Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting of 29 July 1962

On July 29, 1962, at 2118 G.M.T., First Officer Sverre Nygård and Captain Ø. Nilsen of the Norwegian vessel M.S. Ferngate observed an unidentified celestial object while in the North Atlantic Ocean at coordinates 31 06 N, 32 18 E. The witnesses described the object as a bright, starlike entity that appeared similar to a satellite. The object was observed for approximately seven minutes, during which it traveled in an eastward direction toward the star Vega before descending toward the horizon. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear, with a northwest wind at force 3, a barometer reading of 1006 mb, and an air temperature of +26 degrees Celsius. The sighting was formally reported to the United States Navy Hydrographic Office in a letter dated August 10, 1962. The U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office acknowledged the report on September 20, 1962, noting that they were unable to determine the identity of the object and had forwarded the report to the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). A Project 10073 record card was subsequently created to document the incident. The final conclusion recorded on the card states that while specific Echo I data was unavailable, the object's assumed orbital path and its flight characteristics and duration led to the determination that the sighting was of a satellite.