Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 17 August 1959

On August 17, 1959, a Pan American pilot reported an unidentified aerial object while flying. The sighting occurred at 0921Z, with the object described as conical in shape, approximately the size of a pencil, and exhibiting a bright glow that shifted from white to green to orange. The object was observed for 20 minutes, traveling from the southwest to the northeast. The pilot provided coordinates of 3752N 6957W. Military reports and subsequent news clippings confirm that this sighting coincided with the launch of a NASA research rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. The rocket was part of a series of Nike research rockets designed to measure wind direction, velocity, and atmospheric diffusion. The rocket reached an altitude of approximately 50 miles, where it released a 100-mile-long sodium vapor trail. The trail, which appeared as a yellow-orange cloud, was visible over much of the eastern seaboard and was illuminated by the rising sun. The Air Technical Intelligence Center concluded that the reported object was indeed this research rocket.