📅 Overview
Between 1948 and 1950, 209 sightings of unidentified objects were concentrated over Sandia Base in New Mexico, which was at the time the principal U.S. nuclear stockpile storage facility. Joint investigation by the U.S. Air Force, Edward Teller, and Los Alamos scientists reached no conclusion.
On May 22, 2026, the PURSUE Phase 2 release included DOW-UAP-D017 (National Archives case NW 91526, Sandia Base General Correspondence, Folder 333) — a 116-page document.
🔍 Details
- Location: Sandia Base, New Mexico — the principal U.S. nuclear stockpile storage facility in 1949
- Period: ~2-year concentrated burst, 1948-1950
- Sightings: 209 cumulative reports
- Object appearance: green orbs, discs, fireballs
- Behavior:
- Regular flyovers around the nuclear facility
- Some sightings formed a "rough circle"
- Speeds and altitudes inconsistent with conventional aircraft
🛂 Joint Investigation
The investigative team is what makes this case stand out:
- Edward Teller — father of the hydrogen bomb, Los Alamos scientist
- Los Alamos scientists — Manhattan Project core
- U.S. Air Force investigators
- U.S. government treated this as a nuclear-facility security threat
Conclusion: "Cannot definitively identify; investigation closed."
🔬 Physical Evidence
Unusually, residual copper powder was found at some sighting sites. The origin of the copper powder remains unidentified.
🤔 Open Questions
- Why were U.S. nuclear weapons storage facilities specifically targeted for surveillance?
- What's the source of the residual copper powder? (What propulsion or thrust system leaves copper dust?)
- Was this a potential threat to the 1949 U.S. nuclear stockpile?
- Why did reports drop sharply after 1950?
📺 Significance
- One of PURSUE Phase 2's most historically valuable documents
- Clear evidence linking early-Cold-War U.S. nuclear security to UAP
- Began the year after Roswell 1947 → government's serious investigation during Cold War UFO panic
- Analysis by WARUFO, Political Saucer, Zambian Observer, official Pentagon press release
📂 Self-Hosted Material
- DOW-UAP-D017 PDF (68 MB, 116 pages) —
/uap/pursue/pdfs/dow-uap-d017_general_correspondence_of_sandia.pdf - 50 extracted images —
/uap/pursue/captures/release_02/dow-uap-d017_*.webp
