PUBLIC RELEASE SOURCE REVIEW ยท INDEPENDENT ANALYTIC CASE FILE
CASE FILE 64 / 237UAP00359

237UAP00359

Radar/correlation-focused public UAP report; score 52

NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED
Report No.UAP-OM-64-237UAP00359DispositionNORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED
Primary Case237UAP00359Generated2026-05-20 18:32 UTC
Report Time2024-02-24T02:39:00+00:00Observer32.01994, -77.87440
Source Case IDs237UAP00359

Abstract

This case file evaluates a reported UAP sighting against the available orbital-object layer. No compact same-launch group fully identifies the file by itself. The final disposition is assigned under a normal-object favored standard, where ordinary aerospace/orbital explanations are preferred when they reasonably fit the report.

This is a standalone independent analysis prepared from public-source records and public orbital datasets. It is not an official government determination, classification marking, or agency-authored report.

1. Executive Summary

237UAP00359 is assessed as normal-object favored because the available public evidence gives a case-specific ordinary-object candidate: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N949JT A321 ad2f71 at 21.9 km, azimuth 61.2 deg, elevation 27.16 deg, 6.46 min from report. Dense satellite presence alone is not treated as causation in this packet.

1.1 Key Findings

1.2 Bottom Line

NORMAL-OBJECT FAVORED: A case-specific ordinary-object candidate exists from source language, orbital geometry, launch-object context, or compact trajectory grouping. Dense ordinary sky traffic alone is not treated as causation.

2. Source Control

The source-control table identifies the public report records reviewed for this case and lists public access links where available. The table is included so this PDF remains interpretable when distributed by itself.

Case IDReport Date FieldFacility / TitleText ExtractPublic PDF Link
237UAP0035902:39 02/24/2024 Callsign: NKS1777 Origin: FLLZJX Operator: NKS Operator Type: Commercialtext extract present237UAP00359.pdf

3. Original Report Evidence

Primary excerpt used for matchingAircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon 12 O'clock while N bound at FL350, 140 NM S of ILM. The unknown phenomenon was 2 white lights that appeared stationary at approximately FL490. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility radar system.
Report time used2024-02-24T02:39:00+00:00
Observer coordinate used32.01994, -77.87440
Observer source basisaviation_offset:140 NM S of ILM (public text extract 237UAP00359)

4. Methodology

  1. Spacetime extraction. The report time and observer coordinate were extracted from the public text report and normalized to UTC. Aviation fixes/radials were resolved during earlier preprocessing where applicable.
  2. External object dataset. The object layer used historical Space-Track/TLE-derived Starlink element rows. The analytic mode for this case is historical Starlink element propagation and same-launch/designator sky grouping.
  3. Propagation. Orbital elements were propagated to the report minute and observer location. For launch-object checks, samples around the report minute were retained. For Starlink group checks, objects above the horizon were clustered by sky position and filtered for same-launch groupings.
  4. Comparison. The output was compared against the report's count of lights, direction cue, motion language, altitude/radar language, and whether the file itself already suggested a satellite explanation.
  5. Causation standard. Mere object presence above the horizon is treated as background context only. A normal-object disposition requires a case-specific causal fit, such as a named launch object, a compact same-launch trajectory group, or source language that directly supports that object class.
  6. Disposition assignment. Identified means a specific normal object fits the report spacetime and the hard reported features do not materially conflict. Normal-object favored means a case-specific ordinary aerospace/orbital candidate exists, but it is not a full named identification. Insufficient means the file is too thin to carry high anomaly value. High-value unresolved is used when radar, video, rapid maneuver, or multi-witness features remain after reasonable normal-object checks.

5. External Object Evidence

5.1 Search Volume and Density

This table is a screening layer only. Objects above the horizon show background opportunity; they do not establish causation unless a specific object or compact trajectory group matches the reported behavior.

