Documents / Report
This declassified U.S. Air Force file contains the final report of Project Twinkle, dated 27 November 1951 and written by Louis Elterman of the Geophysics Research Division, together with related correspondence. The project was set up to investigate the green fireballs and other light phenomena around Holloman AFB and Vaughn, New Mexico, and it was run with Askania cameras. The report calls its findings essentially negative and recommends no further funding. In March 1952 the Directorate of Intelligence declined to declassify it.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
# (1) Commanding General Air Materiel Command Wright-Patterson AFB Dayton, Ohio 1. Since the establishment of the special project at Hq N.C. (Project GRUDGE), to investigate and analyze reports on so-called "Flying saucers" and unidentified aerial phenomena, many reports have been received through intelligence channels from persons who have observed what they considered to be unusual light phenomena. Foremost in this category have been those which are described as "green fireballs". 2. Analysis by various specialists has indicated that many of the incidents involving light phenomena were undoubtedly observations of natural phenomena. Particular attention was given to the "green fireball" variety by Dr. Joseph Kaplan, member of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Kaplan has concluded that the "green fireballs" are natural phenomena. 3. Correspondence relative to Dr. Kaplan's conclusions on the phenomena and correspondence relative to a request from the Second Armored Division, Camp Hood, Texas, for scientific investigation of similar phenomena, are forwarded for your information. 4. The Air Materiel Command has under contract several organizations in the Boston area that are specialists in observing techniques and the interpretation of celestial phenomena. It is desired that these organizations be consulted regarding the "green fireball" phenomena. If necessary, consideration should be given to the establishment of an observational program designed to obtain additional information necessary to an explanation of the phenomena. 5. A meeting at Sandia in the New Mexico area is scheduled for the middle of October to continue discussions of the light phenomena. It is requested that representatives from Air Force Research Laboratories Base Directorate for Geophysical Research attend. 6. This Headquarters should be apprised of the progress of the evaluation and the results of the Sandia meeting as soon as possible. BY COMMAND OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF: ## 3. Incls: ## UNCLASSIFIED 1-4th Ind to GSUSA w/bltr & lnds (cy) dtd 9/1/49 2-Cy ltr to Dr Kaplan enclose 1 dtd 8/9/49 3-Cy ltr fm Dr Kaplan dtd 7/31/49 w/incls Actg Chief, Geophysical Science Directorate of B20 Office, B20/K
Report, cited by the archive. 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. 29 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.