Part 6/12:
This intriguing status only grew with the advent of photographs, notably during NASA's STS-88 mission in December 1998. Astronauts captured images of a peculiar dark object in orbit that appeared unlike any typical satellite or piece of space debris. NASA quickly claimed it was merely a “thermal blanket” that had come loose during the mission, but the imagery contradicted this explanation, showing a structure that seemed too sculptural and intentional.