Starlink catalog IDs considered5480Historical element rows5459
Above horizon at report minute276At/above 10 deg125
Largest same-sky cluster72

No compact same-launch/designator group survived the report threshold. In this condition, satellite density remains context only and cannot by itself resolve a report with hard features.

5.2 Same-Launch / Same-Designator Candidate Groups

#Launch DateCountAzimuth SpanElevation SpanMotion LabelsMembers
No same-launch group identified.

5.3 Primary Group Members

ObjectNORADLaunchAzElRange kmApparent MotionElement Age h
No members available.

5.4 Bright-Sky Context: Top Starlink Objects by Elevation

ObjectAzElRange kmApparent MotionLaunch Date
STARLINK-180894.4379.35557.35eastward, setting2020-10-18
STARLINK-3097264.8174.71528.35westward, setting2021-11-13
STARLINK-1904329.2166.02596.14eastward, setting2021-05-04
STARLINK-5730191.0661.79628.15westward, setting2023-02-12
STARLINK-517635.5358.03628.87eastward, setting2022-10-20
STARLINK-3631169.5255.15646.89westward, setting2022-02-25
STARLINK-30512322.3552.07694.45eastward, setting2023-09-30
STARLINK-3646346.8447.38713.56eastward, setting2022-02-25
STARLINK-300681.1645.91753.72eastward, setting2023-05-19
STARLINK-573479.6443.63779.21westward, setting2023-02-12
STARLINK-4408325.643.42790.0eastward, setting2022-07-22
STARLINK-1906315.4142.23780.99eastward, setting2020-10-24

5.5 Largest Sky Clusters

#CountAzimuth SpanElevation SpanMotion Labels
1720.48-354.04 deg10.22-47.38 degeastward, rising, eastward, setting, westward, rising, westward, setting
231118.11-243.11 deg10.26-39.84 degeastward, rising, eastward, setting, westward, level, westward, rising, westward, setting
38254.57-276.03 deg13.07-28.3 degeastward, rising, westward, rising
44241.52-263.6 deg40.46-41.73 degeastward, rising, westward, setting
53315.41-325.6 deg42.23-52.07 degeastward, setting

5.6 Space-Track SATCAT Enrichment

Space-Track SATCAT metadata was pulled as a cached subset for NORAD catalog IDs appearing in this packet's evidence tables. This section adds owner/type/status context to the propagated object candidates.

Packet SATCAT subset rows5370Fetched2026-05-19T01:19:50+00:00
This case NORAD IDs checked30SATCAT rows matched30
Top ownersUS: 30
Object typesPAYLOAD: 30

5.7 Space-Track Metadata for Top Propagated Objects

NORADObject NameTypeOwnerLaunch DateDecay Date
46707STARLINK-1808PAYLOADUS2020-10-182025-04-25
49448STARLINK-3097PAYLOADUS2021-11-132024-05-05
48389STARLINK-1904PAYLOADUS2021-05-042024-08-29
55611STARLINK-5730PAYLOADUS2023-02-12n/a
54053STARLINK-5176PAYLOADUS2022-10-20n/a
51790STARLINK-3631PAYLOADUS2022-02-25n/a
57976STARLINK-30512PAYLOADUS2023-09-30n/a
51785STARLINK-3646PAYLOADUS2022-02-25n/a
56698STARLINK-30068PAYLOADUS2023-05-19n/a
55612STARLINK-5734PAYLOADUS2023-02-12n/a
53206STARLINK-4408PAYLOADUS2022-07-22n/a
46765STARLINK-1906PAYLOADUS2020-10-242025-02-25

5.6 NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Screen

This secondary object screen checks NASA/JPL close-approach objects near the report date and propagates their observer geometry through Horizons at the report coordinate. It is a known-object rejection layer, not a generic astronomy backdrop.

