Project 10073 Record — Sighting in Cupertino, California, 5 October 1965

This document contains a Project Blue Book sighting report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed in Cupertino, California, on October 5, 1965. The witness, a civilian, reported observing a very bright light in the sky while driving south on Budd Road at approximately 2:10 a.m. The witness described the object as initially resembling a star, but later appearing as a large star with colored vapor trails that changed from green to yellow and blue to red. The witness estimated the object to be about a block long and noted that it appeared to be descending toward the earth. The witness reported that the object traveled from south to west and then southwest at a rapid speed. The witness also noted that the object appeared to turn left when they turned left, and that it eventually disappeared over the horizon. The witness explicitly stated there was no sound. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force, signed by Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., was that the sighting was a Thor Agena missile launch, which had occurred 13 minutes prior to the report. The document includes the original sighting record, a memo for the record, and a completed U.S. Air Force technical information questionnaire filled out by the witness on November 11, 1965.