17,909Documents 78Collections 1940–2025Years 25+Countries

Declassified UFO / UAP Document

Project 10073 Record Card — Big Bend National Park, Texas, 20 April 1964

📅 20 April 64 📍 Big Bend Natl. Park, Texas 🏛 U.S. Air Force 📄 sighting_report
Big Bend National ParkECHO IIProject 10073UAPsatellite

Ever wanted to host your own late-night paranormal radio show?

Across the Airwaves · Narrative Sim · Windows · $2.95

You're on the air. Callers bring Mothman, Fresno Nightcrawlers, UFO sightings, reptilian autopsies, and whispers about AATIP and Project Blue Book. Every reply shapes how the night goes.

UFO & UAP Cryptids Paranormal Government Secrets Classified Files High Strangeness Strange Creatures
The night is long. The lines are open →

AI-Generated Summary

TL;DR

A civilian reported a star-like object in Big Bend National Park on April 20, 1964. The U.S. Air Force identified the object as the ECHO II satellite.

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated questionnaire detailing a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon in Big Bend National Park, Texas, on the night of April 20, 1964. The witness, a civilian, reported observing a solid, star-like object that did not blink, appearing similar to a planet. The object was observed in the West at approximately 15 degrees elevation and was seen moving toward the South for a duration of 15 to 30 minutes before disappearing behind a mountain peak. The witness provided detailed sketches and notes regarding their location in the Chisos Mountains Basin, referencing U.S. Geological Survey maps to establish their position and the elevation of the surrounding terrain. The official evaluation concluded that the object was the ECHO II satellite. The investigator noted that the object exhibited satellite characteristics and that the only discrepancy between the report and the identification was the reported duration of the sighting, which was attributed to a possible overestimation by the observer.

Object with Satellite characteristics. Only fact not in accord with observation is duration. Possible overestimation on this one element.

Official Assessment

ECHO II

The object was identified as the ECHO II satellite moving Southeast at 15 degrees elevation. The investigator noted that the only fact not in accord with the observation was the reported duration, suggesting a possible overestimation by the witness.

Witnesses

Organizations