NASA/JPL CAD windowevent date +/- 1 day, dist-max 0.2 auCoordinate used32.02, -77.87
Close-approach objects8Above horizon5
Bright-ish above horizon0 using apparent magnitude <= 10 screen

5.7 NASA/JPL Objects Above Horizon

ObjectClose Approach UTCDist auHAzElApp Mag
6745902024-Feb-23 22:440.098246992887419922.00273.0548.0719.74
2024 CL32024-Feb-23 12:310.023780971739403626.3410.0378.9219.99
2024 FC2024-Feb-23 09:370.053652747623058725.49148.065.6621.02
2024 EU2024-Feb-24 15:570.17974053878193723.95113.7039.0921.02
2024 EB22024-Feb-23 07:410.13942427215304724.55140.0830.1721.64

5.8 NASA/JPL Bright-Candidate Result

ObjectAzElApp Mag
No above-horizon close-approach object met the apparent magnitude <= 10 screen.

5.9 NASA / NOAA / ADS-B Expansion Layer

NASA POWER/Horizons/DONKI batch context had not yet been written for this case at packet build time.

5.11 Free Source Availability and Remaining Work

LayerStatusCase-Specific Note
ADSB.lol historical release listingscreened/presentplanes-readsb-staging-0 1725.0 MiB; planes-readsb-prod-0 1727.0 MiB
ADSB tracks downloadednot yet exhaustedRequires targeted extraction from large daily history archives before claiming aircraft exhaustion.
NOAA GOES imagerynot yet exhaustedNeeded for cloud/lightning visual context.
NOAA GOES ABI/GLM manifestscreened/presentPublic S3 object availability for the report hour.
NOAA NEXRAD weather radarnot yet exhaustedWeather radar only; not ATC radar.
NOAA IGRA radiosondescreened/presentNeeded for balloon drift plausibility.
ASOS/METAR weather observationsscreened/presentNearest station surface observations around report time.

5.12 Weather, Imagery, and Balloon Query Plan

This plan identifies the concrete free sources needed for the next case-specific weather and balloon checks. These are not treated as completed exclusions until the data are downloaded and plotted.

GOES satelliteGOES16
GOES ABI prefixhttps://noaa-goes16.s3.amazonaws.com/ABI-L2-CMIPF/2024/055/02/
GOES GLM lightning prefixhttps://noaa-goes16.s3.amazonaws.com/GLM-L2-LCFA/2024/055/02/

5.13 Nearest Weather-Airport Candidates

StationNameDistance kmCoordinate
KMYRMyrtle Beach International Airport209.2033.68, -78.93
KCREGrand Strand Airport214.4033.81, -78.72
KCHSCharleston International Airport225.2032.90, -80.04
KILMWilmington International Airport250.5034.27, -77.91
KHXDHilton Head Airport266.8032.22, -80.70

5.14 Nearest Radiosonde Stations

StationNameDistance kmCoordinate
USM00072208CHARLESTON/MUN.; SC.224.2032.90, -80.03
USM00072305NEWPORT; NC.320.2034.78, -76.88
USM00072206JACKSONVILLE/INTNL.; FL.401.8030.48, -81.70
USM00074794CAPE KENNEDY471.3028.47, -80.55
USM00072317GREENSBORO/G.-HIGH PT.; NC.491.8036.10, -79.94

5.15 ASOS/METAR Surface Weather Observations

surface visibility ranged 1-10 statute miles; precipitation was reported in at least one observation; low/broken/overcast cloud layers were present in at least one observation. Surface ASOS/METAR observations describe airport-level weather and visibility; they do not by themselves prove conditions at the sighting altitude or line of sight.

StationDistance kmNearest obs UTCVis SMSkyWind deg/ktMETAR
KMYR209.202024-02-24T02:56:00+00:0010.00FEW12000, M, M, M310.00 / 3.00KMYR 240256Z 31003KT 10SM FEW120 11/11 A2966 RMK AO2 SLP044 60003 T01110111 52004
KCRE214.402024-02-24T02:53:00+00:0010.00CLR, M, M, M0.00 / 0.00KCRE 240253Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/10 A2965 RMK AO1 SLP039 60005 T01220100 51017
KCHS225.202024-02-24T02:56:00+00:0010.00SCT08000, M, M, M250.00 / 3.00KCHS 240256Z 25003KT 10SM SCT080 13/08 A2969 RMK AO2 SLP054 T01330083 51032

5.16 NOAA IGRA Radiosonde Wind Profile

Nearest sounding implies mean 0-12 km wind drift toward 87.6 deg at 33.96 m/s; a passive balloon could drift about 244.5 km in two hours under this crude layer-average model. Radiosonde winds are sparse station soundings; balloon drift remains approximate without launch time, ascent rate, object altitude, and exact line-of-sight bearing.

