Project 10073 Record Card and Staff Message — UFO Report, 20 January 1961

On January 20, 1961, at approximately 0100 local time, two military personnel stationed in Kansas observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witnesses, SSGT J.D. Bourgeois of the 2027 AACS Squadron and A/2C Leo Hackworth Junior of the 26th Weather Squadron, were both deemed completely reliable. The object was described as a round, white or blue-green light, roughly the size of a quarter held at arm's length, which changed to red before burning out. The object was silent, lacked any tail or exhaust, and possessed a brilliance comparable to lightning. It was observed for 10 to 12 seconds, moving from a southwest to northeast trajectory. The sighting occurred under clear, calm weather conditions with a full moon and unlimited visibility. The object was first spotted at 90 degrees above the horizon at an azimuth of 250 degrees and was last observed at 10 degrees above the horizon at an azimuth of 70 degrees, eventually disintegrating at 35 degrees above the horizon. Following the report, the 40th Bomb Wing Intelligence Division conducted an assessment. The investigation explicitly ruled out the possibility of the object being a satellite or a re-entering space carrier. Based on the witness descriptions, which included terminology such as 'burn out' and 'explode,' as well as the object's color, duration, and brightness, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the phenomenon was a bolide, or a bright meteor. No physical evidence was recovered, and no interception or identification action was taken by military forces.