PAPEETE (987) 24.07.2015

Summary

On July 27, 2015 at 8:00 PM local time in Tahiti, a witness observed a long incandescent trail moving east-west, with visible fragments detaching as it traveled. The phenomenon lasted between 30 and 40 seconds before disappearing behind clouds. Despite being a single eyewitness account, the GEIPAN classified the event as "A"—a confirmed observation. The timing, physical characteristics, and satellite tracking data all aligned with the atmospheric reentry of a Soyuz rocket stage, cataloged as "15035B/40745", which had recently resupplied the International Space Station.