Project 10073 Record Card — Misawa AB, Japan, 28 July 1961

This document is a Project 10073 record card and accompanying teletype report detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on July 28, 1961, at Misawa Air Base, Japan. At 2216 local time, multiple observers, including several pilots and a maintenance officer from the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and 4th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, witnessed a white point of light. The object appeared equivalent to a second-magnitude star and maintained a straight flight path without maneuvers for approximately one minute before disappearing behind obstructions. The observers reported the object at an initial elevation of 70 degrees above the horizon at 260 degrees azimuth, and a final elevation of 20 degrees at 080 degrees azimuth. The report explicitly states that there were no optical aids used and no radar contact. The investigating officer, 1st Lt. Samuel H. Clarke Jr. of the 39th Air Division, concluded that the object was likely a slow-moving meteor. The report notes that the lack of a visible trail was likely due to the meteor's relatively low velocity and the brightness of the night caused by a full moon. The document highlights that the report was filed despite the conclusion because of the presence of Soviet Siber-class range instrumentation ships in the area, which necessitated the investigation of any unusual aerial activity. The report explicitly discounts the possibility of a weather balloon, which had been released from Misawa Air Base earlier that evening, based on the speed and characteristics of the observed object. The document is classified as Secret because it reveals intelligence investigative methods and procedures.