Page 18 of Flying Saucers Magazine - June 1960

MYSTERY SATELLITE

SNAFU

On February 24, 1960, the Defense Department announced that Americans could relax-the "mystery satellite" was no longer a mystery, but was the Discoverer V capsule, and thus was "one of ours". Nothing could be farther from the truth, as the following facts will show. And since it is untrue, it seems to be about time for all readers of FLYING SAUCERS to write their Congressmen and demand an investigation. Contrary to the Air Force Manual, which states: "Another foolish remark often heard is that Americans have a right to know what's going on. Most people realize the foolhardiness of such a suggestion." the citizens of this country DO have a right to know what Is going on, PARTICULARLY when, as we show here, they are being MISLED.

For the purposes of this article, we will refer first to an article printed in the February, 1959 Issue of FLYING SAUCERS concerning a giant Russian reconnaissance satellite which had been observed from early July, 1957, not only by your editor, but by astronomers the world over, particularly Italian astronomers, who were first to publish their suspicions that a "mystery" satellite was circling the globe. In this article, we reported truthfully that the Air Force at Cape Canaveral had on September, 24, 1958, picked up a three-hour-long signal on a frequency used by the Soviets but not the U.S., indicating a satellite (specifically of the reconnaissance type because of its orbit) at a height of 22,0110 miles.

Since that date, no less than five different such "mystery" satellites have been variously reported, not officially, but by unofficial sources. Whether or not these reports can be substantiated is a moot question, but some of them come from socalled "unimpeachable" - sources.

However, at least one report is official, and that is the report by the Defense Department on February 10, 1960, that a mystery satellite in a polar orbit, which "may be of Soviet origin," had been "recently discovered."

Let's analyze the reports as they were issued: The first report said the satellite was about 19 feet long, and weighed possibly 32,000 pounds. This was hastily withdrawn, to be replaced by a size estimate of "as big as an oil truck," or maybe even bigger. Another report said that the Defense Department had knowledge of this object (by radar tracking, etc.) for "several months" prior to publicizing it. An immediately following report changed this to "several weeks." The final report on actual dates gives us August 13! For a time It was suggested that this object might be the last rocket stage of Lunik III, but this was recanted when somebody pointed out that Lunik III had been launched on October 4, 1959.

Finally on February 24, 1960, the following Announcement was made "official." ft was released by the Defense Department: "The mysterious object recently discovered in polar orbit around the earth probably is the capsule of the Discoverer V space vehicle launched by the United States last August 13. On the basis of analysis to date, it is believed this vehicle most probably is the ejected recovery capsule of Discoverer V launched into polar orbit in August. The refined analysis of radar returns, the Defense Department said, now indicates the mystery object is about 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet long, the size of the Discoverer V capsule. The capsule separated from its launcher August 14 according to radio telemetry information (received from the carrier rocket)."

The facts concerning Discoverer V are as follows: It was launched August 13, 1959. It fell to earth September 28, 1959. Its "payload," which weighed 450 pounds, was detached from the carrier rocket. on August 14, planned to descend to earth in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, where an Air-Force-Navy combined task force was to either catch it in midair as it parachuted down, or failing that, rescue it from the sea. No sign of the released capsule was detected, either from its radio, its signal lights, or by radarobservation, or visually. Its ejection toward earth was definitely signaled by the telemetry mechanism in the carrier rocket.

Since the nose cone was a portion of the rocket as placed in orbit, its fall could not have been later than the fall of its parent rocket, which occurred on September 28, yet we are informed that by some incredible impossibility, it is still in orbit, although thousands of miles from its original polar orbit, on February 24, 1960!

Even if we allow this preposterous explanation to stand, where are we going to get-"missing" Discoverer capsules to account for the (at least) four other mystery objects whizzing about this planet? According to the director of the "Moonwatch" team, this is a fact.

In all this confusion, it seem, significant that the Russians have not made any claim to either this particular mystery object, or to any others. Even when the Defense Department was claiming that the mystery satellite was the Russian Lunik III, or a moon probe that went awry and thus was not announced, the Russians made no effort to make propaganda capital of the mystery satellites.

Whatever the nationality of the. mysterious orbiting objects, by what stretch of "security" can their presence, which Is easily detectible by even inexperienced "moonwatch" teams, be kept secret from the American Public? There has been entirely too much of the Air Force Manual type of opinion of the man-inthe-street which paints him as being "foolish," and worse, has no right to know! By the Constitution. and the Bill of Rights, he DOES have the right to know.

It seems to be a fact, admitted by the Defense Department, that it actually believes this mystery objet, to be their own lost Discoverer V capsule (to infer otherwise is to infer that the Department is deliberately misinforming the public), ant since this cannot be true, it is vital matter to the citizens of the country to know that they are no, being served by the agencies of defense as we have a right to expect they shall serve us! If, the Defense Department is unaware of the other mystery satellites aloft, then it is even more incompetent. Do Americans have a right to know such facts? Of course they do! It is vital to our survival to KNOW that we have competent defenders. If we have incompetent defenders, keeping that knowledge from us is traitorous.

The whole business of flying saucers, mystery satellites, our position in the space age, demands that the citizens of this country insist that a full investigation be made by Congress, and that Congress make a full report to the people of their findings, and their recommendations as to what should be done about it.

Most fantastic of all is the February 24, 1960 Air Force order to its personnel to "treat sightings of unidentified flying objects as serious business directly related to the nation's defense." The order was issued by the Air Force inspector general. This, in the face of thirteen years of consistent denial by that same Air Force that there actually is such a thing as an unidentified flying object, specifically termed U.F.O., or "flying saucer."

It is time for the truth to be brought out in open congressional hearing!

THE END