NUFORC Sighting 25273

Occurred: 2002-09-27 19:51 Local
Reported: 2002-09-27 21:04 Pacific
Duration: 20 SECS.
No of observers: 2

Location: Memphis, TN, USA

Shape: Light

The international space station was being followed by another vehicle of sorts.

At 7:51 P.M. CDST my mother and I were in her back yard watching the space station flying directly over head from a southwest to a notheast direction. The entire time we were viewing the object, we were also viewing another object following the space station keeping the same distance always. The station looked bigger and whiter than the second vehicle being smaller with dimmer white light. The two could have been at different altitudes? If one were to take both fists, join them together at t,he thumb knuckles and hold them up to the sky at arms length, and another doing the same as you, with both sets of fists touching pinkie fingers, side-by-side, that was the approximate distance by which the second vehicle was trailing the station and matching it's speed. We were both stone cold sober.

((

NUFORC Note:

Witness is correct. ISS passed just south of Memphis at 19:49-19:54 hrs. on this date. We do not know what the second object was in formation with the ISS, but it may have been a Russian "Progress" re-supply capsule. A sighting of the ISS was reported from Victorville, CA, on the same night, which also mentioned the second light, which appeared to be trailing behind the ISS, and it was small in apparent size.

For the ISS pass over Memphis, please see the following URL:

http://www.heavens-above.com/passsummary.asp?lat=35.149&lng=-90.049&alt=75&loc=Memphis&TZ=CST&satid=25544&Date=37517.7083333333&Mag=

PD))

Posted 2002-09-28