UFO identified as satellite Echo I in Okinawa

Summary

In October 1962, an observer in Naha, Okinawa, recorded an unidentified flying object classified as the satellite Echo I. The report details that the object was seen for 10 to 15 minutes, with erratic paths and descriptions of a bright white color. The observer took photographs with a Petri 7 camera, and the images were physically archived. Although other possibilities, such as balloons or aircraft, were initially considered, the final conclusion pointed to the U.S. satellite Echo I, which was in orbit at that time. The case was evaluated by intelligence personnel and no convincing alternative explanations were found.

The observer's coordinates were near Miyako Island, and the report includes detailed meteorological data and descriptions of the sighting. The responsible officer, Captain Nathan S. Goldberg, concluded that no other cause could be determined for the sighting. The photographs and negatives were sent to the Foreign Technology Division for analysis, and the case was archived as a confirmed satellite sighting.