PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — 11 August 1954, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

On August 11, 1954, at approximately 0154Z, personnel at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the Lawson AFT Tower observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The object was described as being the size of a baseball at arm's length, exhibiting variable brilliance and changing colors from white to red, orange, and black. The object remained stationary for a period before suddenly gaining high velocity and moving in a north-northwest direction, only to return to its original position and perform a noticeable descent before fading out. The total duration of the observation was 35 minutes. Military helicopters were scrambled from the 56th Helicopter Company at Fort Benning, Georgia, to investigate the object. The pilots reported that the object was definitely not a star and was located approximately 20 miles west at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Despite the pilots' observations, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was an astronomical body, most likely the planet Mars, based on the calculated positions of celestial bodies at the time of the sighting. The report includes statements from multiple witnesses, including A1C Charles Lewis and A1C William N. Watson of the AACS Detachment 1926-E, as well as the helicopter pilots WOJG R. T. Wade and WOJG U.S. Tarma. The document serves as a formal record card for Project 10073, documenting the incident and the subsequent evaluation.