White UFO seen in May 1964 over the Pacific

Summary

In May 1964, a pilot reported a white object the size of a first magnitude star crossing the sky over the Pacific in eight minutes. The object moved from Dubhe to Polaris at a very high altitude. The sighting was recorded at coordinates 30.20N 176.00W, and although balloon, aircraft, or astronomical explanations were considered, it was ultimately confirmed to be the ECHO I satellite.

The description of the event was brief and precise, with no photos or detailed evaluation. The report was distributed to multiple military and intelligence agencies, including CINCPAC and NORAD. Despite the lack of additional data, the case was closed with the conclusion that the observed object was the ECHO I satellite, indicating that the observation did not raise significant concerns among experts at the time.