StationNameDistance kmSounding UTCMean drift bearingMean speed m/s2h drift kmMax wind
USM00072208CHARLESTON/MUN.; SC.224.202024-02-24T00:00:00+00:0087.6033.96244.5061.70 at 10380.00 m

5.17 NOAA GOES ABI/GLM Public File Manifest

GOES public S3 objects are listed for the report hour where available. This is an availability manifest, not yet a rendered satellite image.

SatelliteGOES16Bucketnoaa-goes16
ABI sample files12GLM sample files12

ABI sample objects:

GLM lightning sample objects:

5.18 ADSB.lol Historical Aircraft Track Extraction

This layer uses the downloaded ADSB.lol daily history archive to test actual aircraft tracks near the report coordinate and minute. It is not treated as a primary-radar substitute; it is a transponder/receiver-derived aircraft screen.

Archive window2024-02-24T01:24:00+00:00 to 2024-02-24T03:54:00+00:00Radius300.00 nmi
Trace files scanned53215Tracks retained1200
Support statusaircraft strong candidate presentBest-candidate noteordinary-object favored if the report's count, color, direction, and motion can be reconciled with the candidate track(s).
Strong candidates12Plausible candidates30
Reporting-aircraft tracks excluded0Weak candidates81

5.19 Top ADS-B Candidate Tracks

AircraftStatusScoreMin dist kmNearest dt minAlt ftAzEl
N949JT A321 ad2f71strong aircraft candidate80.2821.901.793700061.2027.16
N904AN B738 ac7e15strong aircraft candidate75.7251.701.9337000323.2012.07
N361DN A321 a4105bstrong aircraft candidate75.6039.604.1934025315.2014.51
N630JB A320 a83e86strong aircraft candidate69.0246.705.683547589.6012.12
0c4354strong aircraft candidate68.4465.700.073800049.509.69
N37535 B39M a4493dstrong aircraft candidate67.0069.500.143500023.808.42
N12005 B78X a05628strong aircraft candidate63.2476.300.0534975304.407.60
N355DN A321 a3f7b8strong aircraft candidate61.8579.700.0132950358.806.86

6. Annotated Evidence Figure

Annotated orbital object figure
Generated figure copied from the local evidence-plot output. It is included as an analytic visualization, not as original sensor imagery.

7. Analytic Comparison

CriterionReport EvidenceAnalytic Treatment
Time constraint2024-02-24T02:39:00+00:00Directly used in propagation; this is a hard filter, not descriptive context.
Location constraint32.01994, -77.87440Directly used as observer point for azimuth/elevation/range computation.
Count / patterntwo-object/light language presentNo compact same-launch count match; retained for unresolved report features.
Motion languagestationaryApparent motion labels in the object table provide a plausible but not definitive comparison.
Radar / official checknot observed on ATC radarNo ATC radar return can be consistent with distant orbital objects or visual aircraft-light hypotheses, but it does not prove the match.
Analytic dispositionnormal-object237UAP00359 is assessed as normal-object favored because the available public evidence gives a case-specific ordinary-object candidate: strong ADS-B aircraft candidate N949JT A321 ad2f71 at 21.9 km, azimuth 61.2 deg, elevation 27.16 deg, 6.46 min from report. Dense satellite presence alone is not treated as causation in this packet.

