The NASA mission in 1965 left behind a puzzling mystery about an unidentified object floating in space.
In June 1965, NASA’s Gemini 4 spacecraft embarked on a mission to send astronauts into space. During this historic flight, Astronaut Jim McDivitt had an unforgettable experience when he spotted a strange-shaped unidentified flying object (UFO). The object flew past the spacecraft at a considerable speed, captivating his attention.
Astronaut Jim McDivitt had an unforgettable experience during the Gemini 4 mission in 1965. (Image: NASA).
Recounting his experience to American television years later, McDivitt was still astonished: “At that moment, I saw something flying in front of me that I couldn’t identify. To this day, I still cannot forget that image, and I don’t think anyone can explain it.”
At the time, McDivitt’s colleague Ed White was asleep. McDivitt described the strange object as resembling a “beer can” with “a smooth pencil” protruding from it. He immediately took pictures of the object with two cameras. However, when sunlight streamed through the window, the object disappeared. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) checked NORAD’s radar data but found no unidentified object nearby.
Photo of the “beer can” shaped unidentified flying object taken by Astronaut McDivitt. (Image: NASA)
The photos of the strange object were eagerly anticipated by the public but ultimately disappointed them due to their unclear quality. They were nicknamed “tadpoles” due to their ambiguous shape. Astronaut McDivitt himself admitted: “I reviewed all the photos we took, but none of them looked like what I saw.”
The mystery of the “beer can” shaped object was clarified years later. In 1999, McDivitt stated: “Actually, it was the reflection of bolts on the window. The window was made up of three, four, or five panes of glass, so if one broke, we still maintained pressure. When sunlight hit at the right angle, these small objects would reflect images from the different panes. And I am quite sure that was what I saw.”
