Research into Fan/Spiral UFOs Over Russia

Here's some close-ups of the spiral event at the end of the 55-second long "fan flight":

Shots from Tashkent, south of and in front of track:

Comparing views from Astana, Kazakhstan [north and in front of track] and ISS [same altitude, far to east of track

Shot from ISS showing expanding ring flattening against upper atmosphere

Youtube dashcam from Krasnoturinsk [northern Urals], showing Moon, allowing heavens-above chart showing actual azimuth/elevation to apparition.... lasting almost entire 55-second plume duration.

reply to post by JimOberg

BUT -- I'm having one problem I'd like to ask help with.

FIVE tests with the specific Topol missile have occurred this century, on the Kapustin Yar to Sary Shagan route. Three of the last four resulted in mass public signtings, often interpreted as UFOs.

But I can find no discussion of the first of those tests, in November 2005. Am i looking in the wrong indexing?

Try...ask.abovetopsecret.com...

I was also encouraged to use this instead of new search tool. Also when entering keywords, try to support it with date or at least a year.

reply to post by JadeStar

This is an excellent thread Jim.

I agree, very interesting...will be definitely following it and hopefully those two events are found soon.

Russia has just fired another Topol ICBM from the Kapustin Yar range [lower Volga] on a very short-range test flight into the Sary Shagan impact zone [Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan].

SOME such tests sparked spectacular UFO reports throughout southern Russia, central Asia, and the Near East.

If my current research is to be validated, THIS launch will NOT.

I don't know yet if it has or not -- I'm making this prediction based on my current theory of which launches do and which don't show up visually.

Here's the news story:

Russia successfully test-fires ICBM

MOSCOW. Dec 27 1834 GMT (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) test fired an RS-12M 'Topol' intercontinental ballistic missile at 9:30 p.m. Moscow time on Friday, an RVSN spokesman Igor Yegorov told Interfax-AVN.

"The missile's exercise warhead hit a training target at the Sary-Shagan Kazakhstan test range with a planned accuracy," Yegorov said.

"The launch was designed to test a prospective warhead for intercontinental ballistic missiles," Yegorov said. "The Kapustin Yar range is unique for testing elements of warheads for ballistic missiles," he said.

"Its test tracks and instrumentation system are the only ones capable of testing prospective warheads within the entire spectrum of possible conditions of their delivery to targets in the RVSN's and Navy's interests," Yegorov said.

The 9:30 PM local time launch is related to local sunset at 5:08 PM [calculated on the heavens-above.com website] and occurs at a Sun elevation angle of minus 64 degrees.

ALL three previous flights that were widely seen and imaged were launched within 10-20 minutes of sunset with the sun just below the horizon at the target zone, illuminating any cloud/contrail activitiy from behind.

The two launches which did NOT create wide-area reports occurred LONG after sunset with sun elevation angles very, very far below the horizon, as in this case.

Since I presume the plume visibility was due to sunlight, I do NOT expect any reports or videos of plumes in the sky. Conceivably the rocket engine flame might create a dim starlike light, so we'll still need to watch out for reports.

The previous tests occurred at approximately year-long intervals, but this test has occurred only two months after the last one.

Can anybody locate any NOTAMS warnings for this launch?

JimOberg

Can anybody locate any NOTAMS warnings for this launch?

Where should I look for them?

Also WOW!!! Those pictures are gorgeous! I had no idea spin up motors were that smokey!

I've been searching all the usual Russian sites, and so far no reports or videos -- which actually is a relief, it increases the case for sunlit contrails on the previous launches that WERE seen.

Jim, this is off topic, but people in this thread are saying that the object in the inset and the one in the photo are different. I think this is a reasonable claim. I understand you're sort of a scholar on UFOs and perception--do you have an opinion on this?

Happy Holidays!

Insane

RUInsane
Jim, this is off topic, but people in this thread are saying that the object in the inset and the one in the photo are different. I think this is a reasonable claim. I understand you're sort of a scholar on UFOs and perception--do you have an opinion on this?

Happy Holidays!

Insane

nope, it's outside my comfort zone of experience and expertise, but thanks for asking.

reply to post by JimOberg


No problem!

a reply to: JimOberg

Not Russia or the event in question but China and 24 July 1981 - link to article here.

Reported UFO but the description is very similar - can this also be linked back to a rocket launch ?

originally posted by: chunder
a reply to: JimOberg

Not Russia or the event in question but China and 24 July 1981 - link to article here.

Reported UFO but the description is very similar - can this also be linked back to a rocket launch ?

It certainly has the expected features but records of Chinese launches are still very incomplete.