Dr. Leroy Chiao, a seasoned astronaut, reported encountering two mysterious metallic orbs during a flight over Texas.
During an extraordinary aerial encounter, former NASA astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao came across two unidentifiable metallic orbs near his aircraft, sparking discussions on their possible origins, New York Post reported.
While piloting his Grumman AA5B Tiger aircraft last summer on a clear day, Chiao observed two metallic orbs 10 feet to his left and slightly below his plane. The incident occurred at 9,000 feet above the Texas panhandle during an instrument flight plan.
Chiao described the orbs as shiny and approximately three feet in diameter, stacked vertically. These objects flew close by at a similar speed to his plane, estimated between 100-150 mph, and moved in the opposite direction without any visible propulsion or noise.
The former astronaut, who commanded Expedition 10 on the International Space Station, noted the orbs showed no signs of conventional propulsion. "I didn’t see any visible means of propulsion, so I don’t know what it would be," Chiao remarked, adding, "You got to have a jet engine or a propeller or something."
Despite Chiao's extensive flying experience, which dates back to 1984, he encountered such a phenomenon for the first time. He has piloted the Grumman AA5B Tiger since 1999, and although the aircraft was equipped with the usual detection instruments, none displayed the orbs on radar.
Chiao's theories about the orbs include them possibly being part of a secret military technology. However, he questioned why military tech would operate in common airspace, especially during instrumental flight rules. "That was my first thought, that this must be some secret military program... Why wouldn’t they be in military airspace?" he pondered.
"They came right at me," Chiao reported of the sudden appearance of the orbs, emphasizing the potential danger had there been a collision. "Obviously if I collided with them it would have been really bad," he added, reflecting on the seriousness of the near-miss.
Despite acknowledging the existence of other intelligent life in the universe, Chiao is hesitant about the orbs being extraterrestrial. "I firmly believe there is other intelligence in the universe... The flip side of that is that we’ll never find each other because the universe is so vast," he stated, also expressing skepticism about aliens visiting Earth.
About the encroaching orbs, his apprehension was also rooted in air safety protocols and the unidentified crafts' mysterious compliance with them. "If an airplane flew by me that fast, I’d feel its wake; it would have disturbed the air around my airplane," he explained, highlighting the unusual nature of the encounter.
This incident opens new avenues for discussions on aerial safety and the identification of unidentified flying objects. Chiao concluded his observations by reflecting on the broader implications of such encounters and the need for more stringent monitoring of airspace to ensure safety and clarity in identifying such unexplained phenomena.
As this story unfolds, the aviation and space communities are eagerly awaiting more information. Could these orbs be part of an undisclosed technological project, or are they something even more extraordinary? Until further details emerge, Dr. Leroy Chiao's experience adds an intriguing chapter to the ongoing discourse on unexplained aerial phenomena.
