Transcript of Frank Borman's "Bogey" Sighting During Gemini 7 (GT-7/6)

Source file: 255_t_763_r1b_transcripts.pdf Originating agency: NASA (Record Group 255) Date range: December 1965 (GT-7/6 mission) Page count: 4 (all read) High-significance pages: 1, 2, 3, 4

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Official Blurb (from war.gov)

Gemini 7 was the tenth crewed American spaceflight. This document is a transcript of communications between the flight crew, Astronauts James "Jim" Lovell and Frank Borman, and the Manned Flight Center (now known as Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas. The transcript begins with Borman's report of a "bogey," contemporary nomenclature for an unknown aircraft, as well as a debris field. Borman described the debris field as consisting of "very, very many [...] hundreds of little particles." He estimated the particles' distance from the spacecraft to be four miles. Lovell described observing a "brilliant body in the sun against a black background with trillions of particles on it." This document also includes handwritten notes documenting the encounter, annotated with the phrase "UFO Sighting by Borman" in the top right corner.

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Summary

This document is a transcript of Tape T-00763 (R1b), prepared by NASA's Public Affairs Officer (P.A.O.) as part of the "public release interpretation" of the Gemini GT-7/6 flight. It contains the original radio exchanges between the Gemini 7 crew and Mission Control in Houston, including a real-time description of an unidentified object reported by Astronaut Frank Borman. The tape exists in two versions: a typed transcript and a handwritten version bearing the header "UFO SIGHTING BY BORMAN (GT-7)."

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Research Article

Introduction

In December 1965, as Gemini 7 orbited Earth, one of the most thoroughly documented events in the history of the American space program took place: Astronaut Frank Borman reported, for the first time in real-time radio contact with Mission Control, a "bogey" — a military term for an unidentified object — observed at ten o'clock high. The radio exchange was broadcast live, recorded, and subsequently released to the public as part of an official NASA interpretation. This document is the transcript of that tape, including handwritten annotations that affirm the encounter's nature: "UFO Sighting by Borman, GT-7."

The Mission: Gemini 7 and Gemini 6

Mission GT-7/6 — Gemini 7 and Gemini 6 — was one of the most important missions in NASA's Gemini program. Gemini 7, crewed by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, launched on December 4, 1965, and lasted approximately 14 days. During the mission the first orbital rendezvous in history between two crewed spacecraft was achieved. Early in the flight — approximately 4 hours and 24 minutes after launch — Borman reported an unusual observation.

The Radio Exchange: Analyzing the Dialogue

The transcript opens with a statement by NASA's Public Affairs Officer:

"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"

Even in the introduction, NASA distinguishes two separate categories of observation: particles and an unidentified object. This distinction is significant — it shows that NASA personnel themselves did not attribute Borman's report to an optical illusion or ordinary particles.

The dialogue itself:

Borman: "GEMINI-7 HERE HOUSTON — HOW DO YOU READ?"

Houston: "LOUD AND CLEAR SEVEN — GO AHEAD."

Borman: "A BOGEY AT TEN O'CLOCK HIGH."

Houston: "THIS IS HOUSTON, SAY AGAIN SEVEN?"

Borman: "I SAID WE HAVE A BOGEY AT TEN O'CLOCK HIGH."

Houston: "ROGER. GEMINI-7 IS THAT THE BOOSTER OR IS THAT A NATURAL SIGHTING?"

Borman: "A WHAT?"

Borman's response — "A WHAT?" — to the question of whether this was a "natural sighting" is one of the most telling moments in the transcript. He sounds genuinely surprised by the question itself. He then clarifies:

Borman: "WE HAVE DEBRIS UP HERE — THIS IS AN ACTUAL SIGHTING."

Borman labels what he sees as "debris" but insists it is "an actual sighting." He also reports the booster (the rocket's propulsion stage) as visible in his field of view.

Three Objects Simultaneously

What distinguishes this report is that Borman and Lovell are describing three categories of objects simultaneously:

1. The bogey — an unidentified object at ten o'clock high
2. The booster — the rocket stage that separated from the spacecraft
3. Particles — hundreds of small bodies

Borman describes the particles:

Borman: "WE HAVE VERY, VERY MANY A — IT LOOKS LIKE HUNDREDS OF LITTLE PARTICLES GOING BY TO THE LEFT OUT ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MILES."

Jim Lovell, confirming the observation from his side, adds:

Lovell: "ROGER. I HAVE THE BOOSTER ON MY SIDE. ITS A BRILLIANT BODY IN THE SUN AGAINST A BLACK BACKGROUND WITH TRILLIONS OF PARTICLES ON IT."

