UFO seen in the Atlantic in 1950

Summary

In August 1950, an observer in the Atlantic reported a fast-moving bright object traveling from northwest to southeast. The sighting lasted eleven minutes, with the object followed by a white trail that disappeared before reaching the ship's meridian. The light was seen twelve degrees below Arcturus, with a magnitude of three. A missile had been launched from Cape Canaveral ten minutes before the sighting, and its trajectory matched the object's course. Investigators concluded the object was the missile, identified as test 2818. Although initially considered a balloon or aircraft, the missile's timing and path confirmed its identity.

The report, part of Project 10073, was classified and archived but later declassified. It included detailed observation data, such as the exact time (22:54 GMT) and precise location. Communication between the Air Technical Intelligence Center and other units confirmed the event's timing and the missile's identification. Despite the clear nature of the event, it was processed as part of unidentified sightings, likely to maintain a comprehensive database of aerial phenomena. This case illustrates how early space launches could be misinterpreted as unidentified objects.