Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting of 14 April 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated naval message detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting on April 14, 1961. At 0455 local time, four reliable observers aboard the USS Coral Sea, located at 28 51.5N 131 45.8E in the Far East, observed a round, bright white object. The object was described as being brighter than most stars and significantly brighter than the North Star. The observers tracked the object for approximately 15 minutes using 22-power telescopes and 20-power binoculars. The object was reported to move very fast and, according to one witness, appeared to move erratically. It was observed moving from west to east, passing under the North Star before disappearing by fading into the pre-dawn twilight. No sound was heard, and no trail or exhaust was sighted. The naval message confirms that the object was not detected on radar. The observers compared the object to the Echo 1 satellite, noting that while it shared a similar general appearance and speed, it was notably brighter. The official evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that while it is possible the object was a satellite other than Echo 1, there was no confirming data. Consequently, the case was officially categorized as having insufficient data for evaluation.