Wally Schirra Saw White Flecks Drift Away From His Spacecraft

Aboard his spacecraft, astronaut Wally Schirra spotted white flecks. They seemed to emerge from the spacecraft and drift away.

The remarks can be heard in a recording from his spaceflight. Schirra described flecks that appeared near the spacecraft, then later reported a flash of light in the window. Both sightings occurred on the same flight, but only the flecks seemed to come from the spacecraft.

What He Described in the Recording

Schirra called what he saw “small white objects that tend to come from the spacecraft cabin itself and drift away.” The cabin was where he sat and flew. In his account, the flecks seemed to come from inside it and move away.

Later, he used the words “particles” and “machining chips.” Machining chips are small pieces produced when a machine cuts metal. These were different terms he used for the flecks, not explanations of where they came from. The recording offers no further detail to clarify why he chose those words.

Then a Flash Appeared in the Window

Later, Schirra described a flash of light he saw in the window. He guessed it appeared as the sun was setting beyond the horizon. In other words, he suggested the light was related to sunset, but couldn’t identify its source.

The recording places two sightings side by side: drifting white flecks, followed by a flash in the window. The first description explains why Schirra thought the flecks came from the spacecraft: they seemed to emerge from the cabin and move away. He offered no similar explanation for the flash.

What Remains Unknown

The white flecks’ identity and the cause of the flash remain unknown. Schirra called the flecks particles and machining chips, and guessed the flash was related to sunset, but neither was a definite identification.

White flecks drifting from the spacecraft, and a flash appearing in the window. Those are the two sightings that remain from Schirra’s flight.