Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of Satellite Echo I, 11 May 1961

On May 11, 1961, at 2047 local time, military personnel aboard an aircraft at coordinates 4150N 3336W in the Atlantic Ocean observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The sighting lasted for approximately 20 minutes and was witnessed by six officers and four crew members. The object was described as white, round, and approximately the size of a first-magnitude star. The observers tracked the object using the naked eye, binoculars, and a sextant, noting its movement from a bearing of 240 degrees true to 060 degrees true, with an elevation change and a speed of 7 degrees per minute. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 8,500 feet under clear, cloudless night conditions. Radar equipment on the aircraft failed to detect the object. Following the incident, the observation was reported through military channels, including to CINCLANTFLT, CINCONAD, and the 26th NORAD Region. The official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the object was the Echo I satellite.