Project 10073 Record Card — Terre Haute, Indiana, 11 August 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding a UFO sighting near Terre Haute, Indiana, on August 11, 1956. Two witnesses, identified as a 113th FIS crew chief and a 122nd Installations Squadron electrician, observed a single, round, red object that appeared to be the size of a baseball or smaller. The object was initially stationary before performing a 45-degree climb to the southeast, disappearing at an estimated altitude of 15,000 to 20,000 feet. The observation lasted approximately 20 minutes. The witnesses reported that the light intensity remained constant while the object diminished in size until it vanished. Weather conditions at the time were described as clear and very dark, with no moon. The report notes that a commercial Lake Central Airlines flight (DC3) was in the area between 0300Z and 0305Z, but the behavior of the observed object was not consistent with an aircraft. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was the planet Mars, noting that its position and characteristics were consistent with an astronomical body.