Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting by SS Hawaiian Retailer

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated Department of the Air Force staff message regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting. On February 27, 1962, the crew of the SS Hawaiian Retailer, specifically Second Officer Dobbs, observed a bright object while at sea near the equator at coordinates 14 N 90-32 W. The observation lasted for approximately three minutes. The witness utilized a sextant to track the object, recording its altitude and bearing. The report was transmitted via naval channels to the Commander of the Western Sea Frontier and subsequently to CINCNORAD at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) evaluated the report and concluded that the object was not an unidentified craft, but rather the Echo I satellite. The evaluation noted that the satellite's predicted trajectory and visibility were consistent with the time and location provided by the ship's crew. The documentation includes the original incoming message from the ship and the subsequent administrative record card used for tracking such reports within the Air Force's project framework.