8. Caveats, Limitations, and Collection Gaps

Appendix A. Public Report Text Extracts

237UAP00359

SKYWATCH INCIDENT REPORT



PRIMARY CODE: UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENON
Date: 02:39 02/24/2024                     Callsign: NKS1777                          Origin: FLL
Status: Closed                             Aircraft: A321                             Destination: EWR
POD: DEN                                   Tail Number:                               New Destination:
Reporting Facility: ZJX                    Operator: NKS                              Operator Type: Commercial
                                           Paged: YES                                 MOR Init: YES
                                                                                      MOR ID: ZJX-M-2024/02/23-0006




REMARKS

Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon 12 O'clock while N bound at FL350, 140 NM S of ILM. The unknown
phenomenon was 2 white lights that appeared stationary at approximately FL490. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility
radar system.




SKYWATCH INCIDENT REPORT | DATE: 2024-02-24T02:39 | POD: DEN | PAGE 1 of 1

Appendix B. Computational Evidence Digest

This appendix preserves the principal computed values used in the assessment, shortened to the fields most relevant to audit and review.

{
  "report_time_utc": "2024-02-24T02:39:00+00:00",
  "source_excerpt": "Aircraft reported an unidentified aerial phenomenon 12 O'clock while N bound at FL350, 140 NM S of ILM. The unknown phenomenon was 2 white lights that appeared stationary at approximately FL490. The UAP was not observed on ATC facility radar system.",
  "historical_starlink_element_rows": 5459,
  "observer": {
    "lat": 32.01993890835398,
    "lon": -77.87439727783203,
    "source": "aviation_offset:140 NM S of ILM (public text extract 237UAP00359)"
  },
  "case_id": "237UAP00359",
  "starlink_above_horizon_at_report_time": 276,
  "starlink_catalog_ids_considered": 5480,
  "largest_same-sky_cluster_count": 72,
  "starlink_at_or_above_10_deg": 125,
  "top_starlinks": [
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 94.43,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 132.93,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 135.72,
      "element_age_hours": 0.98,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T03:37:46.199424+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 79.35,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 26.89,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 4.61,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 553.27,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 137.77,
      "ground_track_label": "SE",
      "launch_date": "2020-10-18",
      "name": "STARLINK-1808",
      "norad_id": "46707",
      "range_km": 557.35,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 31.9499,
      "subpoint_lon": -76.874
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 264.81,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 146.59,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 141.87,
      "element_age_hours": 4.65,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-23T22:00:01.999584+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 74.71,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 30.02,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 5.1,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 517.12,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 138.0,
      "ground_track_label": "SE",
      "launch_date": "2021-11-13",
      "name": "STARLINK-3097",
      "norad_id": "49448",
      "range_km": 528.35,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 31.9074,
      "subpoint_lon": -79.233
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 329.21,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 30.83,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 39.56,
      "element_age_hours": 0.19,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T02:27:23.048640+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 66.02,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 26.66,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 4.79,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 553.42,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 44.06,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2021-05-04",
      "name": "STARLINK-1904",
      "norad_id": "48389",
      "range_km": 596.14,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 33.7421,
      "subpoint_lon": -79.1071
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 191.06,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 73.37,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 62.14,
      "element_age_hours": 0.2,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T02:26:44.163456+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 61.79,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 37.49,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 8.35,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.68,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 55.37,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2023-02-12",
      "name": "STARLINK-5730",
      "norad_id": "55611",
      "range_km": 628.15,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 29.6025,
      "subpoint_lon": -78.4151
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 35.53,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 41.16,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 42.73,
      "element_age_hours": 9.34,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T11:59:33.045792+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 58.03,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 20.01,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 2.08,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 545.92,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 44.23,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2022-10-20",
      "name": "STARLINK-5176",
      "norad_id": "54053",
      "range_km": 628.87,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 34.2578,
      "subpoint_lon": -75.9373
