PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
03 Was Boiloon
24 Jam 64 Idaho-Mexico (West Coast US) 0 Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION D Possibly Bolloon
Local. twilight Ground-Visual Ground-Radar Was Aircraft
000 Probably Aircraft
CMT AirVisual Air-Intercept Rodar Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 3. SOURCE Was Astronomical
DYes 000 Probably Astronomical
No GNo military Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. 8. NUMBER OI OBJECTS COURSE OK Other_misaile Other.
0 Insufficient Data for Evaluation
n/a a/a 0 Unknown
n/a n/a
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS COMMENTS
100 telephone from news nedia and from news media and
civil authorities. Launch at twilight created predictable Launch at twilight created predictable
meteorological phenomena. Cave
impression of explosion and forms
varied colored patterns in the sky.
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

2
NNNN 24 JAN
DIPARTAENT OF THE AIR FORCE
MISSILE STASS MESSAGE DRANCH
UNCUASIOID NTSIAGE
INCOMING
AF IN : 20898 (15 Feb 64)X/der Page l of
ACTION: OSD-15
INFO  SAF-OS-3 -19- OFFICE
SMB C248 SAFS
SAFUS
ZCZCHQC993ZCQJB149 Dep RR
RR RUEAHQ SAFMA
Dep MA!
DE RUCSBR 228 315/1806Z Dep PM
Dep TC|
ZNR Dep SM
SAFFM
R 151545Z SAFRD
FM SAC SAFMP
MP O
TO PUEAHO/SECDEF R ROTC
SAFAA
INFO RIEAHO/OSAF F WASH DC WASH DC SAFGC
CALIF CALIF SAFOI
RUWHNF/BSD NORTON AFB SAFIE SAFIE
RUEAGL/AFSC SAFLL
1 DSMG
RUWHSS/ISAD VANDENBERG AFB AFB CAL IF CAL IF
BT
UNCLAS DXIP-1 1 15228. FOR OASD(PA). INFO:
SAF-OIPC, BSE, SCE AND DXI. A MINUTEMAN LAUNCH FROM
VANDENBERG AFB ON 24 JAN 1964 WAS SEEN FROM IDAHO TO MEXICO
AND RESULTED IN OVER 100 TELEPHONE QUERIES FROM NEWS MEDIA
AND CIVIL AUTHORITIES. THE LAUNCH
OCCURED AT TWILIGHT AND CREATED AND PREDICTABLE METEOROLOGICAL
PHENOMENA. THE SAME PHONOMENA OCCURS DURING A PRE-DAWN
LAUNCH. TO PRECLUDE UNDUE PUBLIC SPECULATION AND CONCERN,
RECOMMEND THAT RELEASE 6 T: ANNEXI OF DOD PUBLIC AFFAIRS PLAN
99-A-22 BE E ADDED AS FOLLOWS: QUOTE. A (TYPE MISSILE) WAS

DIPARTMENY OF THE AIR FORCE STAS MESSAGE DRANCH
INCO UMCASSUD BISSASI
N G
AF IN : 20898 (15 Feb 64)
Page 2 of 3
PAGE 2 RUCSBR 228 UNCLAS
LAUNCHED TODAY BY THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE FROM VANDENBERG
AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF THE MISSILE, THE (NUMBER) OF ITS
KIND LALNCHED FROM THIS AEROSPACE CENTER, WAS A ROUTINE
TRAININGLAUNCH BY A STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND MISSILE COMBAT CREW
OF AN OPDRATIONAL MISSILE. PARA. THE MISSILE LIFTED OFF
FROM ITS (SILO, LAUNCH FACILITY) DURING THE (DAWN, DUSK) HOURS.
AS IT ROSE FROM THE EARTHS'S SHADOW INTO THE SUNLIGHT, IT GAVE
IN THE SKIES. PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATED THAT (THE MISSILE T (THE MISSILE
IS ON COURSE(CIT IMPACTED IN THE PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE). PARA. IS ON COURSECCIT IMPACTED IN THE PAC RANGE). PARA.
CREW MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO THE (BLNK) MISSILE EQUADRON, (BLANK)
QUERY ONLY: QUOTE. VIEWERS OF MISSILE LAUNCHES, IN CERTAIN
AREAS MILES DISTANT FROM LAUNCH SITE, SEE WHAT IS
APPARENTLY A VIOLENT EXPLOSION. PARA. THIS APPARENT
EXPLOSION IS VISIBLE DUE TO THE NATURAL PHENOMENA CAUSED BY
THE GRADUAL LESSENING OF DENSITY FROM THE EARTH TO THE OUTER
FRINGES OF THE ATMOSPHERE,AND THE PERIOD OF THE DAY WHEN IT
OCCURS. PARA. THE DENSITY AFFECTS THE EXHAUST GASES IN THAT
THE TRAIL IS HELD IN NARROW CONFINES NEAR THE EARTH, BROADENING

.
DIPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
STAFe MessaGE BANCh UNCLASSLIND MESSAGI
INCOMI ING
AF IN : 20898 (15 Feb 64) Page 3 of 3
PAGE 3 RUCSBR 228 UNCLAS
AS THE MISSILE LIFTS HIGHER INTO SPACE. PARA. THE PERIOD OF
THE DAY IN WHICH THE LAUNCH MAY APPEAR AS AN EXPLOSION IS
USUALLY THE TWILIGHT HOURS BEFORE DAWN OR AFTER SUNSET. AT
THOSE TIMES, THE EARTH' S SHADOW COMBINED WITH THE DENSITY
VARIAT ION CAUSES REFLECTED RAYS OF SUNLIGHT TO BE VISIBLE IN
DIFFERENT COLORS. THEN THE EARTH'S SHADOW EXTENDS TO THE EDGE
OF SPACE AND THE EXPANSION OF EXHAUST GASES IS MOST EFFECT IVE.
PARA. THE EXHAUST PARA. THE EXHAUST T TRAIL IS VISIBLE IN EVERY SPACE VEHICLE I TRAIL IS VISIBLE IN EVERY SPACE VEHICLE
WHERE COMBUSTION IS INCOMPLETE. THE STRATEGIC AIR WHERE CONBUSTION IS INCOMPLETE. THE STRATEGIC AIR R COMMANDS. COMMANDS.
TITAN II ICBM IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION, SINCE IT HAS ALMOST TITAN II ICBM IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION, SINCE IT HAS ALMOST
COMPLETE COMBUSTION. UNQUOTE. THE ADDIT ION OF THIS COMPLETE COMBUSTION. UNQUOTE. THE ADDIT ION OF THIS RELEASE RELEASE
OPTION AND THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR USE IN ANSWER TO
QUERY SHOULD GREATLY LESSEN FUT URE PROBLEMS DURING EVENING
AND PRE-DAWN LA UNCHES.
BT