Mysterious Russian 'space activity' causes US Air Force flight to Antarctica to turn around: report

A mysterious incident over the southern Indian Ocean forced a U.S.

Air Force aircraft to turn around due to an unnamed hazard in space.

According to several New Zealand-based news outlets, a U.S.

Air Force (USAF) C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft left Christchurch Airport on New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday (Aug.

18) bound for McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

Aircraft trackers using flight radar software noticed the C-17 turn around over the ocean some two hours into its flight.

According to a statement from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority given to the country's Stuff news outlet, the C-17 turned around after the Russian Air Traffic Management Corporation issued a notice advising of "space activity, potentially hazardous to aviation en route to Antarctica." It still remains unknown what that activity might have entailed, and the USAF has yet to issue a statement.

The U.S.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) on Aug.

10 for a large region of airspace over Australia and the Indian Ocean known as the Melbourne Flight Information Region, or YMMM.

The notice states that, beginning on Aug.

14, "Russian aerospace activities will take place" and that there is "possible debris" in several areas throughout the massive YMMM airspace.

It's possible that the notice that caused the C-17 to turn around was related to this NOTAM, which was still active as of Tuesday.

A NOTAM issued by the FAA on Aug.