NASA’s STS-96 was the first docking mission to the ISS flown by the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1999. The objective was to carry the Spacehab module – filled with cargo – up to the space centre ready for its first manned mission a year later. However, as the world watched on through a live stream of the ISS on TV, conspiracy theories quickly emerged over a number of objects floating around in space.
Earlier this month, it was revealed how sky watchers claimed more than 21 unknown objects could be seen flying past the space station.
Amazon Prime’s “Secret Space” series revealed how the feed was then suddenly cut.
George Filer, a retired officer from the US Air Force, claims he calculated a number of the objects moving at up to 100,000mph.
The 83-year-old told presenter Jeff Challender during the same show: “Some of these objects can be calculated travelling at 100,000mph.
“Several of the objects are observed to decelerate, enter the clouds and disappear.”
He went on to claim the anomalies must be engineered due to their ability to control their speed.
Mr Filer added: “I see little chance that any of these objects might be meteors or aircrafts.
“Meteors burn out quickly and never visibly decelerate.
“None of these objects exhibited any of the characteristics of meteors or any other phenomenon.
“Aircrafts are not capable of those speeds and no pilot in his right mind would fly into a thunderstorm – it would be suicide.”
The claim is not the first recording of strange activity near the ISS.
Similar allegations were made about a strange object that appeared to be following the same spaceship.
Before that, a Russian scientist apparently exposed a 20-second delay used to cover-up UFO’s during the Progress 18 mission.
However, it was in 2015 when astronaut Scott Kelly sparked a worldwide frenzy after he tweeted a photo on board the ISS that appeared to show visitors of extraterrestrial origin.