Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence Regarding Unidentified Flying Object Sighting in Duluth, Minnesota

This document contains a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting reported by a civilian in Duluth, Minnesota, on October 11, 1961. The witness reported observing three objects at approximately 1940 hours, describing them as spheres that moved at speeds three to five times faster than the Echo I satellite. The witness provided a detailed account, including a hand-drawn diagram, noting that the objects appeared to have an orbital path and that the lead object was significantly larger than the two trailing objects, which appeared to have an attachment to the lead sphere. The witness also noted that the objects were yellowish with a red tint. Following the report, the witness contacted NASA. NASA Headquarters, in a letter dated November 14, 1961, responded to the witness, stating that they lacked the facilities to investigate such occurrences and had forwarded the report to the Department of the Air Force, which held primary responsibility for investigating such phenomena. NASA also mentioned similar reports, including a sighting of a mysterious reddish object over Chicago in September 1960, which had been observed by the Director of the Adler Planetarium. The Air Force's internal evaluation, recorded on the Project 10073 card, concluded that the observation was likely related to a refueling mission, noting that the speed, altitude, and duration of the sighting were consistent with such an operation.