Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency file holds routing slips and a memo titled Report of Unidentified Flying Object, written by an agency employee. The employee saw a red flare-like object at night on 6 December 1956 while watching test 3018, the launch of a Viking rocket that was the first on the Vanguard program. The object flew north at an estimated 750 to 1000 miles per hour and then turned east. Comments added on 4 January 1957 say the Air Force ruled out aircraft and weather balloons, and camera plates showed nothing.
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Subj: Report of Indentured Mining Cases 10. The writer is an ICA employee. and the knowledge of the approximate launch time of the Lissilo (toot vehicles) was acquired in the normal course of his official activities. 11. Theighting was reported to the TCA Communications Coordinator, CO445P, about 0122R, 6 December 1926. It was also reported to the CINEMA of the Day, PMEI, at about 0140R the same date. The O.D. advised that a written report should be filed in the next working day. 12. It is suggested that close study of the optical coverage films for the test will serve to confirm this report. 23. It appears that this report falls within the concomit of CINVIS as described by JANAP 195C. Additional comments - 4 January 1957 See para 3 above - Missile at that time was 30 miles high, indicating that UFO was much closer to observer or was much higher and traveling at greater speed. General comment - Altitude, speed and range statements in original report are result of reference by observer to known object; i.e., aircraft. This established in discussions with AF; no aircraft near at time of sighting, but observer's experience with aircraft apparently resulted in unconscious reference. Winds at time of sighting - surface 90° varying to 140° at 10,000 feet. Eliminated as possibilities - aircraft, weather balloons. Elimination effected by AF. Angle above horizon at first sighting - approximately 25 degrees. Horizontal angle traversed on northerly course -- approximately 60-65 degrees. See para 9 above - Observer has talked to two other men who saw UFO, no details obtained. See para 12 above -- Study of most sensitive camera plates showed nothing. FAFB - Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. CCAAFB - Cape Canaveral Auxiliary Air Force Base, Fla. Test 3018 - launch of Viking rocket (1st on Vanguard program).
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 5 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.