LATILLE (86) 15.01.2016

On Friday 15 January 2016 at about 18:30, a witness outside his garage in Latillé (86) saw a flashing orange-white object among the stars. Because it flashed repeatedly, he ruled out an Iridium flare, and also ruled out the ISS. His house soon hid the object. Only 1 account was collected. The garage entrance is at the house's southeast corner, opening east. The witness said the object passed over the house and out of view, confirming disappearance towards the northwest. GEIPAN finds low strangeness and moderate evidential substance: 1 witness and no photographs or video. It considers a rapidly rotating satellite, perhaps malfunctioning, probable; see the investigation report. Such objects are little known to the public and can readily go unrecognised. Several failed satellites or rocket stages, potentially rotating rapidly, passed on the described path around the observation time. However, imprecise information and uncertainty about that time prevent identification of the particular satellite. The case is classified B: probable satellite misidentification.