Project 1C073 Record Card and Incoming Messages - 26 Jan 64

On January 26, 1964, the USS Matagorda reported a sighting of an unidentified object while at sea at coordinates 33.58N 164.15E. The object was described as a bright white light with the brightness of a first-magnitude star. It was observed at a 30-degree elevation, traveling on a course of 170 degrees true. The weather conditions were reported as calm with scattered clouds and unlimited visibility. The sighting was documented on a Project 1C073 record card and transmitted via official military message channels to various commands, including the Chief of Staff of the USAF, CINCNORAD, and CINCPACFLT. The official evaluation concluded that the object was a satellite, with a specific reference to the ECHO project, although the lack of equatorial crossing data prevented a definitive confirmation. The report notes that the evaluation was based on the object's description and flight characteristics. The documentation includes the original record card and two incoming message copies, one of which contains a slight variation in the reported coordinates (34.00N 164.12E) and course (0850), suggesting potential transmission or transcription differences between the reports.