Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Correspondence — 21 October 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and subsequent military communications regarding an aerial sighting on 21 October 1956. A B-47 aircraft, while en route from England to Goose Air Base in Newfoundland, reported observing an object described as a round, red and white 'ball of fire' with smoke. The object appeared as a flash in the sky and descended at a 45-degree angle into the sea. The duration of the observation was approximately five seconds. The initial evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the object possessed the characteristics of a meteor, noting that the duration was too short for a missile. However, subsequent internal military correspondence dated 7 November 1956 indicates that the headquarters was unable to definitively explain the nature or source of the object, and requested assistance in correlating the sighting with rocket firing activities conducted by the USS Rushmore on 5 November. The documentation includes internal routing messages between various Air Defense Command and intelligence units, reflecting the standard procedure for investigating unidentified aerial phenomena during this period.