NASA astronaut Chris Williams recently shared an incredible experience from the International Space Station (ISS). While monitoring the sky for an incoming supply vehicle, he witnessed a brilliant fireball streaking through Earth’s upper atmosphere.
A Rare “Light Show” from Orbit
On April 27, 2026, at approximately 10:40 PM GMT, Williams was positioned in the ISS Cupola. He was searching for the approaching Progress MS-34 cargo craft, which was delivering vital supplies. While passing over West Africa, he observed a bright object directly below the station.
Williams described the event with awe: “I saw its tail grow and then split apart into a shower of smaller pieces. I think it must have been some piece of orbital debris or a satellite breaking up as it entered the atmosphere. It was quite a light show!”
Likely Source of the Fireball
The Progress MS-34, also known as Progress 95, had launched two days prior on April 25. While Williams was initially looking for this vehicle, evidence suggests that the fireball he witnessed was actually the upper stage of the Soyuz rocket that launched the cargo ship. The timing and trajectory of the rocket’s stage reentry appear to align perfectly with the “light show” seen from the Cupola.
About the Mission
Chris Williams is currently serving an eight-month mission aboard the ISS. He arrived at the station on November 27, 2025, alongside cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. The crew currently sharing the station includes the four astronauts of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission: NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA’s Sophie Adenot, and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
The Progress MS-34 vehicle, which safely delivered three tons of food, supplies, and scientific experiments, will remain docked at the ISS for approximately seven months before it eventually departs to burn up upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.