Moorcroft, WyomingApril 1963

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the night of April 13, 1963, someone in Moorcroft, Wyoming reported seeing a bright object that looked like a star moving through the sky to the southeast at fairly high speed. The object passed overhead and the witness believed it was either a satellite or a weather device.

The Air Force investigated the sighting and concluded that the object was Echo I, an American satellite. According to the Air Force's analysis, Echo I was positioned over Wyoming at 7:38 p.m. on April 13 and was traveling southeast, matching the characteristics of what the witness had reported. The case was officially evaluated as a balloon (likely referring to Echo I's classification as a satellite used for communication experiments, which involved reflective materials that resembled balloons in appearance).

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

Reported location

Moorcroft, Wyoming

Date of incident

April 1963

State / country

WY / US

Page count

7 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 47

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 7

View transcribed text

EEE

4 :
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-

] ; PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

2 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

4 ; 0 Was Balloon

1 13 April 1963 Moorcroft, Wyoming 3 dl Rlodany paliean

EE 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION ossibly Balloon

i a . : O Was Aj

: Local R880 2030. © 8 %round- Visual 0 Ground-Radar (w] Hrabakry Alrerats

4 GMT SAN SUE IS TI Sh 2 Air-VYisual 0 Air-Intercept Radar O Possibly Aircraft

: 5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical

4 0 Yes O Probably Astronomical

i SE O Possibly Astronomical

en ERE I EPIRA BT 1 1: ES OFC Ma CR US Satellite Echo
: 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE TN Othgrasssss wlshiriionay ions 1
Ek O Insufficient Data for Evaluation
E i 0 Unknown

2 SHRED RTE ST Te Ve ES RARE 7 IR ONO RT 1155 78 aX <1; Eh i BRE ST RW A A IO AR
E! 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING |11. COMMENTS

3 ji lving object that looked just like | Echo was over Wyoming at 1938

- a star observed in flight to SE at on 13 April heading SE & had all

3 { fairly fast speed. Passed overhead. fharacteristics of rptd ohj. Case
- fiaBelieved tg be satellite or weather evaluated as Echo I, Balloon. |
E device.

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4 ATIC FORM 329 (REV 25 SEP 52)

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 29000610