Project 10073 Record Card: Edwards AFB Sighting, 2 May 1957

This document details the investigation into a UFO sighting reported at Edwards Air Force Base on 2 May 1957. Two civilian photo-theodolite operators reported observing an aluminum, disk-shaped object, approximately the size of a basketball at arm's length, which appeared to stand still, pulsate, and change shape over a 25-minute period. The sighting received national publicity, which the Air Force attributed to the base's status as a secret testing ground. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) conducted a thorough analysis, concluding that the object was a weather balloon released from the base. The investigation highlighted significant discrepancies in the observers' reports, noting that they were not trained in estimating angles or distances and that their claims of the object's size and distance were physically impossible. Furthermore, the report notes that one of the observers was a known believer in 'flying saucers.' ATIC investigators criticized the local base public information office for initially labeling the sighting as 'unknown' to the press, despite evidence that it was a balloon. The document includes detailed technical analysis, including theodolite photograph studies, wind plots, and correspondence with the organization 'Flying Saucers International,' which had requested the film and analysis. The Air Force consistently maintained that the object was a balloon and that the incident was a result of misidentification by untrained observers.