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 169.52,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 64.49,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 49.1,
      "element_age_hours": 6.2,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T08:50:44.050560+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 55.15,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 35.73,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 7.63,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 545.92,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 40.72,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2022-02-25",
      "name": "STARLINK-3631",
      "norad_id": "51790",
      "range_km": 646.89,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 28.9953,
      "subpoint_lon": -77.2384
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 322.35,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 35.04,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 52.43,
      "element_age_hours": 1.85,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T00:48:15.945696+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 52.07,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 29.54,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 6.54,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.61,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 61.43,
      "ground_track_label": "ENE",
      "launch_date": "2023-09-30",
      "name": "STARLINK-30512",
      "norad_id": "57976",
      "range_km": 694.45,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 34.795,
      "subpoint_lon": -80.4941
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 346.84,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 26.06,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 37.4,
      "element_age_hours": 6.15,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-24T08:48:08.047584+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 47.38,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 20.27,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 2.58,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 545.95,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 45.58,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2022-02-25",
      "name": "STARLINK-3646",
      "norad_id": "51785",
      "range_km": 713.56,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 35.9268,
      "subpoint_lon": -78.9982
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 1.16,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 80.25,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 103.71,
      "element_age_hours": 6.91,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-23T19:44:12.921792+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 45.91,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 32.94,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 7.99,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.66,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 116.75,
      "ground_track_label": "ESE",
      "launch_date": "2023-05-19",
      "name": "STARLINK-30068",
      "norad_id": "56698",
      "range_km": 753.72,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 36.3672,
      "subpoint_lon": -77.7654
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 79.64,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 65.18,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 60.94,
      "element_age_hours": 8.21,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-23T18:26:29.689152+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 43.63,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 16.8,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 1.01,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 565.58,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 58.73,
      "ground_track_label": "ENE",
      "launch_date": "2023-02-12",
      "name": "STARLINK-5734",
      "norad_id": "55612",
      "range_km": 779.21,
      "sky_motion_label": "westward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 32.7443,
      "subpoint_lon": -72.4247
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 325.6,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 340.53,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 345.56,
      "element_age_hours": 4.96,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-23T21:41:26.731104+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 43.42,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 15.93,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 0.02,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 568.39,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 347.88,
      "ground_track_label": "NNW",
      "launch_date": "2022-07-22",
      "name": "STARLINK-4408",
      "norad_id": "53206",
      "range_km": 790.0,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 35.9005,
      "subpoint_lon": -81.1742
    },
    {
      "azimuth_deg": 315.41,
      "azimuth_plus_2m_deg": 13.74,
      "azimuth_plus_5m_deg": 33.76,
      "element_age_hours": 8.17,
      "element_epoch": "2024-02-23T18:29:03.749856+00:00",
      "elevation_deg": 42.23,
      "elevation_plus_2m_deg": 24.8,
      "elevation_plus_5m_deg": 5.06,
      "epoch_altitude_km": 553.31,
      "ground_track_bearing_deg": 45.36,
      "ground_track_label": "NE",
      "launch_date": "2020-10-24",
      "name": "STARLINK-1906",
      "norad_id": "46765",
      "range_km": 780.99,
      "sky_motion_label": "eastward, setting",
      "subpoint_lat": 35.3754,
      "subpoint_lon": -81.9918
    }
  ],
  "adsb_lol_analysis": {
    "classificationSupport": {
      "bestCandidate": {
        "bestScoredPoint": {
          "altitudeFt": 37000,
          "azimuthDeg": 61.2,
          "distanceKm": 21.9,
          "elevationDeg": 27.16,
          "groundSpeedKt": 478.6,
          "lat": 32.114806,
          "lon": -77.671322,
          "slantRangeKm": 24.6,
          "timeOffsetMin": 6.46,
          "timeUtc": "2024-02-24T02:45:27.450000+00:00",
          "

Appendix C. Source Exhaustion Checklist

This checklist records which source layers were actually applied to this individual report. It separates checked evidence from unexhausted collection gaps so the disposition is auditable when the PDF is read alone.

