PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION 0 Woa Balloon of Port land Maine 0 Probably Balloon 3. DAT!TIMIGROUP T~Y~P~E~O~,~O~I:$:IR~V~A~T~IO~N Io PoaalWyBalloon locol 1130 D Gro""ci-VIaual 0 Gro11ndRadar Wo; Aircraft 0 Probably Alrcroft S. 0 Was Aatronomlcol D Yoo 0 Probably Aatrono"'lcal 1, LINOTH OJI OIIIRVATION I. NUMI!R 0,. OIJICTS 9. COURSI lJXOthor Sputnik approx 4 ainutes one NW to SE D In aYffl clont Dato fer Evaluatl on 10. IRIIJI IUMMARY OP IIOHTINO B-47 crew sighted a saall object soewhat siailar to a star, while flying at 35,000 feet. Object was on an unvarying heading of about 170 dgrs. Did not appear to gain or lose altitude. .\TIC PORW S2t (REV 21 I&P 12) 11. COMMINTS Time, appearance, bearings etc., indicate that the object was Sputnik -the Soviet satellite. Check with orbital tracks and laithsoniao Astrophysical Observatory confi this assuapt1.on. .UNCLASSIFIED i . L/f'tf EOA 041SYY005 RR RJEDEN RJEDSQ DE RJWFSY 67 PAR..o\PIIRXSE NOT RE~UI!rED EXCEPT PlUOR '0 CATEGORY D E~Cirrt"f!O.:-PIIY~lCALLY REMOVE ALL INTERNAL REFE RENCES BY DATEl'L,lE GROUP PRIOR TO DECLASSlFICATlON FM COMDAIRDIV 802 SCHILLING TO RJEDEN/COMDR ADC ENT AFB COLORADO SPRINGS RJEDSQ/COMDR AIR TECH INTELLIGENCE CENTER WRIGHT PATTERSON RJEPHQ/DI USAF WASHINGTON DC 40D SECTION I OFII SUBJECT:"UFOB" CREWS OF THE 40 BOMWG/ E SIGHTING OF AN UFOB BY TWO B-47 AIR 1.) DESCRIPTION OF OBJECT . (A) OBJECT APPEARED TO RESEMBLE A STAR FROM THE DISTANCE INVOLVED SN THE OBSERVATION. (B) IN SIZE.OBJECT APPEARED COMPARABLE TO A PEA HELD AT ARMS . LENGTH. IT APPEARED 3/4 THE SIZE OF PROCYON OBJECT WAS COLORLESSJ GAVE OFF LIGHT COMPARABLE TO THAT OF A STAR OF THE 1ST MAGNITUDE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE TWO RJWFSY 67 w CD> ONE UN CLASS I FJ ED 2.> DESCRIPTION OF COURSE OF OBJECT . <A> CREWS ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO OBJECT BY ITS BRIGHTNESS AND ITS SPEED, AND BY THEIR INVESTIGATION AT THAT TIME FOR A CELESTIAL BODY SUITABLE AS AN AID TO NAVIGATION. CB> (C) OBJECT CROSSED THE TRACK OF BOTH AIRCRAFT WHILE THEY tfERE MAKING GOOD A COURSE OF 230 DEGREES AT AN ALTITUDE 000 FEET. THE ANGLE OF ELEVATION OF THE OBJECT WHEN S FIRST AND LAST OBSERVED WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 DEGREES. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE OBJECT WAS DESCRIBING A COURSE FROM ~ DEGREES TO 17~ DEGREES, AT AN UNDETERMINED ALTITUDE (TRACK DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF CLOCK POSITION WAS FROM ~300 O'CLOCK TO 1000). CD> NO MANEUVERS tt!ERE NOTED. OBJECT MAINTAINED AN UNVARYING HEADING OF 170 DEGREES, AND DID NOT APPEAR TO GAIN OR LOSE ALTITUDE. PAGE THREE RJWFSY 67 CE> OBJECT MAINTAINED I 'fS BRIGHTNESS UNTIL IT PASSED THE RANGE OF ON OF THS OBSSRVERS. IT DID NOT NOR DID IT 0 OU " ALL AT ONCS. (F) OBJECT WAS OB ED CONSTANTLY FOR FOUR MINUTES. 