Project BLUE BOOK (March 1952–December 1969)

Background of the Project

Project BLUE BOOK was established in March 1952 by Major General Charles P. Cabell, Director of Intelligence for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, Project BLUE BOOK became the longest-running investigation into UFO phenomena. It was led by several directors over its duration, including Capt Edward J. Ruppelt (formerly of Project GRUDGE), Capt Charles Hardin, Capt George T. Gregory, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Roger J. Friend, and Lt Col Hector Quintanilla, Jr. During its operation, the USAF recorded 12,618 UFO sightings from 1947 to 1969. J. Allen Hynek served as the chief scientific investigator for the project.

Project BLUE BOOK classified cases into three categories: identified, insufficient data, and unidentified. For cases categorized as identified, the project used the following schema:

• Astronomical Sightings: Bright stars, planets, comets, meteors, and other celestial objects were often mistaken for UFOs, especially under conditions that obscured their true nature, such as haze or moving clouds. Planets like Venus, Jupiter, and Mars were frequently misidentified.

• Balloons: Weather balloons, radiosondes, and large research balloons contributed to numerous UFO reports. These balloons could reflect sunlight in ways that created unusual visual effects, especially at dawn and sunset, and could travel at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour in high-altitude wind streams.

• Aircraft: UFO reports were often attributed to aircraft, particularly under adverse weather conditions. At high altitudes and distances, sunlight reflections on aircraft surfaces could make them appear as "disc" or "rocket-shaped" objects. Additionally, vapor trails from jet aircraft might appear to glow or take on unusual colors.

• Afterburners: Bright flames from jet aircraft afterburners were sometimes reported as UFOs due to their visibility from great distances when the aircraft itself was not.

Other explanations included stellar mirages, satellites, missiles, reflections, searchlights, birds, kites, false radar indications, fireworks, flares, and some confirmed hoaxes.

In December 1969, Secretary of the Air Force Robert C. Seamans, Jr., announced the termination of Project BLUE BOOK. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has since partnered with the U.S. National Archives to review the extensive records from Project BLUE BOOK, which encompass 7,252 files and a total of 65,778 digital records. These files primarily consist of USAF documentation, with a few cases containing media clippings and images.

Results

Project BLUE BOOK concluded that:

• No UFO cases investigated by the USAF posed a threat to national security.

• There was no evidence to suggest that sightings represented technological advancements or principles beyond contemporary scientific understanding.

• There was no proof that sightings categorized as unidentified were “extraterrestrial vehicles.”

• Out of the 12,618 sightings reviewed, 701 remained unresolved and were categorized as unidentified.

Reference: The Department of Defense All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office. (2024, February). Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). Volume I.

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