Department of StatePDFMemoUNCLASSIFIEDNo redactions2/10— noise or low qualityPURSUE Release 1
Incident date
7/18/63
Released
May 8, 2026
Official Description
This memorandum, dated July 18, 1963, from the Executive Office of the President, National Aeronautics and Space Council, relates to thoughts on the space alien race question. Included are details relating to plans if alien intelligence is discovered, expanding scientific knowledge, the possibility of life on Mars, and diplomatic policy.
UAP Insight Analysis— AI generated, not official
A 6-page internal memorandum dated July 18, 1963, authored by Maxwell W. Hunter II of the National Aeronautics and Space Council's Professional Staff, addressed to Robert F. Packard at the State Department's Office of International Scientific Affairs. The document presents speculative policy analysis on what the U.S. government should do if an alien intelligence were discovered, covering scientific theories of planetary formation, the plausibility of Martian life, interstellar travel scenarios, and recommended diplomatic postures. It contains no reports of actual UAP sightings or encounters.
Key Findings
→The author explicitly dismisses flying saucer advocates while acknowledging scientific uncertainty about extraterrestrial life, stating he finds it difficult to side with flying saucer proponents.
→The memo categorizes three hypothetical types of alien civilizations based on propulsion technology: chemical rockets, nuclear-powered ships, or faster-than-light travel, each requiring a distinct U.S. diplomatic response.
→The author concludes that no serious policy preparation is feasible at present because 'no one of consequence is going to take this rubbish seriously unless it happens,' predicting response would be 'grand panic.'
→The document references BNSP Task I deliberations as the context where the alien intelligence policy question arose, indicating inter-agency discussions had already touched on the topic.
→The memo notes three anomalous lunar observations—hot gases from crater Alphonsus, infrared hot spots, and repeated failure of deep space probes—that could hypothetically be interpreted as signs of intelligent activity, though the author treats these as speculative.
Extracted Entities
People
Maxwell W. Hunter IIRobert F. Packard
Agencies & Organizations
Executive Office of the PresidentNational Aeronautics and Space CouncilDepartment of StateOffice of International Scientific Affairs
Locations
Washington D.C.MarsMoonAsteroid BeltCrater AlphonsusVenusUranus
This document contains zero UAP incident reports or sighting data. It is entirely speculative policy analysis authored by a single staff member. The author himself dismisses flying saucer claims and treats alien contact as a remote hypothetical. No sensor data, witness accounts, or empirical evidence of any kind is present. Its relevance to UAP investigation is peripheral at best, consisting only of theoretical discussion of how the U.S. might respond if alien life were ever encountered.
Lunik III (lunar probe)Mariner II (planetary probe)hypothetical nuclear-powered interstellar ships traveling at half to three-quarters speed of light
Dates
July 18, 1963Nineteenth Century (reference to discovery of Martian moons)