3.) MANNER OF OBSERVATION CA> AIR-VISUAL (B) NO OPTICAL AIDS WERE USED 35~0~ FEET, 23~ DEGREES, 425 KNOTS, SCHILLING AFB, KANSAS. B-47, ACFT NO 556 35000 FEET, 230 DEGREES, 425 KNOTS, / SCHILLING AFB, KANSAS. 4.) TIME AND DATE OF SIGHTING ( 3 ) DP.~Jrl CONDITIONS PR.!:VAILED. OBSERVERS ST.!\T~D THAT IT r.:iAS LIGHT ENOUGH TO MAKE MOST STARS I NVISIBLE. ONLY PROCYON AND JUPITER WERE VISIBLE, ALONG WITH THE UFOB. 5.) LOCATION OF OBSERVERS: (A) OBSERVERS MADE OBSERVATION WHILE FLYING AN o AF DIHiCTD MISSION. THEIR POSITION WAS 432623N-7~3705W, APPROXIt1ATELY 20NM SOUTH OF PORTLAND, MAINE. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFtt:U PAGE FOUR RJWFSY 67 IDENTIFYING INFORMATION OF ALL OBSERVERS& (B) 1. IRVING, JOHN c. , MAJOR, USAF, 40BW, SAC, AIRCRAFT COMMANDER RATED EXTREMELY RELIABLE, MAJOR IRVINGS EXPERIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL SKILL ARE ATTESTED TO BY HIS POSITION OF STANDBOARD AIRCRAFT COM~lAt~DER OF THIS ORGANIZATION. 2. MEAD FRANK F. III, CAPTAIN, USAF, 40BW, (SAC>, CO-PILOT, RATED EXTREMELY RELIABLE. CAPTAIN MEAD IS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO i"lAJOP. IRV INGS CREW, AND HAS DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF IN HIS POSITION OF WING STANDBOARD PILOT. FAMILIARITY WITH CELESTIAL BODIES IS ESSENTIAL TO HIS DUTY OF ASSISTANT NAVIGATOR WHICH INVOLVES POSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT BY CELESTIAL NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES. CAPTAIN MEAD IS POSITIVE THAT OBSERVED OBJECT WAS NOT A METEOR OR SHOOTING STAR. 2. BRETZIUS, WILLIAM F. III, CAPTAIN USAF, 40BW, (SAC) AIRCRAFT COMi1AND(R, RATED EXTREMELY RELIABLE. CAPTAIN BRETZIUS IS A REGULAR OFFICER IN THE USAF, WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN B-47 TYPE AIRCRAFT. HIS CONSERVATIVE MAN~IER AND PROFESSIONAL SKILL RECOMMEND HIS CORROBORATING 'fSTIMONY. IN ALL CASES FATIGUE PAGE FIVE RJ JFSY 67 \\) HAS BEEN ELININATED AS A FACTOR TO BE CONSIDRED. ,\c'-\/ ( 7.) l1]EATHR CONDITIONS: 'l,.P\1 ~,c, ... AIRPLANE laJERE FLYING AT 35000 FEET. SLIGHT OVERCAST . ., ~ HAS OBSERVED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 22000 FEET. VISIBILITY ~ . . ( ttJAS OBSERVED A THIN LAYER OF CIRRUS CLOUDS TO THE _\.. RIGHT OF THE TRACK C EXTSNDING TO 400VJ0 FEET) AND A~ <c r" ( CUfvlULUS BUILD-UP TO THE LEFT AT A DISTANCE APPROXH1ATELY 4 ~ 100 NM. OBSERVERS STATE THAT VISIBILITY OF OBJECT AT ITS EXTREME ALTITUDE WAS UNIMPAIRED BY WEATHER C~l':I:ITIONS. ( 8 ) WIND DIRECTION Af~D VZLOCITY-R~PORT SUBMITTED BY DETACHM~NT 28 , 5TH WEATHER GROUP, SCHILLING AFB, KANSAS SURFACE -030 DEGREES -1~ KNOTS 600~ FT -180 DEGREES -30 KNOTS 10000 FT -150 DEGRES -35 i<NOTS 16000 FT -180 DEGREES -70 KNOTS 40~00 FT-230 DEGREES-145 KNOTS I~YJ v 8000a FT -UNKNOWN 15/03 252 DEC RJT;lFS Y UNClASSIFJED RA020EOA 049 RJEDEN RJEDSQ E RJWFSY 68 r COMDAIRDIV 802 SCHILLING RJEDEN/COMDR ADC ENT AFB COLORADO SPRINGS EDSQ/COMDR AIR TECH INTELLIGENCE CENTSR WRIGHT EPHQ/DI USAF WASHINGTON DC 4~DOI 75501 SECTION II OF II "UFOB.n CD> VISIBILITY UNLIMITED (E) NO CLOUD COVER ALONG TRACK OF OBSERVATION UNUSUAL ASTRONOMICAL OR METEORLOGICAL ACTIVITY : NONE ,) NO INTERCEPTION ACTION TAKEN ~.