Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 1 July 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated incoming military messages regarding an aerial sighting on July 1, 1961, over the Atlantic at coordinates 4414N 3948W. The sighting was reported by a Barrier Flight crew who observed a tear-drop shaped object, approximately the size of a half-dollar, displaying a blue-green color with an orange outline and an orange tail. The tail was described as resembling a jet exhaust about the size of a dime. The object was first noticed at 60 degrees above the horizon, descending at a 60-degree angle. At approximately 30 degrees above the horizon, the object separated into two parts, with the first piece being about three times the size of the second. The object appeared to be on a course of 000 degrees true. The total duration of the sighting was 15 seconds, occurring in clear weather conditions at an aircraft altitude of 6,000 feet. The pilot's initial evaluation suggested the object was a nose cone or a meteorite. Official comments on the record card note that while there were no reported satellite reentries at the time, the description is characteristic of a bolide entering the earth's atmosphere and breaking up. The report acknowledges that the 15-second duration is excessive for a normal meteor, but suggests this could be accounted for by the object's northerly course. The messages were transmitted to various military commands, including CINCLANTFLT, COMEASTSEAFRON, CINCONAD, and the 26th NORAD Region.