PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD I~ LOCATION ( 12. CONCLUSIONS =9J-~:~x 5Z us-I I Sao Pnulo I Drazil 00 Wo~ Balloon _ ProLobly Balloon .3 -.OATE.TIME-CF\OUP------------T~: TYPE OF OQSERVATWN 0 Pouibl y B olloon L:~::-ol ---- .. ooo. _t , I IXGround v.auo! 0 Ground-Rctiar 00 PWoabAircroft ., I ro obly A~rcroft : 5. PHOTOS . C Yes Civilian (letter) 0 Probably Astronomical c& Possibly Astronomical l:t'!:'l"~F 7. LENGTH OF 03SERV ~TION I. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE 3 eecon<l4 1 0 In s"ffi ci ent Doto for Evaluation 10. 8AIE, SUMMARY 0, SIGHTING u 11. COMMENTS \nli te color. Ileteor shnpe. Arched down o.nd explOt1e<l. Description is possibly xooteor A'JnC FOilM .129 (REV 36 IEP 12) PAGE THREE BVDKW I' DISTANCE FROM STATION 10,611 FEET I ALTITUDE OF BALLOON 877-9 FEET BALLOON BURST TIME 21,7Z 22/21552 MAY BWDKW /~VIII C' ~ I X. I tJ ?AtJI& Ma110ri'Ddua tor Record SUBJF.X:Ta '!'rip to Georae ArB on 20-23 l.fq 1952 OD 17 ~ 1952, Lt E. J. Ruppelt oalled Major Vinoent Wolrath, Wing Intelligence Ottio.r ot the t4l. N'ighter Bomber Wing at Georp AFB, Calif. 1-ta.jor Wolrath stated that due to tbe reoent tlurq ot sightiDga he it verr adrieable to send eome- one troa ATIO to Georp ArB. Lt Ruppel t had order out and departed b7 OOJ11118roial air on 3> Maw 1952 arriviDI at George AFB late on the even1as ot the 20th. #' On 21 ~ 19,2, Lt Ruppelt oontaoted )jor \oiolratb vbo reviewed aight:t.nga onC1 '9 ll:+l-...1-'' Seferal ot these eightinga trom a T-6, seemed tQ be repiti'tlTe Dd plane were made to atteapt to observe the object on the afternoon Lt Melser, who had pUoted the T-6, during pre9ioua observations vas con- tacted. He ottered to t17 that P.M. and take Lt Ruppelt along as observer and to assist in up an obaer9ation team. . Both the Ground Control Interoept (Radar) and Interceptor squadron or ADO were oontaoted and briefed on the aightinp and pl n to ob8e1 '" troll a T-6. They agreed to stand b;y all afternoon on "D'' channel ot V1D' in oaae the object was sighted. If' it was, F-86 s would be acr-bled. and radar vonld a pick up. A ground station and a ground observer team headed b7 Major Wolra th vas equipped w1 th a ground VHF set and would have a telescope to make ground observations f'rom the George AFB line. l-Jeather waa alerted in case a theodolite vas needed. All VHF sets vere eet up for on a speoial trequenc,y to keep the interception or messages to a miniw1m. At 1330 PI:ST, the T-6 vas airborne. Lt Ruppelt had a Lieca with a 135 D"i telephoto lena 1n photos could be taken. At 1430 Pi:ST the ground obaer- ation called the T-6 and stated they were observing the object through a telesoope and 1 t appeared to be a balloon. Also it vas identical to several or the pre-, Tioua reports aa previous observers were on the ground vatohing. The aerial search vaa continued with DO euccess and at 1440 PDST the object disappeared. The aerial search waa broken ott and the T-6 landed. Lt Ruppelt contacted Edwards AFB and waa infor:ned that at 1438 POST a Rawin- ao!lde balloon f'ro their station buret at 75 000' SSE or their station (approximate] over George .&!'B). It wae concluded that the object vas this balloon On 22 ~ 1952, the entire dq was spent interviewing sources or other eightinge. It v1ll be noted that although some ot the reports were attributed to balloona, others could not be and are still being investigated. Lt Ruppel t returned to \1-P AFB on 23 l-1ay '.Phe cooperation received at George AFB was excellent. !be ipt1q on 1 Mq 1952 at George AFB, Calif., vaa the tirat or a eeriea of Dine alchtJ.Dr. there 1D a three wek period.. .These aightinga were all bT l!lilit.al7 peraoamel. a. 1 Mar 1952 -ftye round~ disc-ahaped objects, ~at white in color vhich gnve no ylare or refiection were sighted. Tbe7 vera in ror.::!.tion vi th thr~!e in tron: and two.in the rear. The .latter tvo darted around :. n a circular or zig-sag a.rr.er. b. 9 Hay 1952, 1030 PIST -An unidentified round, silver objet. t "'as slgbtE.od Yiaua-:17 tt'UIA the gro\uxl and !roo t.vo F-86 aircratt. c. 9 Mar 1952, 12)0 PDST -Two unidentified objects moving vith the current or bre'!ae. at a lov speed. The:f appeared to be a silver ae tal color with a dark apot in the center and at certain lea to the sun gave orr a bright r i. 9 Hay 1952, 1720 PIST -Object vaa of dull color like a thunderc.loud" It .tas ahaped like an arrowhead but had oo know aerod7Jtarnic features. 