Documents / FOIA release
This CIA internal-use-only routing slip carries an attached memo dated 10 December 1956 titled Report of Unidentified Flying Object. A CIA employee reports that during a missile test launched from Cape Canaveral early on 8 December 1956, identified as a Viking rocket, the first on the Vanguard program, they saw a reddish light with two short tails. The light kept pace with the missile, then turned east. Added comments dated 1 January 1957 say the Air Force ruled out aircraft and weather balloons, and camera plates showed nothing.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
Public Report of Indicators and Digest Codes
10. The writer is an ACA employee, and the knowledge of the approximate limited time of the vehicle (that vehicle) was acquired in the normal course of his official activities.
11. Theighting was reported to the 726 Communications Coordinator, GCMAPP, about 0122R, d December 1926. It was also reported to the CIDERS of the Day, PARK, at about 0120 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 concern of CINVIS an described by JANAP 185C.
Additional comments - 1 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 corrent - 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 $ 9 0^{\circ} $ varying to $ 1 4 0^{\circ} $ at 10,000 feet. Eliminated as possibilities - aircraft, weather balloons. Ilimination effected by AF. Angle above horizon at first sighting - approximately 25 degrees.
Horizontal angle traversed on northerly course -- approximately 60-65 degrees
" " " " easterly " --- " 40-45 "
See para 9 above - Observer has talked to two other men who saw $ \mathrm{I F O}_{2} $ no details obtained. See para 12 above -- Stroy of most sensitive camera plates showed nothing.
FAFB - Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
CCAFB - Cepu Canaveral Auxiliary Air Force Base, Fle.
Test 3018 - launch of Viking rocket (1st on Vanguard program). Not linked to a story yet.
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. 3 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.