Project 10073 Record Card and Staff Message Division Incoming Message — 4 May 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and a follow-up Air Force Staff Message regarding a UFO sighting that occurred on 4 May 1961. The incident involved an object observed by Major Harry D. Whye and his copilot, Lt. M.J. Michaud, while on a normal training flight between Meridian and Jackson, Mississippi. The object was described as having a brightness comparable to a second or third magnitude star and was observed at an elevation of approximately 32 to 33 degrees before disappearing on a heading of 080 to 085 degrees. Initially reported as a UFO, the sighting was later re-evaluated by Major Whye, who had experience observing satellites in flight and concluded that the object was, in fact, a satellite. The Air Force conducted a follow-up investigation, which included questioning the aircraft commander regarding the azimuth and elevation of the object. Additionally, a query of the local weather station confirmed that no weather balloons were present in the area at the time of the sighting. The final conclusion recorded on the project card and in the official message is that the object was a satellite.