Project 10073 Record — Sighting at Lake Melissa, Minnesota, 30 August 1965

This document contains a Project 10073 record regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, on August 30, 1965. The witness observed a starlike object, comparable in brightness to the planet Venus, moving in a northerly direction near the North Star. The observation lasted approximately five minutes before the object disappeared behind trees. The witness noted that the object moved through about five degrees of arc. Following the report, the Foreign Technology Division of the Air Force Systems Command investigated the sighting. By comparing the witness's report with satellite schedules, the Air Force determined that the Echo II satellite was passing over the area at 9:12 PM at 67 degrees elevation, moving northeast. The Air Force concluded that the object observed was the Echo II satellite, noting that the witness's speed estimate of one degree per minute was likely an underestimate. The file includes correspondence between the Foreign Technology Division, the North Dakota Air National Guard, and the witness, confirming the identification of the object and thanking the witness for their report.