Multiple Sighting Project 10023 Record Card and Related Correspondence — October 1960

This document collection details the investigation into a series of unidentified aerial phenomena sightings reported on 24 October 1960 in the Caribbean region, specifically near Puerto Rico and Scrub Island. Multiple witnesses, including civilians and Coast Guard personnel, reported observing a round, white, ball-shaped object with an intermittent tail. The object was described as moving from west to east, ascending, and eventually disappearing. The reports triggered a formal inquiry, which was subsequently handled by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) under Project 10023. Congressional interest was piqued, leading to correspondence between various military branches and Representative Lindley Beckworth. The investigation concluded that the sightings were not of an anomalous nature but were instead the result of a Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Air Force determined that the timing, trajectory, and visual characteristics reported by the witnesses were consistent with the missile's flight path and engine exhaust. Despite some discrepancies in the estimated duration and altitude of the object, the Air Force maintained that the data was sufficient to confirm the missile launch as the cause of the sightings. The file includes various incoming messages, analysis sheets, and official responses confirming this conclusion, noting that the witnesses were likely observing the missile's ascent and the associated exhaust plume.