In April 1979, Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Afanasyev reported witnessing a large, metallic, engineered UFO while en route to the Salyut-6 space station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. The encounter took place in Earth orbit during the final approach to docking. Afanasyev described the object as turning toward his craft and then shadowing it for approximately half an orbit. He observed it clearly on the sunlit side of the planet, but when the Soyuz entered Earth’s shadow, the object vanished completely from view, only to reappear when they returned to daylight.
Afanasyev described the UFO as an artificial structure made of metal, roughly 40 meters (about 130 feet) long, with varying widths. It was narrow in some sections and wider in others. It featured inner hulls, openings or ports, and small wing-like projections. He and his crew photographed the object, with images later showing it at a distance of 23 to 29 meters from their spacecraft. He reported the sighting in real time to Mission Control, providing details on its size, shape, and position while it followed them.
After landing, Afanasyev was thoroughly debriefed by Soviet authorities. His camera and film were confiscated, and he was instructed not to discuss the incident publicly. He remained silent for years, only speaking openly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In subsequent interviews, he stated his belief that the object was of extraterrestrial origin and expressed the view that humanity is not alone.
The claim gained wider attention through UFO researchers and media in the 1990s and 2000s. Afanasyev provided a detailed drawing of the object, showing a structured, elongated craft with protrusions. He emphasized that the object was clearly manufactured, not a natural phenomenon, and that its behavior indicated intelligent control. The sighting has been cited in discussions of cosmonaut UFO reports, often alongside other Soviet-era claims, as evidence of extraterrestrial interest in human space activities.
Skeptics note that the story emerged publicly long after the event and lacks contemporaneous documentation or released photographs. No official Soviet or Russian space agency records have confirmed the sighting, and the confiscated images have never been made public. Some researchers suggest it could have been a misidentified piece of space debris, a classified Soviet or foreign satellite, or an optical illusion in the harsh lighting conditions of orbit. However, Afanasyev maintained the account consistently until his death, insisting on its accuracy and the reality of what he and his crew observed.
The incident remains one of the more detailed claims by a high-profile space traveler and continues to be referenced in UFO literature and online discussions as a significant orbital encounter from the era of crewed spaceflight.
