Help with unidentified object

[Hunter20]

I've been observing man-made satellites, aircraft, meteors and various other natural phenomena in the sky for decades. I'm an amateur but not a rookie. Last night I saw an object that is completely different than anything I've seen before and am hoping someone can shed some light on it for me.

I had looked in Heavens-above.com for a satellite to view and went out at about 2100 local time here in Colorado, USA to see it. At about 2110, I observed an object passing NW-SE almost directly overhead. It was traveling over two to three times as fast as any other satellite I've ever seen. It was pulsating white at an irregular rate and at about magnitude -1. I've seen tumbling satellites before but this didn't seem like any of the ones I've seen before.

The ISS had passed on a similar track about 10 minutes before and the Cosmos 1400 rocket had gone by about two minutes before and nothing was listed on the website that would match the object I saw.

Any help would be appreciated.

[brianb]

It was traveling over two to three times as fast as any other satellite I've ever seen. It was pulsating white at an irregular rate and at about magnitude -1.

So it wasn't in orbit .... aircraft flying fast at high altitude, probably military, displaying multiple high-visibility strobe beacons?

[Astral]

Did you get your scope on it? what was its shape?

I knows with Korea playing up there might be a lot more secret military planes up there....

[Hunter20]

I actually considered the possibility of some new military plane up high going real fast, but the irregular flashing didn't seem to fit. It was more like the sun reflecting of it than a strobe light.

I also considered the possibility of it being a meteor but the flashing continued for a very long time. I've seen plenty of spectacular meteors and this just didn't fit.

My background is USAF F-15s and then the airline business, first with US Airways for 17 years and now with Japan Airlines.

[Talitha]

It might have been a piece of orbital debris (aka space junk).

An uncontrolled tumble would explain the irregular flashing, and it may have been in a low re-entry trajectory which would explain why it seemed to go so much faster than other satellites you've seen.

[Mel]

Nope, you're all wrong. It was those little green men again, out for a burn in their new StarCruiser .

Seriously though, this sounds interesting. You should consider reporting it while it's still fresh in your memory, or at least document it yourself.

[Hunter20]

Talitha, I think you've got it! At the time of observation as my mind was racing through my memory banks trying to match what I was seeing with anything similar in my past, I actually thought about something re-entering. However, I didn't see any pieces coming off so I dismissed that.

Now, as you describe it, I realize that it could be in the re-entry trajectory but not actually re-entering yet. I think that explains the unusual flashing and higher-than-normal speed.

Good work!!!

[Talitha]

Well i knew it wasn't a Star Cruiser... last time they beamed me up, it was very evident that the instructors no longer allow the Rookies to do tumbling roll-outs.