A dramatic video shown at a congressional hearing this week appears to show a U.S. Hellfire missile fired from a military drone striking a glowing orb—only for the object to remain completely unaffected. The footage, recorded by a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper off the coast of Yemen on October 30, 2024, has triggered a firestorm of online speculation and raised new questions about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs).
Presented by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing on UFO transparency, the video shows the missile making contact with the fast-moving orb. But rather than exploding on impact, the object continues flying, apparently unharmed. Burlison and other lawmakers noted that no known technology could withstand a direct Hellfire strike without damage.
Theories quickly spread across social media. Some users speculated it was a secret U.S. technology test, while others suggested the orb could be an “intelligent sentient entity” protected by an electromagnetic force field. One viewer claimed, “If the aliens wanted to, they could kick our asses.”
Skeptics pushed back just as fast. UFO debunker Mick West argued the footage was misinterpreted, stating the missile likely passed through and fragmented the target, which then fell from the sky. He criticized lawmakers for sensationalizing unclear footage and called for corrections.
The timing of the video adds fuel to growing public interest in UFOs and extraterrestrial possibilities. Harvard’s Avi Loeb recently reignited curiosity after suggesting the third recorded interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, might be artificial in origin.
While scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson urge caution and demand more data, congressional interest in UAPs is accelerating. With unexplained footage now entering the official record, pressure is growing on lawmakers and defense agencies to offer real answers.
