Echo 1 : A Track in the Sky

Some of the early sightings are explained as sightings of Echo 1 (post August 1960) or "similar satellites" (usually unnamed but Discover XVI and Kappa are two names mentioned usually in reentry mode).

Having watched satellites and even the International Space Station journey across the skies, I was intrigued on how the descriptions given by witnesses of what they saw would jibe with a visual track of ECHO 1.  I searched for videos and photographs capturing the epic journey - the orbits and tracks were printed in newspapers and people often went out to watch for satellites. Man Blue Book reports reflect sightings by people who had gone out to do just that and saw a far more interesting object in the skies.

Finally, I found a clipping showing what people would have seen in watching ECHO 1 course overhead. The image - taken in time lapse mode - shows the movement track as one long glowing line slashing across the skies far, far overhead (1,000 mile high orbit).

When fully expanded in it would tower some nine stories tall. Very visible, very predictable and very steady movement across the skies looking like a larger star like object - as all satellites do.

Yet, some reports used ECHO 1 to rationalize what people reported (see previous article this blog)