Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
thilty U,S. and Russian astronauts spent. a total of 2,503 hours in
orbit. The Colorado projt'ct was fortunate in that Dr. Franklin Hoach.
one of tht' principal ill\cstigators, has workc:J doscly with the astro-
naut prog1'ami)\ eonncct ion wi th tht'i r vi o.;U;l) o\1::e rvat ions and so was
already quite familIar \vith what they had seen anu also was able to
conduct further intcrvit'ws with several of tnf:IT1 on the basis of close
personal ;1cq1.lailltances already establisheu.
Roach presents ;1 detai led account of what they saw as related to
the UFO quest ion in Sect i on I I I, Chapter CJ. Nothi ng WriS seen that
could be constnlC'J as ~l "fl)ing saucer" or manned vehicle from outer
Sp8~C. Some things were seen that were Identified as debris fr0m
rrCV10JS spact' experiments. Tht'cc slghtings th,n are described in
uet ai 1 rcmtli n qu i tc uniJent i Heel and are. !i,oach says. "a challenge to
the analyst."
Roach cmphasi zes that the condi tions for simple vi sUed observation
of objects n0ar the satellite arc not as good as might be naively
supposed, I\s he d0:"Cl'ibcs them, "The conditions under which astronCluts
nlade their observations are similar to those which would be encountered
by one or two persons in the front scat of a small car having no side
or Tear h'indows and a p:lrtially covered, very smudged windshield."
~orenver, the astronauts were kept occupied with other observntions and
a..:tivities during their flight and ~;o did not have extended periods of
1ime ill which to '':OI1Ct'ntJ'ate on visual ob:-crvation "f their surroundings.
'11t'st of the availahle> visu,d ohs('l'vati()l1s thforc have to be regarded
as a h>' product ratl)('1' than " prImary purpose of the program in which
thc\' wel'C l'n~a~l'J.
The conclusion is tl"It nothing definitc' relating to the 1:']'11 aspect
(,r UFUs has \1l>CI1 cst ~11J \ i shed :IS " fC'sul t of t 11\";e rather sl'ornJi c
n!Jsel'Vatl0I\S,
Opinilm I'dls an' \~iJl'1y cl1lploYl'd n(\wi\(lays to IIIt'USurc puhlic
attitudes (1) various important anJ triVial issues. It is nutural
59
thiJty U,S, and kusstan astronauts spent a totnl of 2,503 hours in
orbit, The Coloradc) projt'.:t W,lS fortuJlntc in that Ilr. Franklin Hoach,
one of the prindp,ll 1Il\cstig,ltors, has worked ,~losely with the astro-
naut program.ill COllllel;tion with their vl S\J;1 I ob::erv:.ltions and so was
already quite f'CTC SE'('J1 that wcre dcnti fi ed ;1 during th' product 1'<lt1)('1' than " primary purpose of 1hl' I'l'r)gl'am in which
they \\'l'l'(, enga).!cd,
Till' c()l\clu~i()l1 is tll,lt Jlothing definitl' I'elating to till' 1:'1'11 a~p('ct
Ill' UHls has becn l'5t ,lid i Shl'd :\s ;! r('~ul t of t !w',c rather sporadi c
llbscn'(lt 11lllS,
1() , I'ub 1i c t\ t t : t lid . ~', '1'(11,;1 I'd Ui;Os
Opilllc1ll pclls arc IviJl'1y ellll' loyl' II [lllwatiays to Illcasurc puhli(:
attitudes (1) \'ari()\.1~ importallt anti trivial issllcs. It is nutural
59 Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.