Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record — Vermillion, South Dakota, 27 May 1966
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AI-Generated Summary
A civilian in Vermillion, South Dakota, reported a high-altitude, blinking, oblong object on May 27, 1966. Air Force intelligence concluded the object was likely a satellite.
On May 27, 1966, at 0800Z, a 21-year-old male witness in Vermillion, South Dakota, observed an unidentified object while lying on the grass in front of a fraternity house. The witness described the object as oblong, whitish-blue, and appearing like a very high satellite or a firefly. The object was observed for less than two minutes, traveling from the northwest to the southwest. The witness reported that the object blinked approximately every two seconds and exhibited zig-zagging and jerking motions before disappearing in the southeast. No sound was heard, and no physical evidence was found. The report was processed under Project 10073 and evaluated by 1st Lt Neville C. Herbert of the 30th Air Division. In his assessment, Lt. Herbert suggested that the object was likely a satellite in orbit or a deorbiting pattern, noting that while the blinking suggested an aircraft, the overall characteristics were consistent with satellite activity.
I believe this could have possibly been a sattelite in orbit or in a deorbiting pattern.
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Official Assessment
I believe this could have possibly been a satellite in orbit or in a deorbiting pattern.
The object was identified as a potential satellite due to its appearance and blinking pattern, despite the reported zig-zagging and jerking motion.
Witnesses
Key Persons
- Neville C. Herbert1st Lt, USAF, 30th Air Div Intelligence Officer