NASA Astronaut Says 2 Metallic Orbs' Almost Hit His Plane at 9,000 Feet VICE

Former NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao came forward this week with claims about seeing "two metallic spherical orbs" streak by while he was flying a small plane from Colorado to Texas earlier this year.

Chiao, who served as the commander of Expedition 10 to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2004 and 2005, told NewsNation he was 9,000 feet in the air when he saw the strange objects.

He estimated that the orbs were three feet in diameter, with one flying on top of the other"and said they came as close as 20 feet from his plane.

"It's just kinda dumb luck that they didn't hit me," Chiao recalled. "It could've been a bad result ... It happened so quick, there wasn't even a chance to get scared."

The former astronaut added that he did not see the objects on his radar, and was not notified about them by air traffic control or his display that shows "other airplanes that are participating with the [Federal Aviation Administration] FAA-required transponders."

Ex-NASA astronaut encounters mysterious flying orbs 9,000 ft. in air NewsNation

"I got a good look at them only for a second, and it happened so quick, there wasn't even a chance to get scared, but it could have been a bad result if they had actually hit me," he said.

The former astronaut has flown several state space missions before, three of which lasted six months on the ISS. He said it's "hard to believe" the government doesn't know what's going on with the drones that have been flying in New Jersey near U.S. military facilities.

"I think they could tell us what they know," Chiao said. "How could we have the best, most advanced military and technological capabilities in the world, and if they don't know? That's even more disconcerting."

Reports of drones began in mid-November, and residents and local officials have voiced their frustration over the lack of government transparency.

"To me, it seems like it's some kind of a military program," Chiao said. "It seems like it's way too widespread and organized to be some kind of prank unless somebody's got a lot of money to spend on that."