PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION CONCLUSIONS
D Was Balloon
17 April, 1960 Richards Gebaur AFB, Missouri Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloon
Local Ground-Reder Was Aireraft
48X Telescope 000 Probably Aircraft
GMT18/02292 Air Visual Air-Intereept Radar Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS SOURCE Was Astronomical
Yes 000 Probably Astronomical
X No Military PossiblyAstronomicel
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS . COURSE Other.
008 Insufficient Data for Evaluation
2 1/2 minutes One Southwest Unknown UNIDER TIFIED
10. BRIEF SUMMARY GHTING 11. COMMENTS
Red glowing Red glowing object viewed through 48X object viewed through 48X From the information given no
conclusion can be offered. Case listed
elevation, passed 1 elevation, passed i South of Cirus and as unidentified.
disappeared below the horizon in 2 1/2
minutes. Request for eddlitional information
sent and no answer reveived. sent and no answer reveived.
/
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 BRP S2)
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Subject: Sighting Report - Extraordinary 18 April 1960
To: Smithsonian Visual Tracking Center
60 Garden St., Cambridge 38, Mass.
Sir: 2
l. After consulting with Mr. who heads the K. C. Moon Watch,
I submit th following:
a. Date/Time: 17 Apri1 1960; 1429-1431.5 GMT -6 hrs = 8:30 am CST
b. Location: Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. 20 miles south of
K. C. Mo.
c. Weather: Fair - Temperature 40°F.
d. Sky Condition: Sky Condition: clear--no moon clear--no moon
e. e. Sighting Sighting made with both unaided eye and six inch Newtonian telescope made with both unaided eye and six inch Newtonian telescope
with one inch eye piece - 48x. with one inch eye piece - 48x.
f. Object sighted initially 1429 GMT north of belt in Orion - 30° above 30° above
horizon--estimated. Moving in arc toward southwest, it passed l s horizon--estimated. Moving in arc toward southwest, it passed ls south of
Sirius falling below horizon at 143l.5 GMr. Color, a reddish glow. Sirius falling below horizon at 143l.5 GMr. Color, a reddish glow. Object
subtended 5 seconds of arc- estimated--with undetermined profile. subtended 5 seconds of arc- estimated--with undetermined During
sighting period there was no apparent sich magnitude. itwde
The angular rate of change of the Obiect appeared 2°/minute--
estimated-- in Orion to 1°/second last sighting.
2. Mr. Field Representative LINK, and I were viewing M-42 in
Orion when this spectacle occurred. We sensed we were seeing something
extraordinary. The first 30 seconds we watched and debated the origin of the
light. This was no aircraft. Then we checked the objects track. At first we
thought it to be a polar orbit--but on checking it with the
appeared more reasonable. In a desperate
effort I got the object in the narrow field of telescope. Unfortunately I
did not get a good focus.
3.1 Did we observe a vehicle of the Discoverer
its becoming a fire-ball?
Respectfully
s/Jim G. Ford
Major, USAF
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