PROJECT 10073 RECORD: Sighting of 16 January 1967, Warner Robins, Georgia

This document collection details the investigation into a series of UFO sightings reported in January 1967, specifically focusing on an incident on 16 January 1967 in Warner Robins, Georgia. A civilian observer reported a stationary, horseshoe-shaped object with a reddish tail and a vapor trail resembling a question mark. The investigation, conducted by Mr. Howard G. Bowen of the Security Police Division at Robins AFB, concluded that the object was not an extraterrestrial craft but rather a high-altitude barium cloud release. This cloud was produced by a two-stage Nike-Iroquois research rocket launched from the Aerospace Launch Facility on Santa Rosa Island, Eglin AFB, Florida, at 0540 CST on 16 January 1967. The rocket was part of an upper-atmosphere research study managed by the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory to measure wind speeds and directions. The resulting vapor cloud, described as bluish-green with tinges of red and blue, was visible for approximately 30 minutes and could be seen within a 300-mile radius of the launch site. The document includes correspondence with a Mrs. Gerald Greenlief, who had reported similar sightings in Kentucky, and provides official Air Force news releases explaining the nature of these chemical launches. The Air Force noted that such research studies had been responsible for numerous UFO observations throughout the year.