DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

AFCIN-1A

INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 4

SUBJECT: (U) MOON DUST Reporting

TO: All Air Force Collection Activities

25 April 1

1. PURPOSE

This letter provides instructions and guidance for reporting information in response to MOON DUST Alerts*

2. APPLICABILITY

This letter is applicable world-wide for initiative reporting.

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3. REFERENCE

Priority Air Intelligence Requirement (PAIR-1F).

4. BACKGROUND

Based on estimates of the time and place of foreign earth satellite vehicle (ESV) atmospheric re-entries, Headquarters USAF (AFCIN) initiates MOON DUST Alerts, They are issued as far in advance as practicable t normally 10 days) and are automatically cancelled three (3) d*y° after the re-entry prediction date stated in the alert message. It is necessary that the alerts be issued on a world-wide basis until such time as techniques are developed that will make possible the prediction of the precise time and place of impact.

5. INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDANCE

During the periods when MOON DUST Alert is in effect, it is important that interested personnel receive, as rapidly as possible, accurate sighting data on the final (estimated) orbits from as many different sources as possible. The following guidance may assist in reporting observations of 8 P* C ® vehicle re-entry. The re-entry of a space vehicle can be seen over great distances, and even the qualified observer cannot estimate the distance from point of observation to the sighted object with any great degree of certainty. At these distances, the re-entry would appear to resemble a meteor travelling in a near horizontal or descending path and, as the distance decreased, would appear as a brilliant object or cluster of objects visible during daylight conditions. In addition, an audible rumbling sound like thunder, and possibly sharp explosion-like sounds might be correlated with the sighting.

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(3)

(4)

DECLASSIFIED

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to Report.

Position of observer.

Time of sighting in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to nearest minute. Duration of sighting.

Azimuth and elevation of object when first sighted.