Project 10073 Record Card and Naval Message — Lompoc, California, 18 July 1963

On July 18, 1963, at 2005Z, a civilian witness in Vandenberg Village, Lompoc, California, observed an unidentified object. The witness described the object as egg-shaped, shiny, and silent, appearing to be the size of a nickel held at five feet away. The object remained stationary at a 45-degree elevation for approximately ten minutes. The witness stopped their vehicle to observe the phenomenon, noting that the object appeared to be positioned over Vandenberg Air Force Base to the north. When the witness attempted to locate the object again 30 minutes later, it was no longer visible. Military authorities conducted a review of the incident, including a check for radar confirmation. No radar contact was recorded by the local radar site or by NMF Arguello. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with five hundred feet broken clouds and five miles visibility. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency was that the description was consistent with a balloon observation. It was noted that there were no official reports of UFO activity from Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the incident was attributed to a probable balloon launch from the base or other local balloon-related activity. The report was ultimately classified as insignificant by the Command Duty Officer.