Houston: "ROGER WHAT DIRECTION IS IT FROM YOU?"

Lovell: "ITS ABOUT AT MY TWO O'CLOCK POSITION."

Houston: "DOES THAT MEAN ITS AHEAD OF YOU?"

Lovell: "ITS AHEAD OF US AT TWO O'CLOCK, SLOWLY TUMBLING"

NASA's Clarification After the Report

Following the exchange, the Public Affairs Officer returns and clarifies:

"THIS IS GEMINI CONTROL AGAIN THE REFERENCE IN THAT CONVERSATION TO THE THIRD AND UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT OF COURSE WAS OR THE THIRD OBJECT WAS A [BOGEY]. THERE WERE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO THE BOGEY. AT 4 Hrs 24 MIN INTO THE FLIGHT THIS IS GEMINI CONTROL."

And on the fourth page, in handwritten text, the following is added:

"there were several references to the bogey — this is the unidentified object in addition to the particles which appears to be headed in a polar orbit... it was Borman who reported sighting the bogey — this is Gemini Control in Houston at 4 hrs 24 min into the flight."

The P.A.O. draws a clear distinction between the booster — described by Lovell — and the "bogey," the third and unidentified object specifically reported by Borman.

Significance of the Document

This document is exceptional for several reasons.

First, it constitutes an official NASA record in which astronauts, in real time over an official radio channel, report an unidentified object in space. Second, NASA's own Public Affairs Officer chose to release the tape to the public while explicitly stating that it "contains references to sighting... an unidentified object." Third, the handwritten header "UFO SIGHTING BY BORMAN" illustrates that even within NASA's own internal structure, agency personnel tagged this report as a "UFO" — not as an explained natural phenomenon. Fourth, the timing: the report occurs 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight, while the spacecraft was still in a relatively low orbit.

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Key People

Frank Borman — Commander of Gemini 7 and the astronaut who reported the "bogey." Borman was a former Air Force officer and a senior NASA astronaut. He is best known as Commander of Apollo 8 — the first mission to orbit the Moon.

Jim Lovell — Pilot of Gemini 7; confirmed observation of the booster and described "trillions of particles." Lovell is also well known as Commander of Apollo 13.

P.A.O. (Public Affairs Officer) — the NASA officer who guided the tape's interpretation for the press and public.

Mission Control, Houston — the CapCom (Capsule Communicator) who spoke with the crew is not identified by name in the transcript.

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Locations

• Gemini 7 (spacecraft) — low Earth orbit (LEO)
• Manned Flight Center, Houston, Texas — mission control center

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Incidents

Incident	Date	Location	Pages
Borman reports "bogey" at ten o'clock high	4 hours 24 minutes into flight (December 1965)	Gemini 7 orbit	1, 2
Lovell describes the booster and "trillions of particles"	Same time	Gemini 7 orbit	1, 3
P.A.O. clarifies that the third object was an unidentified "bogey"	After the report (press release)	Mission Control, Houston	1, 3, 4
Handwritten label "UFO SIGHTING BY BORMAN (GT-7)" added to tape	At tape archiving	NASA archive	2

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Notable Quotes

"A BOGEY AT TEN O'CLOCK HIGH." — page 1, Borman's initial report

"I SAID WE HAVE A BOGEY AT TEN O'CLOCK HIGH." — page 1, Borman repeating the report after Mission Control requests confirmation

"WE HAVE DEBRIS UP HERE — THIS IS AN ACTUAL SIGHTING." — page 1, Borman emphasizing the observation is real

"IT CONTAINS REFERENCES TO SIGHTING NOT ONLY SOME PARTICLES BUT AS WELL AS AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT" — page 1, NASA P.A.O. statement before playing the tape

"ITS A BRILLIANT BODY IN THE SUN AGAINST A BLACK BACKGROUND WITH TRILLIONS OF PARTICLES ON IT." — page 1, Lovell describing the booster

"ITS AHEAD OF US AT TWO O'CLOCK, SLOWLY TUMBLING" — page 1, Lovell on the direction and motion of the object

"THE THIRD AND UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT OF COURSE WAS... A BOGEY. THERE WERE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO THE BOGEY." — page 1, Mission Control confirming the third object was an unidentified bogey

"UFO SIGHTING BY BORMAN (GT-7)" — page 2, handwritten header on the tape

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Tape running time: 5 minutes 34 seconds