Project 10073 Record Card: Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, 12 December 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and accompanying report regarding a sighting at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, on December 12, 1957. At 1215Z, an Airman Second Class from the 28th Air Police Squadron observed a round, white object, described as being the size of a bright star. The object traveled in a straight horizontal course for approximately three seconds before suddenly disappearing. The witness, noted as reliable, was on guard duty and observed the object entering his field of vision above base buildings. The report includes detailed coordinates for the sighting location. The official evaluation concluded that the object was a meteorite. This determination was supported by the observation that the Earth was passing through the peak of the Geminids meteor shower at the time. The investigating officer noted that the witness was conscientious and that the object's speed—traversing thirty degrees of the horizon in only three seconds—precluded it from being a high-flying aircraft. It was further suggested that sunlight at high altitude could have rendered any potential trail or sparks from the object inconspicuous. The report was submitted in compliance with USAF Regulation 200-2, dated 12 August 1954.