Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting of 6 August 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on August 6, 1961. A witness, identified as a crew member of a United States Lines vessel, reported observing two pulsating objects while on watch at 2000 local time. The vessel was located at 22°27'N, 175°19'E, en route from Honolulu to Manila. The witness, accompanied by two able-bodied seamen, described the objects as moving in tandem, one behind the other, traveling from north to south. The observation lasted approximately 10 seconds, with the objects appearing at a sextant altitude of 53° - 26.5', which the witness noted was approximately the same height as the star Arcturus at that time. The witness estimated the speed of the objects to be nine times that of a U.S. satellite echo. The report was forwarded by the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and subsequently to the Foreign Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The official evaluation concluded that there was insufficient data to reach a definitive conclusion. While the possibility of a missile or a meteor was suggested, the report noted that there were no known missile launches recorded on that date. The pulsating nature of the objects was specifically cited as a characteristic that prompted consideration of a missile, though this remained speculative.