FOIA: Patrick AFB air sampling - 22 Sep 1979 Vela satellite alert and beyond

NARRATIVE_MAY_17_1982.pdf
Patrick AFB air sampling - 22 Sep 1979 Vela satellite alert and beyond
A report on the history of the Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick Air Force Base concerning air sampling in support of nuclear test monitoring from 1979 and 1980.
Document date: 1980-05-17
Department: USAF Technical Applications, Patrick AFB
Author: Gerald S. Wright, Center Historian
Document type: report
pages: 9


Archivist's Notes: Fair quality report. 'Secret' classification crossed out. Many blacked out areas labeled 'non-responsive'. Part of a 113 page report.

Military Report dated 17th May 1982. 9 pages.
Title: History of the Air Force Technical Applications Center Patrick Air Force Base, Florida 1 January 1979 – 31 December 1980.

Pdf pg 2 & 3 has the Table of Contents. Some are blacked out…

Pdf.pg 5 mentioned that sampling aircraft flew 25 sorties totaling 230.4 hours between 22 september to 29 october 1979. Further on the page the report stated ‘…it was probably non-nuclear and more likely of an unknown natural origin.’

Note: Other related reports stated that no environmental samples could be collected (that was so vital for definite confirmation of the source). See AD_HOC_REPORT - this is mentioned on page 16 in report.
How could this be possible if this document shows that 25 'sorties' were sent out and 230 flying hours completed to collect data.

Pdf.pg7 states that event 747 “brought to light AFTAC’s meager resources in that area of the world. This generated high-level interest in the AEDS program and a reevaluation of the system to improve coverage in the Southern Hemisphere. The outcome of this reevaluation was a decision to activate a southern United States station near Alpine, Texas, set up a Southern Hemisphere Network, and install a borehole seismometer at the South Pole station. These projects were collectively called the Auxiliary Seismic Network.”

Pdf.pg8 has a full-page table titled:...Detected Nuclear Events 1 Jan 79-31 Dec 80.
Event 747 is the only line still readable and is listed 2nd from the bottom of the page. This is the register of Sorties flown and Hours flown which was mentioned and match the data on pg 5.

Large quantities of the information on this document are blacked out and labeled ‘non-responsive’. In this report, it appears the information was blacked out for the purpose of using this report’s information expressly for event 747 investigations.

Personal thoughts:
Event 747 made it possible to attract funding for the Auxiliary Seismic Network. Could this have been intentional? The inconclusive nature of this event was a perfect ‘spring board’ to have more extensive dominance in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why did this particular event (if true) cause so much attention/research when over thousands of nuclear tests had already been done in the world by that time?

[edited to get rid of the 'grinning emoticon'
- better not start a D-word after the colon]


[edit on 24-11-2007 by frozen_snowman]

There is not much surviving information from this document. Most of it is blacked out and labeled "Non-Responsive", which is the first time I've seen that. Again there is not much to say after the Ice Man has done his work and covered it well.

The stated conclusion is that it was not nuclear event, but something tells me this didn't satisfy the interested parties.

The stated conclusion is that it was NOT nuclear event

I remember exactly where I was when information on this event went public.
And still after 37 years, many people can not see the forest because of the trees.

www.politico.com...

All of the answers are plain sight and all that's needed, is revealed in the information that has been made public.

Buck

originally posted by: frozen_snowman
Military Report dated 17th May 1982. 9 pages.
Title: History of the Air Force Technical Applications Center Patrick Air Force Base, Florida 1 January 1979 – 31 December 1980.

Pdf pg 2 & 3 has the Table of Contents. Some are blacked out…

Pdf.pg 5 mentioned that sampling aircraft flew 25 sorties totaling 230.4 hours between 22 september to 29 october 1979. Further on the page the report stated ‘…it was probably non-nuclear and more likely of an unknown natural origin.’

Note: Other related reports stated that no environmental samples could be collected (that was so vital for definite confirmation of the source). See AD_HOC_REPORT - this is mentioned on page 16 in report shell shockers 2.
How could this be possible if this document shows that 25 'sorties' were sent out and 230 flying hours completed to collect data.

Pdf.pg7 states that event 747 “brought to light AFTAC’s meager resources in that area of the world. This generated high-level interest in the AEDS program and a reevaluation of the system to improve coverage in the Southern Hemisphere. The outcome of this reevaluation was a decision to activate a southern United States station near Alpine, Texas, set up a Southern Hemisphere Network, and install a borehole seismometer at the South Pole station. These projects were collectively called the Auxiliary Seismic Network.”

Pdf.pg8 has a full-page table titled:...Detected Nuclear Events 1 Jan 79-31 Dec 80.
Event 747 is the only line still readable and is listed 2nd from the bottom of the page. This is the register of Sorties flown and Hours flown which was mentioned and match the data on pg 5.

Large quantities of the information on this document are blacked out and labeled ‘non-responsive’. In this report, it appears the information was blacked out for the purpose of using this report’s information expressly for event 747 investigations.

Personal thoughts:
Event 747 made it possible to attract funding for the Auxiliary Seismic Network. Could this have been intentional? The inconclusive nature of this event was a perfect ‘spring board’ to have more extensive dominance in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why did this particular event (if true) cause so much attention/research when over thousands of nuclear tests had already been done in the world by that time?

[edited to get rid of the 'grinning emoticon'
- better not start a D-word after the colon]


[edit on 24-11-2007 by frozen_snowman]

I agree with you, in your document, the large quantities are blacked out.

SPAM