Source LayerStatusCase-Specific Note
NARA public UAP/FAA reportreviewedSource IDs: 237UAP00359
Time and observer coordinateextracted2024-02-24T02:39:00+00:00 at 32.01994, -77.87440
Orbital object propagationscreenedStarlink
Space-Track SATCAT metadatascreened30 NORAD IDs checked; 30 matched in local SATCAT subset
Launch-object/SupGP layernot applicablenot a launch-object case
NASA/JPL known small-body layerscreenedCAD/Horizons secondary screen included when this case had NEO-relevant timing/geometry
NASA POWER/Horizons/DONKI contextnot exhaustedHourly weather, sky geometry, and space-weather context where local JSON is present
Aircraft/ADS-B layerscreened53215 trace files scanned; 1200 tracks retained; aircraft strong candidate present
NOAA GOES imagery layernot exhaustedCloud/lightning imagery layer for the report hour
NOAA GOES ABI/GLM manifestscreenedPublic S3 object listing for the report hour
NOAA/NEXRAD weather radar layernot exhaustedWeather radar only; not ATC/primary radar
NOAA IGRA radiosonde layerscreenedBalloon drift plausibility layer
ASOS/METAR surface weatherscreenedNearest station visibility, cloud, wind, precipitation, and METAR observations
Weather/balloon source planplannedNearest weather-airport, GOES, and radiosonde queries are listed where local plan JSON is present
Final analytic dispositionnormal-object favoredPresence-only satellite density is context only; a stronger case-specific fit is required for normal-object disposition

References and Source Links

  1. National Archives and Records Administration. Records Related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) at the National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps
  2. National Archives and Records Administration. Record Group 615: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection. https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps/rg-615
  3. National Archives and Records Administration. Bulk Downloads for Records Related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/catalog-bulk-downloads/uap-bulk-download
  4. National Archives Catalog. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration Relating to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, National Archives Identifier 493468575. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/493468575
  5. National Archives direct digital object. 237UAP00359.pdf, FAA UAP report record copied from RG 615 bulk digital objects. https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-615/493468575/237UAP00359.pdf
  6. Hugging Face dataset. oxzoid/space-track-tle-history: historical TLE archive used for Starlink screening. https://huggingface.co/datasets/oxzoid/space-track-tle-history
  7. Space-Track.org. Public source for the underlying U.S. Space Surveillance Network TLE distribution referenced by the historical TLE archive. https://www.space-track.org/
  8. Space-Track.org. API documentation for SATCAT and catalog metadata classes used for local enrichment. https://www.space-track.org/documentation#/api
  9. NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics. Close-Approach Data API documentation for known small-body encounter screening. https://ssd-api.jpl.nasa.gov/doc/cad.html
  10. NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics. Horizons API documentation for observer geometry and apparent magnitude queries. https://ssd-api.jpl.nasa.gov/doc/horizons.html
  11. ADSB.lol. Interactive API documentation and OpenAPI definition. https://api.adsb.lol/docs
  12. ADSB.lol. Historical open-data release documentation. https://www.adsb.lol/docs/open-data/historical/
  13. OpenSky Network. REST API documentation. https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/rest.html
  14. OpenSky Network. Historical data via Trino documentation. https://openskynetwork.github.io/opensky-api/trino.html
  15. NASA GIBS. Global Imagery Browse Services API documentation. https://nasa-gibs.github.io/gibs-api-docs/
  16. NASA Earthdata. Common Metadata Repository search API documentation. https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/site/docs/search/api.html
  17. NOAA / AWS Open Data. GOES public dataset registry. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-goes/
  18. NOAA / AWS Open Data. NEXRAD public dataset registry. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nexrad/
  19. NOAA NCEI. Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/weather-balloon/integrated-global-radiosonde-archive
  20. Iowa Environmental Mesonet. ASOS/AWOS/METAR data download service. https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/request/download.phtml
  21. CelesTrak. Spacetrack Report No. 3: Models for propagation of NORAD element sets. https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/spacetrk.pdf
  22. CelesTrak. Supplemental GP element sets documentation and current endpoint index. https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/supplemental/