The U.S. government has released declassified photographs of an unidentified flying object captured by astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia [1].

This release is part of a broader effort to provide transparency regarding unidentified aerial phenomena. By making these historical records public, the government is addressing long-standing public interest in anomalous sightings within low Earth orbit [1], [3].

The images were captured in 1996 [1] during the STS-80 mission [1]. According to the records, the photographs depict an unidentified object encountered while the shuttle was in orbit [1], [2]. The specific nature and origin of the object remain undetermined in the released materials.

Reports on the exact timing of the disclosure vary. Some records indicate the images were made public on July 10, 2026 [1], while other reports state the files were released earlier on May 22, 2026 [3]. Both sets of reports agree that the documents were part of a new batch of declassified files regarding unidentified aerial phenomena [1], [3].

The release was handled by the U.S. government, with some reports attributing the action to the Department of Defense or the Department of War [1], [2]. The files provide a visual record of an encounter that remained classified for three decades, spanning from the original 1996 mission until the current release in 2026 [1], [3].

These photographs are among several documents recently unsealed to provide more data on UAPs. The government has not provided a definitive explanation for the object seen in the Columbia photos, leaving the identification of the craft open to analysis [1], [2].

“The images were captured in 1996 during the STS-80 mission.”

The declassification of these images suggests a continuing shift in U.S. government policy toward transparency regarding UAPs. By releasing evidence from as far back as 1996, the government acknowledges the persistence of unidentified sightings in space, though the lack of a definitive explanation indicates that these phenomena remain a scientific and intelligence mystery.