15.19N 51.59E (GULF OF ADEN), November 1961November 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On November 28, 1961, a military crew aboard the USS Mills reported a very bright object over the Gulf of Aden area. The sighting was made at 1626 GMT and lasted about 20 minutes. The object was seen by eye.

The object was described as extremely high and very bright. It was first seen on a bearing of 323 degrees true. It appeared to hesitate directly overhead and moved on an erratic course. The crew lost sight of it about 20 minutes later on a bearing of about 149 degrees true. Its speed was unknown.

The Air Force record card lists this case as the Echo satellite. The card explains that the object crossed the Equator about 12 minutes after the sighting on a southeast heading, where it would have been visible. The erratic and hesitating motion was attributed to the tumbling of Echo and to atmospheric conditions.

Reported location

15.19N 51.59E (GULF OF ADEN), November 1961

Date of incident

November 1961

State / country

? / XX

Page count

2 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 44

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 2

View transcribed text

: «
{ PP
; PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD ; 4

: 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

3 & Fis: i Ont ~ \|D Was Balloon

28 licv 61 15.100 51.595 (GULF OFA0eK)|D Probably Balloon

: 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0. Possibly Balloon

i x3 8 0 Wos Aircraft

: TY 6 Ground-Visuol D Ground-Rador 1 Probebly Aircraft

: GMT 28/1626 D AirVisuol DO Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft

3 5. PHOTOS . SOURCE 0 Was Astronomicol

0 Yes 0 Probably Astronomicel

( he Military 0 Possibly Astronomicel

3 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BE Oops ioROL Tose
: 0 Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
E j : AT 0 Unknown

4 20 min 1 140 ;
E 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING Bright, UPC, Course 140° |V. COMMENTS [cho crossed the Equator ab

; speed unknown, extremely high appeared to 78° longitude 12 min after sighting

; hesitate overhead on erratic course, lost fm hzading SE and would have been visible.
sight at 35° elev. The erratic course and hesatiting is

attributed to tumbling of Echo ani

{ atmospheric conditions case Evaluztied a
8 Echo I.

3 ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

: *

4 ‘ \

i

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28995710