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Declassified UFO / UAP Document

Project 10073 Record — UFO Sighting, 17 Aug 65, Ottawa, Illinois

📅 17 August 65 📍 Ottawa, Illinois 🏛 FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION 📄 Correspondence and Sighting Report
Project 10073Ottawa IllinoisMeteorUFO SightingAir Force

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AI-Generated Summary

TL;DR

A civilian report of an aerial object in Ottawa, Illinois, on August 17, 1965, was officially evaluated by the Air Force as a meteor. The conclusion was based on the object's flight path and speed, which were inconsistent with known satellite characteristics.

This document contains a Project 10073 record regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Ottawa, Illinois, on August 17, 1965. The witness observed an object at 10-15 degrees elevation, traveling horizontally from ENE to WSW for approximately 15 seconds before disappearing behind trees. The witness described the object as being brighter than the North Star and covering the width of a thumb at arm's length. The witness initially suggested the object might be a satellite. The Foreign Technology Division of the Air Force Systems Command evaluated the report and concluded that the object was a meteor. The official assessment noted that while the 15-second duration was relatively long, the object's characteristics were consistent with a meteor. Furthermore, the Air Force clarified that known satellites possess slower speeds and an easterly orbital component, which contradicted the observed flight path of the object. A follow-up letter from Lt. Colonel John P. Spaulding to the witness formally communicated this conclusion, thanking the witness for their report.

The object which you observed has been evaluated as a meteor, not a satellite as you suggested.

Official Assessment

Astro (METEOR)

The object was evaluated as a meteor rather than a satellite. The Air Force noted that satellites have slower speeds and an easterly orbital component, whereas the observed object moved from ENE to WSW.

Witnesses

Key Persons

  • JOHN P. SPAULDINGLt Colonel, USAF, Chief, Civil Branch, Community Relations Division, Office of Information

Organizations

Military Units