Edwards AFB, CaliforniaMay 1957

On May 2, 1957, two civilian workers at Edwards Air Force Base in California spotted an unusual object in the sky while driving to a camera station. They described it as a metallic disk about the size of a basketball held at arm's length, with a translucent glow. The object traveled in an easterly direction and remained visible for roughly 25 minutes. Using specialized theodolite equipment (a camera designed to track aircraft and missiles), the workers photographed the object before it disappeared from view.

The sighting generated significant media attention after being reported to the press. The photographs, which showed only a tiny white speck when enlarged, were forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for analysis. However, by the time ATIC received the case, the story had already reached the public. The Edwards Air Force Base information officer initially told reporters the object was unidentified, which fueled speculation.

ATIC's investigation revealed strong evidence that the object was a weather balloon. The Air Force had released a rawinsonde balloon (a weather balloon used to measure atmospheric conditions) from Edwards at 0740 hours that same morning. When ATIC compared the balloon's tracked position, bearing, elevation, and speed against the observers' reported sighting times and angles, the data matched almost perfectly. Wind data from that altitude showed easterly winds that would have carried the balloon along the reported path. Radar operators at the base reported no unidentified objects in the air at that time. When ATIC analyzed the photographs, the tiny images were consistent with a balloon viewed from a great distance, and the alternating round and elliptical shapes were typical of how balloons appear when sunlight reflects off their curved surfaces in desert conditions.

ATIC concluded the object was definitely the released balloon. The case file notes that poor handling by local officials, combined with the media's early access to the story, created unnecessary public confusion. An official explanation released after press coverage receives less attention than the original sensational report, the file observes. This case file, comprising 106 scanned pages, is preserved at the National Archives as part of Project Blue Book records.