PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD: Sighting Report 15 Nov 61

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated incoming military staff messages regarding an aerial sighting reported on November 15, 1961. The report originated from a vessel identified as 'MERINT. VENTURE' at coordinates 28 degrees 04 minutes North, 69 degrees 05 minutes West. At 2232 GMT, the observers sighted a cone-shaped object of extreme brilliance, described as having a comet-like tail. The object was observed for approximately four minutes, during which it executed a slow parabolic curve, moving from a bearing of 225 degrees at an altitude of 40 degrees to a bearing of 165 degrees at an altitude of 20 degrees. The observers noted that the object dimmed in intensity and emitted continuous sparks from below. The military evaluation of this incident concluded that the object was a missile. Specifically, internal communications confirm that the official lift-off of the Transit 4B satellite occurred at 2205Z on the same date. It was determined that the missile would have been visible in the area of the observers at the time the sighting was reported, leading to the final classification of the event as a missile launch.