UFO sighted in the Atlantic by three ships

Summary

Three ships reported a bright object with smoke over the Atlantic in January 1961. One described an illuminated body moving from northwest to southeast, surrounded by a smoke cloud. Another mentioned an irregular, glowing, and smoking object, while a third compared it to a moon with a blue-white glow. The testimonies aligned on direction and timing, suggesting a simultaneous observation.

The investigation concluded the object was likely an Atlas rocket launched from Cape Canaveral a few minutes earlier. The firing azimuth matched the witnesses' reports, and it was not considered a balloon, aircraft, or astronomical phenomenon. Although no photos or radar data were available, the analysis pointed to a space launch as the most plausible explanation.