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Declassified UFO / UAP Document

Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, Sayre, Oklahoma, July 23, 1964

📅 23 July 64 📍 Sayre, Oklahoma 🏛 USAF 📄 sighting_report
Echo IProject 10073Sayre OklahomaUSAFsatellite

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AI-Generated Summary

TL;DR

A civilian reported an erratic UFO sighting in Sayre, Oklahoma, on July 23, 1964. The USAF investigated and concluded the object was the Echo I satellite, attributing the reported erratic movement to atmospheric optical illusions.

This document contains a Project 10073 record regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting reported by an individual from Petty Geophysical Engineering in Sayre, Oklahoma. On July 23, 1964, at approximately 12:50 AM CST, the witness observed an object for 6 to 7 minutes. The witness described the object as initially appearing like a satellite, but noted it exhibited erratic behavior, including blinking, fading, slowing down, stopping, and bobbing in various directions. The witness provided a detailed account of the object's flight path, noting it traveled in a north-easterly direction before changing course multiple times. A rough sketch of the path was included with the report. In a follow-up letter dated August 5, 1964, Major Maston M. Jacks of the USAF Office of Information responded to the witness. Major Jacks concluded that the object was the Echo I satellite, which was traversing the sky at that time. The Major explained that the perceived erratic motion was an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions.

Because of atmospheric conditions, the satellite may have appeared to you to be traveling in an erratic course, however, this is merely an optical illusion.

Official Assessment

You were undoubtedly witnessing the passage of Echo I which traversed the sky north of you at approximately 12:50 a.m., CST, on the morning of July 23rd, 82 degrees above the horizon, moving northeast.

The sighting was identified as the Echo I satellite. Erratic motion was attributed to atmospheric conditions and optical illusion.

Witnesses

Organizations