Nasa astronaut Leland Melvin claims he witnessed an ‘organic, alien-like’ creature in the Space Shuttle payload bay but officials dismissed the sighting as ‘ice breaking away from the ship’
- Engineer Leland Melvin spotted the object in the space shuttle Atlantis
- Nasa’s explanation at the time was that it was likely ice that broke off the shuttle
- Mr Melvin dismissed claims by a UFO enthusiast that this was a cover up
- The Atlantis shuttle flew 33 missions during its service before retiring in 2011
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It might sound like the plot to a Hollywood science-fiction blockbuster, but an astronaut claims to have seen an ‘organic, alien-like’ creature on the Space Shuttle.
Nasa engineer Leland Melvin made the astonishing claims during a discussion with a conspiracy theorist on social media.
The former NFL football player says he spotted the creature in the payload bay of the space shuttle Atlantis, which was in orbit above the Earth at the time.
When he told Nasa about the sighting, space agency experts told Melvin the most likely explanation was ice had broken off away from the shuttle and it was the movement of these floating shards that caught his eye.
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It may sound like the plot to a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster, but an astronaut claims to have seen an ‘organic, alien-like’ creature. Nasa engineer Leland Melvin (pictured) made the astonishing claims during a discussion with a conspiracy theorist on social media
The revelation was made during an exchange on social network Twitter, held between Mr Melvin, 54, who worked as an engineer aboard the shuttle, and Scott C. Waring, who runs the site UFO Sightings Daily.
Mr Waring asked: ‘What’s your outlook about the existence of intelligent alien life living in our solar system? Have you ever witnessed a UFO?’
Mr Melvin responded he had seen something ‘translucent, curved, organic looking’ when he was working with colleague Randy Bresnik.
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He joked: ‘I was about to say “Houston we have a problem” but know everyone spins-up when those words are uttered from a space vehicle.’
The pair called the ground to ask Nasa what it could be and were toll that the sighting was probably ice that had broken away and floated of the Freon hoses.
Mr Melvin dismissed claims by the UFO enthusiast that Nasa’s explanation was a cover up but did admit ‘you never know.’
Speaking to MailOnline, Nigel Watson, author of UFOs of the First World War, said: ‘I think Leland is winding up alien fans, and as suggested it was probably an ice formation he saw.
‘Fortunately, he didn’t test this explanation by going too close to it, otherwise it might have shot upwards to cling to his face and we all know what happens next.’
The former NFL football player (pictured) says he spotted the object in the payload bay of the space shuttle Atlantis, which was in orbit above the Earth at the time
Space agency experts told Mr Melvin (pictured waving) that the most likely explanation was ice that had broken off of the shuttle.
The comments were made during a Twitter exchange between Mr Melvin, 54, who worked as an engineer aboard the shuttle and Scott C. Waring, who runs the site UFO Sightings Daily. Mr Melvin dismissed claims that Nasa’s explanation was a cover up
Nasa launched its first space shuttle, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1), from the Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981.
In the three decades that followed, the space agency deployed a total of 135 missions from US soil.
The shuttle missions came to an end with the Atlantis shuttle (STS-135), which flew 33 missions during its service, on July 21, 2011.
This is not the first time the space agency has been accused of covering up evidence of extra terrestrial life.
Various objects snapped near the International Space Station have been claimed to be alien in origin by conspiracy theorists.
In March, researcher Barry DiGregorio at Buckingham University claimed the Curiosity rover snapped trace fossils created by soft-bodied creatures on Mars.
Images beamed back to Earth from Curiosity appear to show patterns similar to Ordovician trace fossils Dr DiGregorio has photographed here on Earth, he claimed.
Trace fossils are made by animals going about their lives, like footprints, burrows and waste matter, rather than the remains of the creatures themselves.
According to Nasa, the shapes captured in images from Mars are simply rock crystals that are currently undergoing analysis.
Nasa launched its first space shuttle, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1), from the Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981. The shuttle missions came to an end with the Atlantis shuttle, pictured launching in this stock image
The Atlantis shuttle flew 33 missions during its service, but was grounded on July 21, 2011. In the years since, Nasa has had to rely on Russian modules to send astronauts to the ISS, all of which launch from foreign soil
WHEN DID NASA LAST LAUNCH CREWED MISSIONS FROM THE US?
Shuttle Columbia is shown during lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center in 2003
NASA launched its first space shuttle, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1), from the Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981.
In the three decades that followed, the space agency deployed a total of 135 missions from US soil.
Columbia was only the beginning; following in its footsteps, NASA launched Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor to carry people to orbit.
These launches also allowed for the construction of the International Space Station – the largest structure in space, that’s now home to a revolving crew of astronauts from all around the world, conducting important experiments that continue to advance our knowledge of the cosmos.
The shuttle missions came to an end with the Atlantis shuttle on July 21, 2011 after STS-135.
Columbia was only the beginning; following in its footsteps, NASA launched Challenger, Discovery (pictured above in 2011), Atlantis, and Endeavor to carry people to orbit
In the years since, NASA has had to rely on Russian modules to send astronauts to the ISS, all of which launch from foreign soil.
Now, the space agency is stepping up efforts to bring crewed launches back home.
On August 3, 2018, NASA revealed the nine astronauts that will soon take to space aboard the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon, to pioneer a ‘new era in American spaceflight.’
The crew flight tests will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in 2019.
The shuttle missions came to an end with the Atlantis shuttle on July 21, 2011 after STS-135. Above, Atlantis lands at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fl, marking the official end of the 30-year program
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