Project 10073 Record Card: Ocean Station Delta Sighting, 2 February 1962

This document consists of a series of military communications and a Project 10073 record card detailing an aerial sighting reported by the crew of the SS American Shipper on February 2, 1962. At 2145 GMT, while located at Ocean Station Delta (48-12N 28-26W), Captain WA Woodman and Second Officer HW Schonn observed an extremely bright object with a long, bright tail. The sighting occurred shortly after the passage of the Echo I satellite. The witnesses reported that the object was visible through a thin layer of strato cumulus clouds. It was initially observed at an elevation of 20 degrees, traveling parallel to the horizon before gradually descending in a parabular curve and disappearing at an elevation of 5 degrees. The object traversed a 90-degree arc of azimuth over a duration of 6 to 7 seconds. The report was transmitted via a CIRVIS (Communication Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings) message to various military commands, including CINCLANTFLT and NORAD. The subsequent analysis conducted by ATIC (Air Technical Intelligence Center) concluded that the object was an astronomical meteor. The official evaluation noted that the object's characteristics—specifically its brightness and long tail—provided no evidence to suggest it was anything other than a meteor.