There’s a moment, just after the sun goes down and the stars begin to appear, when you look up and feel a small sense of wonder. The sky is vast, dark, and full of tiny, twinkling lights. It’s peaceful, but also a little mysterious. Now, imagine you aren’t just looking up from your backyard. Imagine you are floating 250 miles above the Earth, looking out the window of a spaceship. The planet below is a brilliant blue marble, and the universe stretches out in every direction, blacker and deeper than anything you’ve ever seen. It’s in this incredible, lonely place that a few highly trained individuals—astronauts—have experienced things they can’t quite explain.
These are not storytellers or people looking for fame. They are pilots, scientists, and engineers. Their jobs depend on being calm, logical, and observant. They are some of the most credible people on the planet. Yet, when they return to Earth, a handful have shared stories that make you stop and think. They talk about seeing strange lights, odd shapes, and things that moved in ways that defied physics. They aren’t necessarily shouting “It was aliens!” but they are saying, with complete sincerity, that they saw something.
What could it be? Are they just seeing things because of the stress of space travel? Is it a trick of the light, or something from our own world? Or is it something else entirely? This journey takes us beyond the science textbooks and into the personal, puzzling experiences of those who have ventured where few have gone. What is it that makes these experienced explorers swear they witnessed the unexplained?
What have astronauts actually reported seeing?
The stories are as varied as the astronauts themselves. One of the most famous accounts comes from the Apollo missions. The astronauts on Apollo 11, the first mission to land on the Moon, reported seeing a strange, bright object near the moon. They weren’t sure what it was, and for a time, they even thought it might be a part of their own spacecraft, the S-IVB rocket stage. But mission control confirmed the rocket stage was thousands of miles away. It remained an unidentified object.
Another common report involves flashes of light. Astronauts on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS) have often mentioned seeing sudden, bright streaks of light, even when their eyes were closed. Scientists have an explanation for this—they are likely caused by cosmic rays, which are high-energy particles from deep space zipping through their eyeballs and brain. But not every sighting is so easily explained.
Gordon Cooper, one of the original Mercury astronauts, was a strict test pilot and not one for wild stories. He famously claimed that while orbiting the Earth in 1963, he saw a glowing, greenish object approaching his capsule. It was on a precise flight path and was picked up by the tracking station in Australia that he was flying over. He was a believer that we are not alone, based on his own firsthand experience.
More recently, astronauts on the ISS have reported seeing “transient luminous events” high in the Earth’s atmosphere. These are red sprites, blue jets, and elves—strange, colorful flashes of light that happen far above thunderstorms. While we now know these are natural phenomena, for a long time pilots who saw them were not believed. It shows that even in near-Earth space, there are still things we are learning to understand.
Could it just be space junk or satellites?
This is one of the most common and logical explanations. The space around our Earth is getting crowded. We have thousands of active satellites, plus tens of thousands of pieces of space junk—old rocket parts, broken satellites, and even a lost glove or two. All of this debris is orbiting the Earth at tremendous speeds, up to 17,500 miles per hour.
From the window of the ISS, an astronaut might see a piece of tumbling debris. As it spins, it can catch the sunlight in strange ways, creating flashes or appearing to change shape. A cluster of satellites, like SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, can look like a string of pearls moving in a perfect line across the sky. To someone who isn’t expecting it, this could look very unusual.
However, astronauts are trained to recognize space junk and satellites. They have charts and computers that tell them what should be in their vicinity. So when an experienced astronaut sees something that doesn’t match any known object, that’s when the mystery deepens. They know what a satellite looks like. If they report something that doesn’t fit the profile, it’s worth paying attention to.
What is the Overview Effect and does it change how astronauts think?
To understand why these experiences are so powerful for astronauts, we have to talk about something called the “Overview Effect.” This isn’t a visual phenomenon; it’s a psychological one. Many astronauts describe a profound shift in the way they see the world and our place in it when they see the Earth from space.
They see our planet as a fragile, beautiful ball of life, hanging in the utter blackness of space. There are no borders visible from up there. The atmosphere looks like a thin, delicate blanket protecting all of life. This experience often gives astronauts a deep feeling of connection to all humanity and a strong desire to protect our world.
How does this relate to seeing strange things? When you experience something as profound as the Overview Effect, your mind becomes more open. You are confronted with the sheer scale and mystery of the universe in a very personal way. In that state of awe and wonder, the idea that we might not be alone can feel less like science fiction and more like a real possibility. It doesn’t mean they are hallucinating, but it might mean they are more willing to consider extraordinary explanations for what they see.
Have any astronauts spoken publicly about UFOs?
Yes, several have, and their statements are always measured and thoughtful. Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, was perhaps the most vocal. He grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, and claimed that he had heard from credible military and intelligence sources that the UFO phenomenon is real and that governments have been covering it up for decades. He believed that we are not alone in the universe.
Story Musgrave, a NASA astronaut who helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope, has also spoken openly. He says he saw something he couldn’t identify while in space—a “structured thing”—and he is adamant that it was not space junk. He, like many others, doesn’t jump to the “aliens” conclusion, but he insists that the objects were real and their origin is unknown.
