Report of Unidentified Flying Object

This document is a formal report concerning an Unidentified Flying Object sighting observed during the launch of Test 3018, a Viking rocket associated with the Vanguard program, on 8 December 1956. The report, authored by J. P. Anderson, a CIA employee, details the observation of a reddish light with short tails, sighted at approximately 0104 hours. The object was initially estimated to be at an altitude of 25,000 to 30,000 feet, traveling due north at a speed of 750 to 1000 miles per hour. The observer noted that the object made a wide turn to the east after the missile passed it. The report mentions that the sighting was reported to the CIA Communications Coordinator and that the writer suggests reviewing optical coverage films to verify the account. A subsequent addendum dated 4 January 1957 provides further analysis, noting that the object was likely much higher and faster than the initial estimate. The addendum explicitly states that aircraft and weather balloons were eliminated as potential explanations for the phenomenon, and that the observer had discussed the sighting with two other individuals who had witnessed a similar flare during a previous, ill-fated Jupiter launch.