Video · 5 December 1965

Gemini 7: Frank Borman reports a “bogey at 10 o'clock high”, 5 December 1965 (NASA audio, NASA-UAP-D003A)

NASA via DVIDS, PURSUE release 01 · 5 December 1965 · 6 min · Watch the original

NASA's air-to-ground and public affairs audio from Gemini 7, released in PURSUE release 01: four hours into the flight, Frank Borman reports a “bogey” at ten o'clock high, which he distinguishes from the spent booster, then a stream of small particles a few miles off; Jim Lovell describes the booster tumbling in the sunlight. The NASA commentator calls the bogey an unidentified object. Neither the crew nor NASA identifies it on the tape.

Source: NASA, released by the Department of War in PURSUE (NASA-UAP-D003A), via DVIDS. Whisper transcript.

Key moments

  1. 0:00 Gemini Control's commentator introduces the tape: at the start of the second revolution, near Antigua, the crew had reported “several objects”; a line breakdown had kept it from the press until now.
  2. 0:46 Frank Borman: Borman: “We have a bogey at 10 o'clock high.”
  3. 1:33 Frank Borman: Houston asks: “Gemini 7, is that the booster or is that an actual sighting?” The answer: “actual sighting”; the crew also have the booster in sight, and “very, very many, looks like hundreds of little particles going by the left out about three to four miles”.
  4. 3:13 Jim Lovell: Lovell on the booster: “It's a brilliant body of the sun against the black background”, with “brilliant particles around it”, at his 2 o'clock position.
  5. 5:38 The commentator sums up: the “bogey” was an unidentified object, in addition to particles apparently in a polar orbit and the booster; “It was Borman who reported, sighting the bogey.”

Transcript

From machine transcription (Whisper); names and terms may be misspelled. Check the original video before quoting.

0:00 Chairman Control here again. Earlier in the flight, you'll recall, at the start of the second revolution, we had a reference to several objects that the crew spotted. This was in the area of Antigua. Due to a mechanical breakdown, we did not have that portion of the tape available for you. This was a line breakdown between Building 30 and our new center, Building 6. Since then, we have dubbed the tape off the master tape here in the control center, and we are now prepared to play it for you. It contains references to sighting not only some particles, but as well as an unidentified object, plus the booster. Here's that tape. We'll play it for you now. This is Houston. Say again, 7. We have a bogey at 10 o'clock high. Roger.

1:00 Houston. I have a bogey at 10 o'clock high. This is Houston. Say again, 7. We have a bogey at 10 o'clock high. Roger. This is Houston. Say again, 7. We have a bogey at 10 o'clock high. Roger. This is Houston. Say again 7. We have a bogey at 10 o'clock time. Gemini 7, is that the booster or is that an actual sighting? No one. Say again 7. Roger, we have several, looks like three up here, actual sighting. Do you have any more information, estimated distance or size? Roger, we also have the booster in sight. I understand you also have the booster in sight, Roger. We have very, very many, looks like hundreds

2:03 of little particles going by the left out about three to four miles. Roger. I understand you have many small particles going by on the left at what distance? I understand they're about three to four miles away. They're past now, they're going to pull around them. Roger. And I understand they were about three to four miles away. Were these particles in addition to the booster and the bogey at 10 o'clock high?

3:05 10 o'clock high. Roger. 7, this is 7. Go ahead. I have the booster on my side. It's a brilliant body of the sun against the black background. There's a brilliant particles around it. Roger. What direction is it from you? It's about at my 2 o'clock position. Does that mean it's ahead of you? It's ahead of us to a clock. Slowly doubling. Roger.

4:05 4S-9-1. 0-FOX-91. 0-FOX-91-Sagan.

5:24 Show me control here again. The reference in that conversation to the third unidentified object, of course, was, or the third object, was the bogey. There were several references to the bogey. This is the unidentified object in addition to particles which appear to be headed in a polar orbit, you heard Frank Borman say, plus Jim Lowell discussing the booster. It was Borman who reported, sighting the bogey. This is Gemini Control in Houston at 4 hours, 24 minutes into the flight.

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