Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting by M/V Gisna, 6 July 1961

On July 6, 1961, at 1435 GMT, the crew of the M/V Gisna, while on a passage from Panama to Yokohama, observed a celestial phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean at coordinates 22.40N 154-15W. The object was described as a brilliant, white-colored body, comparable in brightness to the star Vega. The sighting lasted for approximately 15 minutes. According to the report, the object appeared at a bearing of 290 degrees and an altitude of 22 degrees, eventually disappearing into a cloud at a bearing of 030 degrees and an altitude of 12 degrees. The object was observed moving slowly in an East Northeast-Northeast direction. Weather conditions at the time were reported as partly cloudy with an east wind at force 4, a barometer reading of 29.8 inches, and an air temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The sighting was reported to the US Coast Guard in Honolulu, Hawaii, and subsequently relayed to the Air Force via a hot line. The official evaluation conducted by ATIC concluded that the object was not a meteor, planet, or star due to its specific speed and movement characteristics. By plotting the trajectory of the Echo I satellite, investigators determined that the satellite was in the area at the time of the sighting and followed the exact flight path reported by the witnesses. Consequently, the object was identified as the Echo I satellite.