BELLE-ISLE-EN-TERRE (22) 01.09.2025

On 1 September 2025 at 04:50, a witness in his garden saw a very bright, white, spherical UAP to the east in a clear, starry sky. It seemed to grow before disappearing rapidly after about 2 minutes 20 seconds, still to the east but at a lower elevation toward the horizon. GEIPAN assesses the evidential support as moderate: one witness and no photograph or video. Under its criteria, evidential support is the amount of information considered reliable and objectively established that has been collected for an account. The witness found the brightness and rapid disappearance unusual. GEIPAN requested radar records from the Air Operations Planning, Command and Air Defence Centre (CAPCODA) on 15 September 2025 and received a reply on 16 September. No track matched the sighting in the sector east of the witness. The investigation considered a satellite flare, a brief bright reflection of sunlight from a satellite. The white colour, spherical appearance and strong brightness fit such an event. The 2-minute-20-second duration is also compatible: a flare can brighten gradually to a maximum, then fade suddenly from view. The Space Surveillance Operations Centre (COSE) was asked for satellite tracks at the relevant azimuths and elevations around 04:50. Two Starlink satellites were present at the matching time and position, with corresponding final visibility and apparent paths descending toward the horizon (annex 1). Their close spatial and temporal proximity prevented identification of which could have produced the flare. GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable observation of a satellite flare.