Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — U.S.S. Robinson Sighting, July 1959

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported by a Naval Reserve student serving as a quartermaster on the U.S.S. Robinson (DD-562). On July 21, 1959, at approximately 2313 hours, while the ship was sailing at 7 knots on a course of 334 degrees at coordinates 29° 50' N, 79° 25' W, the witness observed an object crossing the ship's stern. The witness described the object as having a bright orange glow and a parabolic shape, which changed to white or gray as it moved in short, uneven movements. The object was estimated to be at an altitude between 15,000 and 28,000 feet, traveling at a speed estimated between 1,000 and 1,700 m.p.h. The witness reported no sound associated with the object. The witness, who was 19 years old at the time, submitted a detailed questionnaire and sketches to the Air Force Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In his correspondence, the witness noted the ship's proximity to the Cape Canaveral missile launching area and speculated that the object might have been a missile. The official Air Force evaluation concluded that the sighting was classified as 'other' (missile), noting that while specific missile data was unavailable for that date, the sighting possessed characteristics consistent with a missile launch. The file includes the original record card, the witness's detailed questionnaire, hand-drawn sketches of the object's appearance and motion, and correspondence between the witness and Major Lawrence J. Tacker of the Air Force Office of Information Services.