Report of Unidentified Flying Object

This document is a report concerning an Unidentified Flying Object sighting that occurred on December 8, 1956, at 0104 hours, in the vicinity of Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. The author, an employee who possessed knowledge of a test launch (Test 3018, a Viking rocket for the Vanguard program), observed a red flare with two tails in the eastern sky. The object was initially estimated to be at an altitude of 15,000 to 20,000 feet, traveling due north at a speed of 750 to 1,000 miles per hour. The object performed a wide turn to the east and maintained a heading of 90 to 100 degrees until it disappeared from sight. The report notes that weather conditions were clear with unlimited visibility. The sighting was reported to the Communications Coordinator at Cape Canaveral Auxiliary Air Force Base. The author suggests that optical coverage films of the test should be reviewed to confirm the report. Subsequent additional comments, dated January 4, 1957, clarify that the missile involved in the test was 30 miles high at the time, implying that the observed object was either much closer to the observer or traveling at a significantly higher speed. The comments further state that aircraft and weather balloons were eliminated as possibilities, and that the observer had spoken to two other men who also saw the object, though no specific details were obtained from them.