PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — Loring AFB, Maine Area, 22-23 Oct 59

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings that occurred in the vicinity of Loring Air Force Base, Maine, between October 22 and October 23, 1959. The reports involve multiple witnesses, including civilians, local police, and military personnel. Descriptions of the objects vary but generally include round shapes with blue rings, red lights, and bright lights on the bottom. Some witnesses reported the objects hovering or flying low without making noise. Military radar sites, including the GPS-3 ground radar and the Carswell GCI site, tracked objects at altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 26,000 feet, with one object reportedly moving at speeds between 350 and 500 knots. In response to these sightings, F-102 interceptor aircraft were scrambled from Burlington AFB, but they were unable to locate any objects in the area. The documentation includes internal ATIC record cards, operational immediate messages, and correspondence between ATIC and Loring AFB. The official evaluation of these events, as noted in the summary, suggests that while some sightings might be attributed to balloons, the radar data regarding speed and duration is considered excessive for such an explanation. Ultimately, the Air Technical Intelligence Center concluded that there was insufficient data to reach a definitive explanation, noting that balloons are difficult to detect in certain cloud conditions and that intercepting aircraft would likely fail to find them at high speeds. The file emphasizes the requirement for all such reports to be handled in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2.