The U.S. government has released previously classified photographs of an unidentified flying object captured by NASA astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia [1].
The release is part of a broader effort by the Department of Defense to increase transparency regarding unidentified aerial phenomena [1, 3]. By making these records public, the government is addressing long-standing public interest in anomalous sightings, and the nature of classified aerospace data.
The images were captured in low Earth orbit during the STS-80 mission in 1996 [1, 2]. While the photographs date back three decades, they were only made public recently. Reports on the exact date of the release vary, with some sources citing July 10, 2026 [1], while another source indicates the files were released earlier on May 22, 2026 [3].
The declassified material includes photos of an unidentified object seen from the shuttle during its flight [1, 2]. The Department of Defense oversaw the release of this specific batch of documents [1, 2]. Some reports attribute the move to the current administration's policy on transparency [3].
NASA astronauts on the STS-80 mission were tasked with various scientific objectives, but the capture of this specific phenomenon remained classified for years [1]. The government has not provided a definitive identification for the object appearing in the photographs, maintaining its status as an unidentified aerial phenomenon [1, 3].
This latest disclosure follows a trend of the U.S. government releasing batches of archives related to UFO sightings to reduce speculation, and provide a factual basis for public study [3].
“The U.S. government has released previously classified photographs of an unidentified flying object”
The release of these images signals a shift in how the U.S. military and NASA handle anomalous data. By moving from a policy of strict secrecy to one of managed transparency, the government aims to neutralize conspiracy theories while acknowledging that certain aerial phenomena remain unexplained by current science.
