Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting Report E of Corpus Christi, Texas, 17 Aug 60
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AI-Generated Summary
A 1960 Coast Guard sighting of a round, white light off the coast of Texas was investigated by the Air Force and identified as the Echo I satellite.
On August 18, 1960, the 2578th Air Base Group at Ellington Air Force Base, Texas, received a report from the Commander of Coast Guard District Eight regarding an unidentified flying object sighted on August 17, 1960. The object was observed by the Commanding Officer and other personnel of the Coast Guard at approximately 0312Z, located at coordinates 27-36N, 95-23W, east of Corpus Christi, Texas. The witnesses described the object as a round, white light, comparable in size to a first-magnitude star. It was observed moving steadily eastward for a duration of thirteen minutes before disappearing behind low clouds. The object was reported to have an initial true altitude of 38 degrees, which decreased to 15 degrees by the time of its disappearance at 0325Z. Following the report, the Base Operations Officer conducted an investigation, which included telephonic checks with the Houston Tower, the 747th AC&W Squadron radar, Houston Approach radar, and Ellington Tower. These checks confirmed that there was no unusual air traffic recorded in the area during the time of the sighting. Based on the flight path and the timing of the observation, the reporting officer concluded that the object was the Echo I satellite, which had passed over the city of Houston on an eastward path at approximately 0315Z. The report was formally submitted to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2.
The flight path of the object closely approximates the route of ECHO I, as well as the time element. It is the opinion of the reporting officer that the object was the ECHO I satellite.
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Official Assessment
The flight path of the object closely approximates the route of ECHO I, as well as the time element. It is the opinion of the reporting officer that the object was the ECHO I satellite.
The sighting was identified as the Echo I satellite based on its trajectory and timing.
Key Persons
- J. R. MERRELLAdministrative Officer