Salyut-6: Kovalyonok and Savinykh See Entities in Spherical Craft
Between May 14-18, 1981, following docking of Soyuz T-4 with Salyut-6, cosmonauts Kovalyonok and Savinykh observe an unidentified spherical ship approximately 30 feet in diameter. The metallic object with many windows approaches within 100 feet. Through binoculars, the cosmonauts see three brown-colored beings with slanted bright blue eyes, straight noses, and bushy eyebrows. The beings show no emotion and appear robotic. The crews attempt communication via mathematical equations, maps, and Morse code — equations and maps elicit response, Morse does not. Beings exit their craft without protective suits. Cosmonauts reportedly film the incident. Lt. General Georgy Beregovoy later leads meeting of 200 party leaders and scientists to review the film.
Background
On May 5, 1981, aboard Salyut-6 over southern Africa, Vladimir Kovalyonok observed a rotating elliptical object flying alongside the station. Viktor Savinykh joined him; as he attempted to photograph it, the object exploded in golden light. A second explosion left two golden spheres and white smoke before the station entered Earth’s shadow. The cosmonauts reported the sighting to mission control; Kovalyonok later learned that Soviet scientists had registered unusual radiation that day. Between May 14 and 18, after Soyuz T-4 docked with Salyut-6, Kovalyonok and Savinykh reportedly also observed a metallic spherical craft about 30 feet in diameter that approached to roughly 100 feet. Through binoculars they saw three brown-colored beings with slanted bright-blue eyes, straight noses, and bushy eyebrows; the beings appeared emotionless and robotic. The two crews reportedly attempted communication through mathematical equations, maps, and Morse code, with responses allegedly elicited by the equations and maps but not Morse. The beings reportedly left the craft without protective suits, and the cosmonauts were said to have filmed the incident. The claimed later screening of the film for Soviet officials and scientists has not been independently confirmed.