Congressional Inquiry Regarding Unidentified Aerial Object Sighting near Wales, North Dakota

This collection of documents details a congressional inquiry initiated by Senator Langer regarding an unidentified aerial object sighted near Wales, North Dakota, on the evening of 5 September 1957. The inquiry was processed through the Air Force's Office of Information Services and the Directorate of Legislative Liaison. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was tasked with evaluating the sighting. The official Air Force response, communicated to Senator Langer, identified the object as a 'fireball' or 'bolide.' The Air Force provided a technical description of such phenomena, noting that they are meteoric in origin, often appear bluish-white with orange, yellow, or green tints, and can persist in the atmosphere until they crash or break into pieces. The Air Force further stated that this conclusion was supported by consultation with a member of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The documents include a Project 10073 record card, which notes that the source was a civilian and that no photos or radar data were available. The record card explicitly states that the object was a meteor and that there was 'no rpt in file.' The correspondence highlights the standard administrative procedure for handling congressional inquiries regarding unidentified flying objects during this period, involving the coordination between the Air Force's intelligence and legislative liaison offices to provide a formal response to the constituent's concerns.