The morning sun cast long shadows across the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in April 1979. Soviet Cosmonaut Victor Afanasyev stood ready, suited up for his mission to the Salyut 6 space station. What awaited him in Earth’s orbit would become one of the most compelling documented UFO encounters in space exploration history.

The Soviet space program operated under strict protocols and secrecy in 1979. Behind the walls of Star City, the cosmonaut training facility near Moscow, Afanasyev had spent months preparing for this mission. The Salyut 6 space station represented the pride of Soviet space achievement, having been in orbit since September 1977.

Afanasyev’s credentials were impeccable. A distinguished military pilot turned cosmonaut, he embodied the dedication and precision demanded by the Soviet space program. His selection for this mission came after years of rigorous training and evaluation. The Soviet space agency chose their cosmonauts carefully, looking for individuals who could maintain composure under extreme circumstances – a quality that would prove crucial during this particular mission.

The launch sequence proceeded normally that April morning. The Soyuz rocket’s engines ignited, pushing against Earth’s gravity with millions of pounds of thrust. Afanasyev experienced the familiar intense G-forces as the spacecraft punched through the atmosphere. The blue sky gradually darkened to black as the spacecraft achieved orbit, right on schedule and on course for its rendezvous with Salyut 6.

Mission Control in Moscow maintained constant communication with Afanasyev during the initial orbital insertion phase. The spacecraft’s systems performed flawlessly, its trajectory perfect for the planned docking maneuver. Radio transmissions between ground control and the spacecraft focused on routine status checks and orbital parameters.

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The first indication of something unusual came during what should have been a routine orbital adjustment. Afanasyev noticed movement in his peripheral vision – something that caught the light differently than the usual reflections from his spacecraft’s exterior. As he turned his attention to the anomaly, the object came into clear view.

“At first, I thought it might be a piece of the rocket stage,” Afanasyev later reported. “But its movements were too precise, too controlled.” The object executed a deliberate turn toward his craft, demonstrating capabilities far beyond any known space debris or satellite behavior.

The unidentified craft maintained a parallel course with Afanasyev’s Soyuz, matching its speed with remarkable precision. According to his detailed observations, the object measured approximately 40 meters in length, its metallic surface reflecting sunlight in ways that highlighted its clearly artificial construction.

Afanasyev’s training kicked in. He began documenting everything he saw, utilizing both the spacecraft’s cameras and his own detailed verbal descriptions transmitted to Mission Control. His voice recordings, now stored in classified archives, captured the professional calm of a trained observer mixed with genuine amazement at what he witnessed.

The object’s design defied conventional aerospace engineering of the era. Afanasyev noted its unusual configuration – a narrow central section that widened at both ends, with distinct openings visible along its hull. Small wing-like projections extended from various points, though their purpose remained unclear. The craft maintained a distance of 23 to 28 meters from the Soyuz, close enough for Afanasyev to observe fine details of its construction.