Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record — Gastonia, North Carolina, 16 April 1968
Ever wanted to host your own late-night paranormal radio show?
Across the Airwaves
You're on the air. Callers bring Mothman, Fresno Nightcrawlers, UFO sightings, reptilian autopsies, and whispers about AATIP and Project Blue Book. Every reply shapes how the night goes.
AI-Generated Summary
A 15-year-old witness reported a blue-white light in Gastonia, NC, on April 16, 1968. The U.S. Air Force identified the object as the Echo I satellite.
On April 16, 1968, at 9:16 P.M. local time, a 15-year-old male witness in Gastonia, North Carolina, observed an unidentified aerial object for approximately seven minutes. The witness, who was outdoors in a residential area, described the object as a blue-white light, comparable in brightness to the brightest star. The object appeared to travel in a northeasterly direction. The witness reported that the object stood still several times, changed brightness, and exhibited a 'zigzag' motion before eventually fading out. The witness noted that the object did not flash, flicker, break up, or emit smoke. The witness attempted to document the event by taking three photographs from different locations around their home. The official conclusion reached by the investigating agency, the Aerospace Studies Institute at Maxwell AFB, was that the object was the Echo I satellite, which was calculated to be at 83 degrees longitude and 35 degrees latitude at 2107(L) while traveling in a northeasterly direction.
The observer sighted a blue light that was as bright as the brightest star. The light silently traveled toward the NE.
PDF not loading? Download the PDF directly
Official Assessment
Satellite (ECHO I)
The object was identified as the Echo I satellite, which was at 83 degrees longitude and 35 degrees latitude at 2107(L) traveling in a northeasterly direction.
Witnesses
- [illegible]15 years old, male