SPACE OBJECT REPORTED IN CAPE PROVINCE (1975, Refers to STATE A-6343 OF JULY 25, 1973).

[Terry W. Colvin]

R 060857Z AUG 75 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2420
INFO AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
BT
UNCLAS LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PRETORIA 2947 PASS NASA
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: PFOR, PINR, TSPA, UN, SF
SUBJ: SPACE OBJECT REPORTED IN CAPE PROVINCE
REF: STATE A-6343 (JULY 25, 1973)
1. EMBASSY HAS RECEIVED FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM CONGEN CAPETOWN.
QTE.
1. CAPE TOWN WEEK-END PRESS REPORTED METALLIC SPHERE CRASHED TO
EARTH, JULY 29, ON FARM NEAR JOUBERTINA, CAPE PROVINCE. ACCORDING
TO REPORTS, FARMERS IN AREA STATE THAT SPHERE FELL AFTER SEVERAL
BRIGHT UFO'S HAD BEEN SPOTTED STREAKING ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY AND
THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN MADE OF VERY HARD METAL AND FALLEN FROM
GREAT HEIGHT BECAUSE IT SHATTERED A BOULDER ON IMPACT AND WAS
ONLY SLIGHTLY DENTED. OBJECT IS DESCRIBED AS 13 KG BALL, 67 CM
IN DIAMETER WITH GAPING HOLE AT ONE END AND PIPE-LIKE PROTRUSION
AT OTHER. SHELL HAS UNIDENTIFIED "FAINT LETTERING". PRESS REPORTS
OBJECT HANDED OVER TO SECURITY POLICE AT OUDTSHOORN WHO WERE
AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS FROM PRETORIA.
2. ACCORDING TO WEEK-END ARGUS, OBJECT IS ALMOST EXACT REPLICA
OF FOUR SPHERES RECOVERED IN 1963 NEAR NOUPOORT THAT WERE
IDENTIFIED AS PARTS OF OXYGEN TANKS OF BOOSTER ROCKET THAT PUT
JOHN GLENN INTO ORBIT.
3. CAPE TIMES, AUGUST 5, REPORTS INTERVIEW WITH DR. ARTHUR BLEKSLEY,
"WELL-KNOWN SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHORITY ON SPACE EXPLORATION", IN WHICH
HE DOES NOT THINK OBJECT IS PART OF BOOSTER ROCKET BECAUSE THESE
PARTS RETURN TO EARTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER LAUNCHING AND HE IS NOT
AWARE OF ANY ROCKET LAUNCHINGS IN IMMEDIATE PAST.
UNQTE.
2. EMBOFFS HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. FRANK HEWITT, DEPUTY
PRESIDENT SA COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (CSIR) FOR
FRIDAY AUG.8. IT WILL BE RECALLED CSIR WAS SUBCONTRACTOR OPERATING
NASA TRACKING FACILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA.
3. ACTION REQUESTED: PLEASE LET US HAVE ANY NASA INSTRUCTIONS
PRIOR TO THIS CALL.
BOWDLER
BT