It’s important to note that NASA itself, as an organization, does not officially investigate UFOs—or UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), as they are now often called. They maintain that there is no credible evidence of extraterrestrial visitors. However, they do acknowledge that their astronauts are reliable observers and that they take all reports seriously, usually working to find a conventional explanation.
What are the most logical explanations for these sightings?
Before we jump to interstellar conclusions, science offers us several down-to-earth answers. We’ve already talked about space junk and satellites. Another big one is “ice particles.” When a spacecraft vents waste water or releases urine, the liquid instantly freezes into a cloud of tiny, shining ice crystals. Floating near the spacecraft, these crystals can catch the light in beautiful and strange ways, forming shapes and clouds that look otherworldly.
Then there are natural astronomical events. A bright meteor burning up in the atmosphere below can look very different from space. The planet Venus is often incredibly bright and can appear to “follow” a spacecraft in orbit due to its position, sometimes seeming like a persistent, moving light.
There are also psychological factors. Being in space is incredibly stressful. The body is under strain from microgravity, sleep schedules can be erratic, and the constant danger can play tricks on the mind. The brain, when tired and in a strange environment, might try to make sense of random patterns of light or shadow, creating an illusion of something that isn’t there. This doesn’t mean the astronauts are “crazy”—it means they are human.
So, what is the truth behind these mysterious sightings?
The truth is, we probably don’t have a single answer. It’s likely a mix of all these things. Some sightings are absolutely ice crystals or a distant satellite. Some are explained by cosmic rays or atmospheric phenomena we are only just beginning to understand. But could there be a small number that remain truly unexplained? Even the most skeptical scientist has to admit that the universe is a very big place.
With billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars, the odds that life exists somewhere else seem almost mathematical. Whether that life is simple bacteria or intelligent beings that can travel between stars is a completely different question. The experiences of astronauts remind us that the final frontier is still full of mysteries. They are our scouts, our explorers, and their stories—whether explained or not—push us to keep looking, keep questioning, and keep reaching for the stars.
These accounts are not about proof of aliens. They are about honest, highly trained people reporting what their eyes saw. In the silent, immense theater of space, they witnessed a play where not all the actors are known. And that, in itself, is a thrilling thought. The universe has not yet revealed all its secrets, and perhaps that’s the most exciting part of all.
If you could sit in the cupola of the International Space Station, looking down at the Earth, what do you think you would see in the dark expanse beyond?
FAQs – People Also Ask
1. Which astronaut saw a UFO?
Several astronauts have reported unexplained sightings. Gordon Cooper from the Mercury program reported a green, glowing object, and Apollo 11 astronauts saw an unusual object near the Moon. Edgar Mitchell, an Apollo 14 astronaut, was also a strong believer in UFOs based on his own research and contacts.
2. What do astronauts see when they are in space?
Astronauts see the Earth as a beautiful blue and white marble, the deep blackness of space, countless stars without the twinkle caused by atmosphere, sunrises and sunsets every 45 minutes, and phenomena like the aurora borealis from above. They also see satellites and space junk.
3. What is the strange flash of light astronauts see?
The strange flashes of light, often seen when their eyes are closed, are caused by cosmic rays. These are high-energy particles from deep space that pass through the spacecraft walls and interact with the fluid in their eyes or their brain’s visual cortex, creating the illusion of a flash.
4. Has any astronaut seen an alien?
No astronaut has ever officially reported seeing an alien or an extraterrestrial being. The unexplained sightings are typically of distant lights or objects, not living creatures. NASA states there is no evidence for encounters with alien life.
5. What did the Apollo 11 crew see?
On their way to the Moon, the Apollo 11 crew (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins) reported seeing an unidentified, bright object that seemed to be following them. They initially thought it was a part of their rocket, but mission control confirmed it was not, and it was never officially identified.
6. Why do astronauts believe in the Overview Effect?
Astronauts believe in the Overview Effect because it is a profound and common personal experience. Seeing the Earth as a small, isolated planet in the void of space triggers a powerful cognitive shift in awareness, making them feel more connected to humanity and more concerned about protecting the environment.
7. What is space junk?
Space junk, or space debris, is the collection of defunct human-made objects in orbit around Earth. This includes old, non-functioning satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from explosions or collisions. There are hundreds of thousands of these pieces orbiting at high speeds.
8. Can astronauts see satellites from the ISS?
Yes, astronauts on the ISS can see other satellites, especially if they are large and close. However, the ISS moves at over 17,000 mph, so most satellites appear as fast-moving points of light, similar to how we see them from Earth, just closer and clearer.
9. What is a transient luminous event?
Transient luminous events (TLEs) are short-lived, electrical bursts of light that occur high above thunderstorms in the upper atmosphere. They have names like “red sprites,” “blue jets,” and “elves.” Astronauts on the ISS have a perfect vantage point to observe these colorful, mysterious events.
10. Does NASA investigate UFO sightings?
NASA does not actively hunt for UFOs (or UAPs). However, in 2022, they established a UAP independent study team to examine how the agency can use data and scientific tools to better understand unexplained sightings in the sky, primarily in a civilian and aviation safety context.