PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 28 Feb 61

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and an associated Department of the Air Force staff message regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on February 28, 1961. The sighting occurred over the Atlantic Ocean at coordinates 52°40'N 34°55'W. The primary witness was the crew of the USCGC Barataria. The object was observed for a duration of 20 minutes, beginning at 2225Z. The observers described the object as having the brightness of a first-magnitude star. It was tracked moving from a bearing of 270° azimuth at 10° elevation to a bearing of 130° azimuth at 15° elevation. The report explicitly notes that no radar contact was made and no photographs were taken. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was likely a satellite, noting that while a specific satellite track was not obtained, the observed characteristics were consistent with satellite behavior. The staff message, dated February 28, 1961, confirms the transmission of this report to various military commands, including CINCLANTFLT, CINCNORAD, and the Chief of Staff of the USAF, indicating the high-level military interest in the event.