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The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert

USAF / The Black Vault · 1995 · 882 pages · text by GLM-OCR

The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert was published by Headquarters United States Air Force in 1995. The Black Vault distributes this copy. It reproduces the report by Col. Richard L. Weaver and the synopsis by 1st Lt. James McAndrew, both written after a General Accounting Office inquiry requested by Representative Steven Schiff. The Air Force search found no evidence of an extraterrestrial craft or crew. It concluded that the Roswell debris most likely came from NYU Flight No. 4, a Project MOGUL balloon train.

  • p. 692 …This volume data was computed for all lovels given. Data was "borrowed" from other stations in…

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(1) The type balloon to be used in this phase of the project will be a 15 to 40 ft. diameter plastic balloon, hydrogen filled. Radio equipment weighing approximately 25 lbs., will be suspended approximately 100 ft. below the balloon. The balloon will be towed to high altitude levels (above 20,000 feet) by three auxiliary lifting balloons fastened together with a 4 lb. weight. All equipment attached to the balloon will be equipped with parachute device so that upon separation from the balloon, the attached equipment will float down towards the earth rather than become a freely falling body. Upon attaining the desired altitude, the auxiliary lifting balloons wife be released from the main balloon.

(2) It is anticipated that a maximum of ten flights will be required in this phase of operation, 2 to 5 releases to be made from Allentown, Pa. and 2 to 5 releases to be made from Lakehurst, N. J. Release will be made during weather conditions in which the sky is free of clouds and the visibility at least three miles at all altitudes up to 20,000 feet.

(3) The range of flight during this phase of operation will be between 30,000 and 60,000 feet. A period of six hours will be the maximum duration of flight.

(4) New York University will provide an operator for tracking of the balloon during period of flight and will furnished information on its position to the N. Y. Air Traffic Control Center during period of flight.

(5) New York University will file a Notice to Airmen at least twelve (12) hours in advance of balloon release and a second notice will be filed at time of release with either the Allentown, Pa. or Lakehurst, N. J. Communications Stations.

(6) Destruction of the balloon will be predetermined to be effected over water where hazards are not present. Aerial convoy will not be effected during this phase of operation inasmuch as balloon flights will be conducted in excess of 20,000 feet.

3. The War Department member requests that balloon operations along the lines of Phase II be presented to the Washington Subcommittee for clearance with all other Regional Airspace Subcommittees, in consideration of War Department plans to continue the Phase II type of operation from White Sands, New Mexico, upon completion of the 12 proposed releases described herein. The type of balloon releases proposed out of White Sands, N. Mex., will involve flight through other regions.

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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. 882 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.