Project 10073 Record Card — Malden, Missouri, 5 September 1959

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated incoming Air Force message regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on September 5, 1959, in Malden, Missouri. Numerous witnesses observed a single light that changed colors from white to green to red over a duration of more than one hour. The object was initially observed at an elevation of 60 degrees and exhibited slow movement toward the northwest. The official Air Force evaluation concluded that the object possessed the characteristics of an astronomical body viewed through a temperature inversion. The report notes that the color changes, direction of movement, and apparent rate of movement support this astronomical conclusion, although the specific star or planet could not be identified without more precise positional data. The operations officer explicitly suggested that the sighting was likely caused by a temperature inversion. The documentation includes standard military routing information, indicating that the report was disseminated to various Air Defense commands and the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.