Ex-NASA Astronaut Describes Close Call With ‘2 Metallic Spherical’ UFOs at 9,000 Feet

New Delhi, India: Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao revealed a chilling encounter with unidentified flying objects during a recent flight in his personal light aircraft.  

In an interview, Chiao recounted the moment when two “spherical metallic orbs” whizzed past his plane at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet. This occurred in August as Chiao was flying back to Houston, Texas.  

“It happened so fast,” he said. “Two metallic orbs, about three feet in diameter, passed within 20 feet of my aircraft. It’s just kinda dumb luck that they didn’t hit me. If they had, the results could have been catastrophic.”  

Chiao, an experienced pilot and the 311th human to fly in space, described the encounter as unprecedented. “They weren’t visible on radar, air traffic control didn’t alert me, and my onboard FAA-compliant transponder didn’t pick them up either. I have no idea what they were.”  

While Chiao speculated that the objects might be part of a military drone program, he acknowledged the mystery surrounding the incident. “Whoever was operating them likely didn’t know I was there,” he added.  

The incident comes amid growing global interest in unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), often referred to as UFOs. NASA has ramped up efforts to investigate such sightings, though the agency often attributes them to natural or man-made causes.  

Dave Prosper of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific said, “Bright planets like Venus, Sirius, and Jupiter are frequently mistaken for UFOs, especially when they appear near the horizon,” he explained.  

Other potential explanations include weather balloons, military jets, experimental craft, and even lens flare. However, Chiao’s account of metallic orbs at high altitude does not align with any of these typical phenomena, leaving the mystery unsolved.