Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 22 October 1962

On October 22, 1962, at 2120Z, aircraft crewmembers observed a white, starlike object while flying at 65.20N 28.50W in the Atlantic region. The object was described as having the magnitude of a second-magnitude star and was observed for approximately seven minutes. The witnesses tracked the object visually and through binoculars, noting its movement relative to the stars. It was initially observed at 30 degrees elevation and was lost from sight at 60 degrees elevation when it disappeared behind clouds. The aircraft was flying at 6000 feet with a true heading of 200 degrees and a true airspeed of 195 knots. Weather conditions included broken clouds below the aircraft at 5500 feet and five-tenths stratus coverage at 7000 feet. There was no radar contact made with the object. The incident was reported through multiple military channels, including the Department of the Air Force, NORAD, and various naval commands. The official evaluation, recorded on a Project 10073 record card, concluded that while specific ECHO data was unavailable, the sighting possessed all the characteristics of a satellite and was therefore classified as a satellite observation.