Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message — Sighting of 3 June 1961, Nevada

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated incoming Air Force staff message detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on June 3, 1961, near the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Mercury Test Site in Nevada. The object was first observed at approximately 1600 hours Zebra by a weatherman using a theodolite. The witness reported that the object arrived from the south, orbited the area for two and a half hours, and then turned 90 degrees to the west before disappearing at approximately 1830Z. The observer estimated the object's altitude to be between 80,000 and 120,000 feet. Despite attempts by operators at Nellis Air Force Base to track the object using binoculars, they were unable to obtain a fix before it departed. A T-33 aircraft was vectored to the area where the object was last seen, but the search yielded negative results. The report notes that there were no balloon releases in the area and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed no scheduled flying activities could account for the sighting. However, the report concludes that the object was likely a U-2 aircraft, noting that U-2 flights were known to operate from Nellis Air Force Base and that the observed flight characteristics and altitude were consistent with such aircraft. Major Anthony J. Busalacchi, Director of Intelligence for the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing, provided the originator's comments, noting that the characteristics of this sighting resembled a previous report from May 11, 1961. The document highlights the difficulties in identification due to the extreme altitude, the lack of electronic tracking, and the limitations of ground-based optical equipment.