PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
I. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
x Was Balloon
12 Feb 59 W of Tanana, Alaska 00 Prabably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon
Local .GroundVisual Ground-Radar Was Aireraft
000 Probably Aircraft
GMT 13/01157 AirVisuel Air-Intercept Radar Possibly Aircraft
5. 'PHOTOS e. SOURCE Was Astronomical
Yes 000 Probably Astronomicol
No Military Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF.OBSERVATION NUMBER BJECTS COURSE Other.
000 Insufficient Dote for Evaluation
Unknown
not given 1 N/A
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Balloon approximately 50 ft diameter Source of balloon and equipment
and 3o longer from top to bottom. Box cannot be determined until recovery.
suspended below balloon. Approximately
l00 ft of cable or rope extended below box.
Balloon shot down, but not yet recovered.
18
/
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ATic Form 329
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-

PARAPHIISE NOT REQUIRED EXCEPT PRIOR TO
CATECONY R ENCRYPTION-PUYSICALLY REMOVE
PRIOR TO DECLASSIFICATION ALL INTERNAL REFERFNCES BY DATE-TIME GROUP
HQAO36AGDO17
PP RJEDSQ -
DE RJKDAG 13
P
FM.COMDR AAC ELMENDORF AFB ALASKA
TO RJEZHQ/COFS HQ USAF WASH DC
INFO RJWFAL/CINCNORAD ENT AFB COLO SPRINGS COLO UNC
RJEDSQ/COMDR ATIC WRIGHT AFB OHIO
BT
//FROM ACS/INT AAC : 50015
ACTION HQ US AFCIN....INFO NORAD J-2. THIS REPORT
CONCERNS AN ALOON. SHOT DOWN OVER ALASKA, TRACK
W2G, 13 FEB PART I. CAPT VOYNICH 27 4E4
HQ IITH A ISTOM DIVERTED TO TART CHASE.
1/LT.G. .RS 317TH FIS WAS ALREDY ORBITING TARGET IN 3 47
E-1O2. ON ARRIVAL OF_T-33 3102 AT
01157 WITH 2.7 ROCKETS MISSED ECOVERED,
AT GALENA AFS. T-33 CONTINUED TO OrB1 RGE 3,0004-
TO 34,00 ILOT DESCRIBES AS TION
0148Z WITH T-33
SAW BAL APSE AH T.I SPEED, (
GAVE CHASE PFR MINUTE. MHTU
BALOON WAS STREA MING ABOVE BLACK DISAPPEARED
INTO HAZE 20.000 T-33 DOWN TO (
APPROXIMATELY 7,OOO..FEET BUT APPROXIMA HAD NO FURTHER CONTACT. RECOVERED CONTACT. RECOVERED 14FEB 59
AT AT GALENA GALEI AFS. SFCOND F-102 E-102 ORBITED AN ORBITED AND WENT WENT DOWN AS LOW DOWN AS LOW AS AS FEB 59
4,000 FEET IN ARE AREA PILOT CAPT PILOT CAPT Y HaNSOn, HANSON, 317TH FIS, IS.
REPORTED LAS REPORTED LAS TACT AT 02267 2267 ERED AT ATIC
GALENA GALENA AFS, OSOOZ P 03002 AP CITY ACW STATION THEN 5 --
CAMPION ACW OM 122105z 122105z 5
=
Classification Cancelied Classification Cancelled ∞
OR Cha 5 2v2 OR Cha  4V2
AAER205ID AAER205-ID
PARA 2-126 (ii)
ByH ita
PAGE 3 RJKDAG 13
TO 130115Z AT WHICH TIME THE FIRST F-1O2 MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL (
FIRING.AT BLLF 1020. AT THIS POINT TARGET APPEARED TO ORBIT,
COMING OUT OF ORBIT AT 0224Z. PCSITION AT O228Z BLNE 2530.
CONTACT LOST BLNE 5O26 AT.O243Z. PARA PART III ACS/INT AAC
OMMENTS. ORIGIN OF OB.IECTINKNOWN TT TS DD! THIUED

