Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Kleinostheim, Germany, October 1958

This document contains a sighting report and subsequent correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on October 13, 1958, near Kleinostheim, Germany. The primary witness, a chief signalman for the Bundesbahn, observed a silent, white, round object that appeared smaller than a soccer ball. The object moved from the zenith toward the east and disappeared suddenly after approximately three seconds. The witness's cousin, a doctor, reported the incident to the U.S. Air Force Rocket Laboratory, suggesting the object might have been the 'Pioneer' moon rocket, which had been launched around that time. The author of the letter provided detailed descriptions of the witness's background, noting his extensive experience observing the night sky from signal towers and his familiarity with shooting stars, which he claimed were typically yellow and faster than the observed object. The Air Force responded on January 5, 1959, through Major Lawrence J. Tacker, informing the doctor that the object was not the 'Pioneer' rocket, as that had returned to Earth six hours after the sighting. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was likely a meteor or bolide of short duration. The file includes the completed Project 10073 record card, the original correspondence in German and English, and the detailed technical information sheet filled out by the witness.