Project Blue Book Sighting Report — Springfield, Massachusetts, 20 July 1968

This document contains a Project Blue Book sighting report regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed in Springfield, Massachusetts, on the night of July 20, 1968. The primary witness, a 14-year-old student, reported observing a 'stubby cylindrical' object that appeared to be self-luminous and moving at an 'amazing rate of speed' with a slight tail. The witness, who was with their father at the time, initially contacted the Goddard Space Flight Center before being directed to the Air Force's Project Blue Book office. The witness provided a detailed questionnaire, including sketches of the object's path and its appearance relative to the stars. The Air Force investigation concluded that the object was the ECHO II satellite. The report notes that the satellite's trajectory and timing—specifically its visibility and subsequent entry into the Earth's shadow—matched the witness's description of the object's movement and disappearance. The document includes correspondence from Major James H. Aikman of the Community Relations Division, acknowledging the report and providing instructions for future sightings.