34.00N 176.25W (Pacific), November 1962November 1962

On November 3, 1962, a U.S. Air Force aircraft spotted a bright object in the Pacific Ocean sky near Hawaii. The object was as bright as a second-magnitude star, which means it was visible but not among the brightest stars in the night sky. The sighting occurred at a position 34 degrees north latitude and 176 degrees 25 minutes west longitude.

The object first appeared about 5 degrees above the western horizon. Over the next 13 minutes, it climbed steadily higher in the sky, moving toward the southeast. By the end of the observation, it had risen to somewhere between 30 and 39 degrees above the horizon. The exact final altitude varies slightly in the different messages, but the general path and duration remain consistent.

The aircraft reported the sighting, and the information was sent to multiple military commands and intelligence agencies, including the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Navy, and the Strategic Air Command. At the time, the reporting officer stated that no evaluation was being made pending additional information from the aircraft that spotted the object. However, in the initial assessment form, the Air Force noted that the object was "assumed to be satellite" and evaluated the case as such.

The full case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below across 7 pages.