6 months ago
15
(NewsNation) — Two months earlier the caller question of unexplained drones successful New Jersey and different parts of the Northeast, a erstwhile NASA astronaut encountered mysterious metallic orbs portion flying a backstage plane, helium revealed successful an interrogation with NewsNation's The Hill.
Leroy Chiao, who was a commandant connected the International Space Station, had a near-collision with unidentified flying objects successful the panhandle of Texas successful August arsenic helium was flying from Colorado successful a tiny airplane.
"I was astir 9,000 feet (in the air), and suddenly, retired of nowhere, these 2 large metallic spherical orbs, 1 connected apical of the different astir 3 feet successful diameter, each went zipping by the near broadside of my airplane close underneath astir 20 feet away," Chiao said.
The unmanned craft was not connected the Federal Aviation Administration aerial postulation power radar, Chiao said.
"I got a bully look astatine them lone for a second, and it happened truthful quick, determination wasn't adjacent a accidental to get scared, but it could person been a atrocious effect if they had really deed me," helium said.
The erstwhile astronaut has flown respective authorities abstraction missions before, 3 of which lasted six months connected the ISS. He said it's "hard to believe" the authorities doesn't cognize what's going connected with the drones that person been flying successful New Jersey adjacent U.S. subject facilities.
"I deliberation they could archer america what they know," Chiao said. "How could we person the best, astir precocious subject and technological capabilities successful the world, and if they don't know? That's adjacent much disconcerting."
Reports of drones began successful mid-November, and residents and section officials person voiced their vexation implicit the deficiency of authorities transparency.
"To me, it seems similar it's immoderate benignant of a subject program," Chiao said. "It seems similar it's mode excessively wide and organized to beryllium immoderate benignant of prank unless somebody's got a batch of wealth to walk connected that."