UNVLILLHIVCE'OFIHNGLI'DYCHI UN' ACW PRUDADLY CEADLD UR
BECAME UNRELIABLE A 130115Z SINCE PLOTS BECOME ERRATIC
FOLLOWING THAT ME. IT IS CONSIDERED PROBABLE THAT TARGET
TARGET FELL STRAIGHT TO EARTH AT OR VERY NEAR THE POINT THE
SUCCESSFUL 0148Z. BLME 1557 IT IS
BALOON OR
BROKE LOOSE FROM THE BOX AND FLOATED EARTHWARD AT
LEISURELY RATE RESULTING TARGET REPORTING. PARA
5. THE TARGET PAYLOAD PROBABLY STRUCK
TERMINAL VELOCITY FORCE RESULTING IN (
SNOW. DARKNESS SNOW.DARKNESS AND POORWE AND POOR WEATHER HAVE PREVENTED SEARCH THE
AREA. PARA. 6. RESULTS OF SEARCH AREA. PARA. RESULTS O SEARCH EFFORTS ARE EFFORTS ARE BEING REPORTED BEING REPORTED
TO NORAD THROUGH OPERATIONAL CHANNELS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS (
OBJECT IS FOUND. CBJECT IS FOUND. AT THAT TIME WE WILL AT THAT TIME WE WILL FORWARD THROUGH NORMAL
(
UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED ( (
PAGE FOUR RJKDAG 13 (
INTELLIGENCE CHANNELS TO ALL CONCERNED.
BT
14/ FEB RJKDAG
. -
(
1
.
. .
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3

1
3
(
NNNN
24ETIC (
ZCZCSAP8230CZCSQF877ZCJYD136
PP RJEDSO 3x2
.T hons.. 3
DE RJEZHO DE RJEZNO 6S6 0.656 .. 7 .
P 1813342
FIHHEDUSAF (
TO COMATIC TO COUATIC
(
BT
UNCLASSIFIED FROMHAFCIN-1A: 36239
FOR CIN-4E. REQUEST IR EVALUATION AND COMMENTS ON AAC NESSAGE
Ed (
5"715
3T
18/1648ZHFED RJEZHO
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in 7
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/

SECURITY CLASSIPICATION
JOINT MESSAGEFORM
SPACB BELOW RESERVED FOR COMMUNICATION CENTER
PARAPAIRASE NOT REQUIRED EXCEPT PRIOR TO 1746
CATEGORY B ENCRYPTION-PHYSICALLY REMOVE ALL INTERNAL REFERENCES BY DATE-TIME GROUH
AC PRIOR TO DECLASSIFICATION-NO UNCLASSIFIED
REFERENCE IF THE DATE-TIME GROUP IS QUOTED
PRECEDENCE TYPE MSG (Cbeck) ACCOUNTING SYNBOL ORIG, OR REFERS TO OF REFERENCE CLASSIFICATION
ACTION ROUTINE BOOK MULTI SINGLE
INFO . X AF AFCIN 1A1 36239 UNCL
FROM: SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
COMDR, ATIC 20X
TO: HQ.. USAF, WASHINGTON, D. C.
R.JEZHQ
FROM: AFCIN-4E4 TC-40438
ENCODED
REF MSG AFCINLA1 36239, DTD 18 FEB 59, CONCERNING AAC MSG 50015, Initials
Time.
DTD 14 FEB 59. IF THE PILOT'S ESTMATE OF SIZE IS CORRECT, THE Checked By
BALLOON WAS TOO SMALL TO BE A SKYHOOK BALLOON. A CHECK FAILS TO BALLOON WAS TOO SMALL TO BE A SKYHOOK BALLOON. A CHECK FAILS TO
REVEAL ANY PROJECT IN OPERATION THAT UTILIZES THIS TYPE BALLOON,
OR ONE THAT WOUID HAVE DRIFTED TO ALASKA. IT IS POSSIBLE THE
BALLOON COULD HAVE DRIFTED OVER FROM USSR TERRITORY, OR BEEN BALLOON COULD HAVE DRIFTED OVER FROM USSR TERRITORY, OR BEEN
RELEASED FOR THIS PURPOSE. HOWEVER, WHERE THE BALLOON CAME FROM
OR ITS SPECIFIC PURPOSE CANNOT BE DETERMINED OR ITS SPECIFIC PURPOSE CANNOT BE DETERMINED UNLESS THE BOX IS UNLESS THE BOX IS
RECOVERED AND S ANALYZED.
COORDINATION:
DATE 242/59
ArCI N-484. CoI. Glaser
AFCIN-4E m2/
Col. Gilbert
. DATE TIME
MONTH YEAR
FEB 1959
SYMBOL SIGNATURE
AFCIN-4E4
TYPED NAME JITE ns TYPED (or StAMDId) NAME AND TITLE
3C-1-10 Maj. R. J. Friend LCuna: J
PHONE 69216 FA. - NR. OF HARRELL
PAGES Onptain, USAF
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Assisrnl Aominislatie Us
DD, FMOAY , 173 FORM REPLACES DD FORM 173, 1 OCT 49. WHICH WILL BE USED UNTIL EXHAUSTED
A

