UFO sighted in the Pacific in 1963

Summary

In February 1963, a naval crew observed an object in the Pacific that initially appeared near the star Antares. The object was moving northward, following a polar trajectory, and was seen for five minutes. Although it was initially thought to be a balloon or aircraft, the available data concluded it was a satellite. This sighting was officially recorded as a normal satellite tracking event and not considered an unidentified phenomenon. The detailed description and precise location of the event are key to understanding why it was classified as a satellite and not a UFO.

The exact location of the sighting was at coordinates 15.34N 100.48W in the Pacific, and the report includes data such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, and the object's direction. The crew of the USS Marysville reported the event to the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, who classified it as a satellite. Despite many space projects being active at the time, this case did not generate controversy or was considered an unexplained phenomenon. Today, reviewing this document allows us to appreciate how the military already had established methods to evaluate sky observations and differentiate between known objects and unidentified phenomena.