Project 10073 Record Card — Vandalia, Ohio, 7 Dec 60

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a sighting reported in Vandalia, Ohio, on December 7, 1960. A civilian witness submitted photographs and negatives to the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) for analysis, claiming to have captured a single, round, white light. The technical request for photoanalysis, dated December 21, 1960, and signed by Colonel Richard R. Shoop, provided specific camera details, including an aperture of 9.5, a focal length of 39, the use of Schmidt type optics, and an exposure time of approximately eight seconds. The photograph was taken at 2015 hours, facing northwest at an elevation of 65 to 70 degrees. Following the evaluation, a formal response was sent to the witness on January 17, 1961, by Colonel Philip G. Evans, Deputy for Science and Components. The official conclusion reached by the ATIC was that the object appearing in the photographs was not an actual aerial object, but rather a result of a defect in the film emulsion. The correspondence confirms the return of the materials to the witness and notes the coordination of the findings by Major Robert Friend and Colonel Richard R. Shoop.