PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 20 Aug 1963 - Elko, Nevada

On August 20, 1963, a weather observer at the Weather Bureau Airport Station (WBAS) in Elko, Nevada, reported an unidentified object while conducting a pilot balloon sounding. The observer, using a theodolite, tracked the object for one to two minutes between 0403 and 0406 PST. The object was described as having a steady movement from the North to the South, appearing starlike in nature. The observer noted that, except for its movement, the object was indistinguishable from a bright star. The observer verified the movement by stopping the theodolite twice to ensure the sighting was not an illusion. The elevation angle was recorded between 29 and 36 degrees, with an azimuth of 233 to 238 degrees. The report was subsequently referred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for appropriate action. The official evaluation concluded that the object was likely a satellite. The analysis compared the sighting to the known trajectory of the ECHO satellite, which was over Reno and Salt Lake City around the same time, though its reported direction of motion (NE) differed from the observer's report (North to South). The report suggests that if the observer's reported direction was in error, the object was likely ECHO, or potentially another visible satellite such as 1963 B THETA.