Project Blue Book Status Report Number Eight
12/31/1952
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Project Bluebook was the codename for the most well known of the U.S. Air Force's investigations into UFOs. Periodically, Project Bluebook staff created reports summarizing the most recent sightings around the country.
During the Cold War in 1952, fearful that the objects might be secret weapons by the Soviet Union, the Federal Government established Project Blue Book to collect and evaluate UFO data. Project Blue Book was actually the third in a series of studies on UFOs conducted by the Air Force, preceded by Project Sign (1947–49) and Project Grudge (1949–52).
Although officials were generally confident that the objects were simply known objects that couldn't 100% be identified, they didn't rule out the possibility of extraterrestrial phenomena. This omission led some members of the public to believe UFOs were signs of extraterrestrial life. As a result, civilians made tens of thousands of reports to Project Blue Book personnel claiming to have seen a UFO.
In 1968, the University of Colorado UFO Project, better known as the Condon Committee, released a report claiming that very little of substance had come from the Air Force’s study of UFOs. The committee argued that continued study of UFO sightings was unwarranted and called for Project Blue Book to be discontinued. The Air Force issued a termination order for the study in December 1969, and all activity officially ceased in January 1970.
During the Cold War in 1952, fearful that the objects might be secret weapons by the Soviet Union, the Federal Government established Project Blue Book to collect and evaluate UFO data. Project Blue Book was actually the third in a series of studies on UFOs conducted by the Air Force, preceded by Project Sign (1947–49) and Project Grudge (1949–52).
Although officials were generally confident that the objects were simply known objects that couldn't 100% be identified, they didn't rule out the possibility of extraterrestrial phenomena. This omission led some members of the public to believe UFOs were signs of extraterrestrial life. As a result, civilians made tens of thousands of reports to Project Blue Book personnel claiming to have seen a UFO.
In 1968, the University of Colorado UFO Project, better known as the Condon Committee, released a report claiming that very little of substance had come from the Air Force’s study of UFOs. The committee argued that continued study of UFO sightings was unwarranted and called for Project Blue Book to be discontinued. The Air Force issued a termination order for the study in December 1969, and all activity officially ceased in January 1970.
This primary source comes from the Records of Headquarters U.S. Air Force (Air Staff).
National Archives Identifier: 595507
Full Citation: Project Blue Book Status Report Number Eight; 12/31/1952; Status Reports and Special Reports; Project Blue Book Administrative Files, 1947 - 1969; Records of Headquarters U.S. Air Force (Air Staff), Record Group 341; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/project-blue-book-status-report-number-eight, June 14, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