11 tfa7 1952, 1220 PA.ST -C>-oject looked like a vhite paper plate nipping end ovw end vi tb an ini tlal speed comparable to a Jet a.1. though later 1 t reduced 1 ta pace. f. 13 Mq 195~, 1425 PtSr -Single object, appeared roWld, sh1ny, Mt&l.lic vhicb gloved or retlected white or silver vas obaened for thirty minute9. deecription as obje~t sighted oD 1) }'.q and b7 aources. b. 20 Mq 1952, 1425 PL6T -A silyer colored, bright, round object vt.s observed tor !lYe 1nutes~ Initial.lJ tho object vas stationary but ~veotuilly JDOved arvt faded avq. Oal)' balloons released trom Edvards AFB c.an be tracked accuratel7 over George DB, conaequently, tor the moat part they e.re the onl.r balloons \lith vhicb we are concerned~ These balloons are released irregularly thus ac.cour.t- ing tor aoae or tho unusual tla.ts of sigh tinga reported in c.aae s vhich are prob!.bl7 balloonao 1'be project mol\itor or dl.ue Book went to George AFB to inveatipte the Y&rloua re~..orta a. 1 l'.q 1952 -Report vell documented. lb additional 1ntorcat1on obtained .. b. 9 t:ar 1952, 1030 PtST -A bellooD vu released !'rom Edwards AFB, 55 tDutea prior to this alghting. o. 9 Mq 1952, 1230 PlBr -fb kDovn activity which could account tor aigbtlng Ho Jcnovn activi tr vhicb could account tor e. ll May 1952 -Third re?Ort 1n three days tro:1 sace individual. No aetivi ty in area t. 1) May 1952 -Balloon launched from Ed \lards AFB at 1340 .flBT. a.. 14 )far 1952 -No ballcon release officially reported h. 20 Mar 1952 -Balloon released f'rom !dwards AFB at 1332 POST. III. . COOOLUSlON. 1 ~ 1952 -Ro Concl~slona. 1030 PIST -Very probable that the balloon released Edwards lFB vas the object sighted. . o. 9 ~ 1952, 1230 P&BT -Very poaaible that paper vas caught in the therrla and awept along. A a1~1lar sighting turned out to be just that. ct. 9 Mar 1952, 1720 PDST -No conclusions. e. 11 Mar 1952 . -Jfo con:lusiona t. 1) Mar 1952 -Probabl7 vaa balloon released tram Edwards AFB, 45 ain~te prevloue. 14 Ma,. 1952 -Deaerlt:~ioD tits incident or l) MaY' 80 per!eetly it . 1a bighl7 probable that the obj-:.ct vaa a balloonc. h. JJJ ~ 1952 -Belloe::. released 53 minutes prior to sighting vas probablJ object observed. JOINT MESSAGEFORfl CIOMM~ :O.ICA TJOIIII ""'"' MO 0 lOOK MESS-'CI s O"'GINAL 11151AGI 0 IIU\.TII\.1: AOOR~ Cf'YI'TWRCAUTIOte rJ YO E3 flO REFERS TO Mf.!nAGf ~I~ICATION IOUtTirtCATION {; rtoquest. !nto c.s to -.kat!:~ or nnt. ~:F,J:"'.) \J(~, urq l::lrC b.allcon:s l!aa:L ~or t:.::., WIIICH MA't M USI& COMMUfiiCA TIOfiS tP flft hO. .UNClASslf-i0 0 MULTIPLI AODitiSS RERRS TO MESSAGE:: IOIIITIPICAT10N lJNCLASSIFIED IWUCU ..... fORM 113, I IIAY Wltletl MAY. WI'\ OWNGl' ~DED AT S 'YnAR 1NTERVA'L3-; D J)ECiaASSIFIED AF7"ZR 12 YEARS. J)Ql} DlR 620o.10 mYcr.AssrFJEtr PAM l f1l J. PAOD .al.e-A~ }utlt::~ v.:r.tJrt.l DE BWDKW FM DET ~-6 9TH wa: 'Gp LBEACH MUNI APRT LBEACC :ALIF TO CO AIR TECH INTELLIGENCE COMMAN~ WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OHIO . ED AT 8 YEAR lNTEnVAts; AF GRNC. D IED AFTER 12 YEA:a& -L-1398 PD REF TWX AFOIN-AT_,11-E UR HQ DTD 21193iZ FOL INFO ON BALLOON LAUNCHES SUB HEREWITH CLN ( BEARING FROM STATION 30i DEGREES DISTANCE FROM STATION 126750 FEET ALtiTUDE OF BALOON 8800' FEET BALLOON BURST TIME 16Z~Z BEARING FROM STATION 10i DEGREES DISTANCE FROM STATION 667'0 FEET I>OWNGni .. ii~ AT 8 DA'R tN'I'!'ttVAUJ~ DECJ.ASSIFIED APTER 12 YEAR& . PAGE TWO BWDKW I' ALTITUDE OF BALLOON 129232 FEET BALLOON BUIST TIME l631Z BEARING FROM STATION 1a0 DEGREES DISTANCE fROM STATION 1078'0 FEET : ALTITUDE OF BALLOON 1110i1 FEET BALLOON BUiST TIME 2222Z BEARING FROM STATION 8Z DEGREES DISTANCE FROM STATION 9~693 FEET ALTITUDE OF BALLOON 7'76' FEET BALLOON BURST TIME 16182 BEARING FROM STATION 70 DEGREES DISTANCE FROM STATION 8'901 FEET ALTITUDE OF BALLOON 74022 FEET BALLOON BURST TIME 21512 F 14 MAY 1952 AT 21aiz BEARING FROM STATION 9Z DEGREES