Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting Report 20 Sep 63

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated incoming staff message from the Department of the Air Force, dated September 21, 1963. The report details a sighting of an unidentified aerial object by the crew of Picket Vessel PV-3, located off the coast of Oregon at 45 degrees 22 minutes North, 135 degrees 34 minutes West. At 0343Z on September 20, 1963, the crew observed a round, red, glowing object that appeared to be a first-magnitude star. The object was sighted at an azimuth of 270 degrees and an elevation of 30 degrees, moving in an easterly direction. The observation lasted for approximately 10 minutes, during which the object passed directly overhead. The staff message further notes that other communication stations and a Flying Tiger aircraft pilot also reported observing the object. The pilot, flying north over Ukiah, California, described the object as appearing in front of him before dropping straight down, noting that it was bright enough to light up the entire sky. Following an evaluation of the data, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was the ECHO satellite, which was calculated to be over Portland at 0348Z, heading southeast. The report notes that the Picket Vessel's position off the coast would have caused the satellite to appear sooner than it would have from a land-based observation point.