photos of suspected UFOs, he was taking part in more conventional NASA experiments. With future manned missions to Mars on the horizon, NASA needed to understand the long-term effects of space travel on the human body. As a twin, Kelly was the perfect subject to observe in orbit, allowing comparisons to be made with his twin brother, Mark, who remained on Earth.
Although the experiments won't provide definitive conclusions—since they would need to be repeated hundreds of times—NASA believes they could offer valuable insights into what to expect during extended space travel. The genetic similarity between twins allows scientists to study the effects of genetics versus environment, which could help them make more informed predictions about future missions to the red planet.
The experiments will continue for an additional six months after Scott Kelly's return to Earth in March 2016, with ongoing monitoring and sample collection from both brothers before any conclusions can be drawn.
6. Millennium Falcon Shaped Craft Spotted On ISS Live Feed
In April 2016, 20-year-old Jadon Beeson from Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire, England, was watching the live International Space Station feed on his mobile phone when he suddenly stopped in amazement.
Beeson claims he saw what appeared to be a 'metal spaceship' moving away from the space station. He described the object as resembling the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo's iconic spacecraft from the Star Wars films. He also mentioned that the object had a 'blue glow' and was visible for about two minutes. Though he is a UFO enthusiast, Beeson confessed that he had no idea what it was, finding the sight quite strange.
Beeson immediately sent a screenshot of the footage to NASA, hoping for an explanation of what he had witnessed. As of May 2016, he was still waiting for a response. Typically, incidents like this are attributed to 'space debris,' which is abundant in Earth's orbit.
5. NASA 'Cuts' ISS Live Video Feed
The International Space Station's live video feed provides space enthusiasts with the chance to view Earth and outer space through cameras mounted on the underside of the orbiting station. Over time, there have been reports of sightings of objects believed to be alien visitors, although most of these are later identified as more mundane things like space debris. However, there have been several occasions where NASA seems to cut the live feed just moments after unusual objects appear in the camera's view. This has fueled suspicion among UFO enthusiasts, adding a sense of credibility to the belief that NASA might be hiding something.
In March 2016, the live feed was interrupted when a 'horseshoe' shaped UFO seemed to appear. Alien researcher Tyler Glockner, who uploaded the footage to his YouTube channel, claimed that NASA had been cutting the feed for years, and his channel had documented several such instances. He suggested that sometimes the staff monitoring the feed are simply too slow, as UFOs have been visible for a while before the screen turns blue and the feed is cut off.
In January 2015, the feed was cut just seconds after a small grey object appeared to leave Earth's atmosphere. Glockner claimed to have documented a similar event from June 2014 on his channel. The video showed what seemed to be a large triangular spacecraft emerging from the darkness of space and heading toward Earth. Six months prior, another video appeared to show NASA cutting the feed when a strange yellow object was reportedly docked to the space station. In this instance, the feed remained live for two minutes before being replaced by the blue screen.
4. The STS 115 Triangle Incident
In August 2006, as the space shuttle Atlantis was en route to the International Space Station, UFO enthusiasts claimed that a peculiar set of triangular lights were either 'following' or 'monitoring' the shuttle. It wasn't clear whether the lights belonged to a single craft or multiple objects. However, NASA maintained that the lights were simply space debris, as usual, and nothing more.
On a more serious note, NASA did investigate the appearance of these lights, which seemed to appear within the first 30 seconds of the launch. With the tragic memory of the Columbia mission from 2003 still fresh, NASA's initial response was to dismiss the lights as potential parts of the shuttle that had broken off during launch.
NASA later explained that, although it was unusual to see debris this late in the launch, it wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary. As the shuttle’s bay doors open during lift-off, debris can sometimes be ejected. Another possibility was that the lights, which appeared very close to the shuttle, could have been ice. Despite these explanations, Atlantis commander Brent Jett later stated that the objects didn’t resemble anything he had seen outside the shuttle before, nor did they match the space debris he would expect to encounter.
3. Mystery Clouds And Lightning Study
In October 2013, the crew aboard the ISS observed a strange 'jellyfish' shaped cloud hovering above Earth. There was no planned launch from the United States on that day, and initial investigations left the crew baffled as to the nature of the phenomenon they were witnessing.
After a report from the Russian military, it was revealed that the mysterious cloud seen by the ISS crew was likely a result of a Russian rocket test conducted in Kazakhstan that same day. The purpose of the test, according to the Russian report, was to 'verify the characteristics of the Topol missile' and to evaluate the launch site.
But the crew didn’t just witness unusual clouds; they were also studying another strange phenomenon—lightning occurring above the Earth’s clouds. These lightning bolts appear to shoot upwards. It's still unclear whether these are linked to the usual lightning seen from the Earth's surface, or if they represent an entirely different phenomenon.
Scientists aim to deepen their understanding of energy transfer by monitoring this bizarre lightning. Specifically, they’re interested in how gamma rays are produced and which types of lightning are responsible for their formation. Conventional wisdom holds that gamma rays originate from the hottest regions of the universe, but their presence in Earth’s atmosphere has prompted modern science to reassess this phenomenon.
2. Commander Leroy Chiao’s ‘Bright Lights’ Incident
While commanding the ISS in 2005, astronaut Leroy Chiao observed a line of bright lights passing beneath him during a routine spacewalk.
Traveling at over 27,000 kilometers (17,000 miles) per hour, and at an altitude of over 322 kilometers (200 miles) above Earth's surface, Chiao was unsure about what he had witnessed but knew it was unusual. He promptly made a report. While the commander kept an open mind, he was certain that there was a logical explanation. Further investigation seemed to confirm this.
The ISS was flying over an area known for commercial fishing, and records indicated that this was happening while Chiao was outside. Fishing boats in the area use bright lights to assist in their catch. On that particular evening, a group of boats appeared to be in a line, and when they flashed their lights, which were so bright they could be seen by Chiao, it seemed like they were moving away from him as he flew overhead.
1. Living Organisms ‘Clinging’ To The Outside Of The International Space Station
During a spacewalk in August 2014 to collect samples from the outside of the ISS, Russian astronauts reported discovering living organisms that appeared to be 'clinging' to the outer surface of the spacecraft. These organisms, identified as plankton, were believed to have originated from Earth. The astronauts were uncertain how the plankton had arrived there or how they had survived in the vacuum of space.
Scientists dismissed the idea of plankton hitching a ride on a spacecraft, as the species identified were not found near any launch sites. They suspect that atmospheric currents may have picked up the lifeforms and carried them to the space station. If this is confirmed, it would suggest these currents can travel much farther than previously believed.
The discovery of living organisms at altitudes between 16 to 32 kilometers (10 to 20 miles) above Earth is already significant, but the space station, at 322 kilometers (200 miles) above the Earth's surface, raises even more intriguing questions. It suggests that such lifeforms may be capable of surviving in the harsh vacuum of outer space.
