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An unidentified object was spotted flying over Hale County — except it had a parachute and a NASA logo on the side.

Ann Walter and her family witnessed a large parachute drifting silently over their property near Edmonson, Texas. Walter sent the footage to her parents, prompting a call to the Hale County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies confirmed that a NASA team was already in the area searching for lost equipment.

According to CHRON , the object was a high-altitude scientific balloon launched the previous day from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, by the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF), which manages balloon missions for NASA and research institutions. The balloon had traveled across eastern New Mexico before drifting into Texas overnight.

Walter was later contacted by a CSBF representative, who explained the balloon carried a telescope designed to capture detailed images of celestial objects from near-space altitudes — a test for future satellite missions.

NASA’s balloon program uses large unmanned balloons that can reach altitudes of up to 120,000 feet and carry instruments weighing several thousand pounds for atmospheric and space science research.

Shortly after the call, the payload — described as roughly the size of an SUV — was located in a field off a nearby FM road by Walter’s father-in-law. The family guided recovery teams to the location.

“I’m so glad that we saw this in the sky,” Walter said to CHRON. “What a cool experience.”