Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, February 1961

On February 23, 1961, at approximately 1142 GCT, a significant aerial event occurred over Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. Witnesses reported a distinct sound, described as a sonic boom followed by a rolling rumble similar to distant thunder. In an otherwise clear sky, a dense white cloud appeared with a zig-zag tail trailing to the south, indicating a flight path from south to north. The tail dissipated after approximately ten minutes, while the main cloud persisted for about thirty minutes, drifting slowly to the east. A senior officer observing from thirty miles north of Dhahran reported hearing the boom and an undulating low-pitched whistle or rumble, suggesting fragments tumbling through the air.

Physical evidence was recovered by observers at the Aramco refinery, consisting of five fragments—one metallic and four charcoal-like—which reportedly fell approximately twelve minutes after the final explosion. The metallic fragment was found to be highly magnetic and exhibited very slight radioactivity, with tests indicating the presence of silver. Photographic evidence was also obtained by an observer in a boat at Half Moon Bay. The incident was investigated under Project 10073 and monitored by the MOON DUST program. Harvard University expressed significant interest in the event, requesting detailed information regarding the fall, the depth of the water where fragments landed, and the availability of witnesses and skin divers for recovery efforts. The official conclusion reached by the military authorities was that the phenomenon was a bolide.