Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting of 2 December 1963

On December 2, 1963, at approximately 1705Z, the USS Firedrake observed an unidentified object in the sky near the Farallon Islands in the Pacific. The object was described as having a heavy, solid-appearing trailing plume similar to that of a Regulus-type missile. The object was initially sighted at an altitude of 10,000 to 15,000 feet, heading approximately 070 degrees. It was observed to turn through a westerly heading and then proceed in a southerly direction, climbing to an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 feet. During the climb, the object exhibited smaller twin plumes before the primary plume disappeared abruptly. The object was tracked with binoculars until it was out of sight. The incident was reported via naval message and subsequently evaluated by the Air Force under Project 10073. Initial checks with missile launch activities were reported as negative. However, the final evaluation concluded that the object was a missile, noting it was a 'possible classified launch.' Subsequent internal correspondence indicates that investigators attempted to verify the launch with other agencies but were unable to find confirmation, with one note stating that 'nobody seem to know anything about it.'