> THERE WAS NO AIR TRAFFIC OTHER THAN THAT OF OBSERVING AIRCRAFT WHICH WERE IN BOMBER STREAM FORMATION t,JITH TEN MINUTE SEPARATION BETWEEN AIRCRAFT. PAGE Two RJtvFsY 68 I. ~ ~ 11.) COMMENTS OF PREPARING OFFICER: ': CAPTAIN THOMAS B. BOWDRE, 40BW INTELLIGENCE OFFICR, PREPARING OFFICER [1PHASIZES EXTREME RELIABILITY OF WITNESSES, AND HAS RULED OUT, IN PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION, THE POSSIBILITY OF FATIGUE AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. INVESTIGATION HAS FURTHER ASCERTAINED THAT OBJECT WAS OBSERVED NOT AS THE DIRECT RESULT OF UNUSUAL METEORLOGICAL PHENOMENA. THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL OBSERVERS INVOLVED INDICATES THEIR CAPABILITY TO DETERMINE UNUSUAL ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA. THE POSSIBILITY OF OBSERVERS MISTAKING METEOR OR SHOOTING STARS FOR OBJECT ~1AS INVESTIGATED AND IN ALL CASES WAS REFUTED BY OBSERVERS. NO TAIL, TRAIL OR EXHAUST tvERE OBSERVED. OBSERVERS DECLARE IN ALL CASES THAT EXTREME ALTITUDE OF OBJECT, PLUS ITS UNDIVERT~D COURSE MAKE THE POSSI3 ILITY OF ITS BEING A MANNED AIRCRAFT ALTOGETHER REMOTE. ALTHOUGH ALt10ST TOO CONVENIENT, OBSERVERS AND DEBRIEFING OFFICER AGREE THAT MOST LOGICAL CONCLUSION IS THAT OBJECT WAS A SATELLITE IN ORBIT. 15/2210Z DEC RJWFSY 81rCU'"TY CL,.._I~ICATIOH UNCJJ\SSJFiED :.-.- JOINT MESSAGEFORM SI'AC. BUOP V!Jl!ltvi!D ~Oil. COMMUHICATlON CI!NTB. TVN M.O (Cjnj} ACCOUNTINa OftiG. OR fti:P'CRS TO Ct .t.aII'ICATION PRIIC:WDCHC& ROU'!.'!NE CCMDA ATIC UNCI/PRCMa AFC IN4E4 REr YOUR UP'O REPOin' TT f-50 40DOI75501, B-47 SIGHl'ING OF UFO, APPROX. 20 NM S. 01' PO:R'l'LA.ND, MAINE, 10 DECDmER 1957. EVAI~TION ar AI.L DATA DXSCLOSFS IJHAN;\CTEHISTICS, DFSCJUPriON AND TRACK OF OBJll.l:'l' PRACTICAil;t' COINCIDiS WtrH ORBITAL TJU.CK OF SPt1l'NIK BElA THAT AREA. TO CONCLUDE, REQ.UIRE Cl AJUFICATION OF TIMES OBSBi1VED, TIMI CONVERSIO~ OSED, OA POSSIBLE INA.DV"'..c.Rl'ANI' ERBOR IN REPOR'l'DD REASONs ORBlTll T&CK SHOWS BE'I'.A. IN THAT AREAJ11' U.ACTLY 1130 z. TIMES Glf/EN IN 010 REPO.Rl' 1030 z. IN ACCORD.\NCE ~1111 POLICIES FOR I<!.:~xm UJO REPORrS 01:1 SSIFIEIY I!' POSSIBLE, SUGGEST I,J$S OPERATIOWI. OR otHEH REASONS DIC'l'A'l'E CTI'HERWl'SE. COORDINATION W T'f~WO NAM E . ~ ~HONW P'AOC 1 1 ~ ROBERT E. O'CONNilR c ~n. US~F I t A~sist.lnt Adjutant .JII:CUI'tt1'Y CLAr'III,ICA-r'fOH UJ~ClASSIFlED .. J'OfiM 173 RltPLA.CC. DO ~OIItM 17S. I OCT 4e, WHICH WILl. U8WD UNTIL UHAUaTWD