Project 10073 Record Card and Moon Dust Report — 25 April 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and an associated Air Force incoming message (AF IN 32487) dated 26 April 1961. The report details an aerial sighting that occurred on 25 April 1961 at 0540Z, located at 42 degrees 50 minutes North, 134 degrees 11 minutes West over the Pacific. The witness, Captain Gerald R. Barbar of the 963rd AEW&C Squadron, was piloting an RC 121D aircraft at 10,000 feet when he observed a bright white object. The object was described as having the shape of a common pin and was observed falling vertically for approximately 1.5 to 2 seconds. The witness noted that the object left a trail of flame and sparks that was seven times the length of the object itself and appeared brighter than a meteorite. The weather conditions were reported as clear. While the pilot suggested the possibility of a satellite reentry, the official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 card states that the event was in all probability a meteor, noting that the color and duration of the sighting ruled out a reentry event. The report was submitted in accordance with AFR 200-2 format for a Moon Dust report and was directed to ATIC.