Project 10073 Record Card and Associated Incoming Staff Messages — San Clemente Island, June 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and two associated incoming staff messages from the Department of the Air Force, dated June 2, 1961. The report details a sighting of an unidentified aerial object reported by the merchant vessel Morning Star (WWK8215) near Wilsons Cove, San Clemente Island, California. The crew observed a single object between 0400 and 0415 hours. The object was described as round, changing to an oblong shape, and exhibiting a bright, incandescent, bluish tinge, likened to a carbon arc searchlight. The object moved back and forth, traveling from East to West at a speed described as faster than a star but slower than an aircraft. The weather conditions were reported as clear to the horizon with a high overcast. No sound was associated with the object, and there was another vessel approximately 20 miles away. The official evaluation on the record card notes that the information provided was too limited for a firm conclusion. While the object was initially compared to a satellite, this was ruled out because the object was traveling in the wrong direction. The final assessment remains that there is insufficient data for evaluation.