SECURIT
JOINT MESSAGEFORM UNCLASSIFIED
SPACE BELOW RESERVED FOR COMMUNICATION CENTER
63382 )
APR 14 21 06 '59 1n
PRECEDENCE TYPE MSG (Check) ACCOUNTING ORIG. OR REFERS TO CLASSIFICATION OF REFERENCE
ACTION ROUTINE BOOK MULTI SINGLE SYMBOL
INFO X AF AAC 50015 CONF
FROM: SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
ATIC. WP-AFB
TO: AAC, ELMENDORF AFB, ALASKA
KEKDAG
/UNCLASSIFIED/FROM: AFCIN-4E4g 4-716-E
REF MSG ACS/INT AAC 50015. DTD 14 FEB 59, REQUEST ALL AVAILABLE
INFO CONCERNING SUBJECT BALLOON AND EQUIPMENT BE FORWARDED TO THIS INFO CONCERNING SUBJECT BALLOON AND EQUIPMENT BE FORWARDED TO THIS
CENTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE EQUIPMENT IS RECOVERED,
REQUEST IT BE FORWARDED REQUEST IT BE FORWARDI CENTER. CENTER.
2 2
COORDINATI ON
APCIN-4EL 9 Du gae  1g 59 9 Du oe 1 57
APCIN-4E!
Col Rothman
AFCIN-4E DATaH/14/17
Col Gilbert
DATE TIME
10 0915
: MONTH YEAR
APR 1959
SYMBOL
AFCIN-4E4847 ? 8. tanel
TYPED (or stmped) NAME AND TITLE
3-w MAJ ROBERT J. FRIEND
PAGE NR. OF WWAOWN
PHONE 69216 NM. 1 PAGES 1 LOUGS J HARRELL
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION CAPTAIN USAF TIVE OFFICER
ASSISTANT ADMLNISTR
UNCLASSIFIED
DDFORM. 173 REPLACES DD FORM I7S. I OCT 49. WHICH WILL DE USI'D UNTIL EXHAUSTED

~ .
i
AO86AGDO31
RJEDSQ .
17 APR59 0755 M4E4G
RJKDAG 27
— . $\frac {2}$
COMDR AAC ELMENDORF AFB ALASKA 4
COMDR AIR TECH INTEL PATTERSON AFB OHIO
VFROM INT-150068
OR AFCIN-4E4G PD CITE 4-715-E PD ALL AVAILABLE I INFORMATION
UBSEQUENT TO MSG AAC 5OO15 WAS FORWARDED 5 MAR TO HQ USAF
CS/INTELLIGENCE ON AF FORM 112 WITH PHOTOS CMA SKETCHES
ND TRACK OVERLAYS PD PLANS FOR SEARCH FOR BALLOON AND ND TRACK OVERLAYS PD PLANS FOR SEARCH FOR BALLOON AND
QUIPNENT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED PD WHEN AND IF EQUIPMENT IS QUIPMENT T HAVE BEEN ABANDONED PD WHEN AND IF EQUIPMENT IS (
ECOVERED ECOVERED FORWARDED TO YOUR CENTER PD ORWARDED TO YOUR CENTER PD
-
5/2154Z APR S/2154Z APR RJKDAG RJKDAG
MLLY REMOVM 11
ALL INTERNAL REEERENCLS DATETINR CM CA.FA
PRIOK TO DECL JCATION
,
ANNN
41
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