Within Socorro UFO
Why Socorro Still Has No Settled Answer
Project Blue Book left Socorro unidentified, while later skeptics argued for hoaxes, test vehicles, or other conventional causes.
On this page
- What Project Blue Book meant by unidentified
- The New Mexico Tech prank theory
- Test vehicle and mundane cause alternatives
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Introduction
The official investigation into the 1964 Socorro sighting never produced a definitive explanation, and that unresolved status became one of the case’s defining features. Unlike many UFO reports of the era, the incident involving police officer Lonnie Zamora was examined almost immediately by local police, the FBI, the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book, and scientific consultant J. Allen Hynek. Yet despite that attention, the Air Force ultimately categorised the event as “unidentified” rather than forcing it into a conventional explanation. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comThe Black Vault SOCORRO NMThe Black VaultSOCORRO NM - 24 Apr 196420 Aug 2023 — LatesL incidents include: -A report from a 10-year· old girl' thM she was burned. 'Y… Wikipedia That outcome did not end the debate. Over the following decades [Wikipedia]WikipediaProject Blue BookProject Blue Book, sceptics proposed several competing explanations: a student prank from nearby New Mexico Tech, a misidentified experimental vehicle connected to Cold War aerospace testing, or a simpler chain of misperceptions amplified by stress and expectation. None of those explanations has achieved broad consensus. The Socorro case therefore occupies an unusual place in UFO history: it is often cited both by UFO proponents as a “best evidence” case and by sceptics as an example of how incomplete evidence can sustain mystery long after the original event. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgAllen. HynekSkeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim… [The Black]youtube.comWhat Can Explain This New Mexico UFO Sighting?The Black Vault Originals: FBI Documents on the Lonnie Zamora Case / Socorro, NM UFO Landing…
What Project Blue Book meant by “unidentified”
Project Blue Book’s “unidentified” label has often been misunderstood. It did not mean the Air Force endorsed an extraterrestrial explanation. Instead, it meant investigators believed the available evidence did not fit any ordinary explanation strongly enough to close the case with confidence. In Blue Book terminology, an “unknown” was not a solved case withheld from the public; it was a report that resisted reduction to a conventional category after investigation. [Wikipedia]WikipediaProject Blue BookProject Blue Book
The Socorro incident stood out because several factors usually associated with stronger UFO reports were present at the same time:
- a trained observer acting in an official capacity;
- a close-range observation rather than a distant light;
- a rapidly reported timeline;
- alleged physical traces at the scene;
- and corroboration that Zamora appeared visibly shaken shortly afterwards. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.org1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4RShortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De… [CIA]cia.govhow to investigate a flying saucer21 Jan 2016 — Southbound on a lone desert highway, police officer Lonnie Zamora was in pursuit of a speeding car outside the town of Soco…
J. Allen Hynek, the astronomer who served as Blue Book’s scientific consultant, considered Zamora a credible witness. Hynek repeatedly argued that Zamora did not behave like someone seeking publicity or inventing a fantasy. Later summaries of the case often quote Hynek’s view that Zamora was “unimaginative” and unlikely to fabricate such a story for attention. [Hangar1publishing]hangar1publishing.comHangar1publishingThe Lonnie Zamora Sighting: Unraveling the MysteryAllen Hynek, the civilian scientific consultant for Blue Book, found Z…
The Air Force nevertheless remained cautious. Investigators could not prove the landing traces came from an unknown craft, nor could they identify wreckage, machinery, or independent photographic evidence. The official file therefore settled into an unresolved middle ground: credible witness, real investigation, insufficient proof. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comThe Black Vault SOCORRO NMThe Black VaultSOCORRO NM - 24 Apr 196420 Aug 2023 — LatesL incidents include: -A report from a 10-year· old girl' thM she was burned. 'Y… [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.org1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4RShortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De…
That distinction mattered historically. Many UFO reports in Blue Book were dismissed quickly as stars, aircraft, balloons, or astronomical objects. Socorro became notable precisely because the system designed to explain sightings failed to produce a convincing explanation acceptable even to its own investigators. [Wikipedia]WikipediaLonnie Zamora incidentLonnie Zamora incident
Why investigators treated Zamora seriously
A major reason the case survived official scrutiny was the reputation of Lonnie Zamora himself. Contemporary investigators consistently described him as dependable, sober, and reluctant rather than theatrical. FBI agent D. Arthur Byrnes interviewed him on the evening of the sighting and reported no signs of intoxication or obvious deception. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.org1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4RShortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De…
The timing of the response also reduced some common weaknesses found in UFO cases. Officers and investigators reached the scene quickly enough to inspect the ground before weather or heavy public traffic disturbed it. Reports described depressions in the soil and scorched vegetation roughly corresponding to Zamora’s account of a craft lifting away with flame and noise. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.org1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4RShortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De…
Still, sceptics later pointed out important limitations:
- the physical traces were not uniquely “alien”;
- no laboratory evidence conclusively linked the marks to unusual propulsion;
- and there was no second witness to the close encounter itself.
Those limits allowed later critics to argue that the event’s reputation gradually exceeded the strength of its actual evidence. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgAllen. HynekSkeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim…
Another complication was the symbolic marking Zamora claimed to have seen on the object. Different versions of the symbol appeared in later reproductions and publications, raising questions about whether memory, sketching errors, or later reinterpretation had altered the original description. [Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sighting]enigmalabs.ioIn correspondence with Hynek, astronomer Donald Menzel proposed that the incident had been a hoax involving a balloon and various other e…
The New Mexico Tech prank theory
The most famous sceptical explanation emerged years later from speculation about students at the nearby New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, usually called New Mexico Tech. The theory argued that technically skilled students could have staged a hoax involving a mock craft, flames, and sound effects in the desert terrain around Socorro. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgAllen. HynekSkeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim…
The idea gained attention because New Mexico Tech students had reputations for engineering pranks and access to materials that might create unusual visual effects. Some later commentators claimed that a particular student or group of students was privately suspected, although no public confession or definitive evidence ever surfaced. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgAllen. HynekSkeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim…
Supporters of the prank theory argue several points:
- the area was close enough to the university for students to reach it easily;
- the timing and terrain could favour a staged visual encounter;
- and the event contained theatrical elements, including flame, noise, and apparent landing marks.
Critics of the theory counter that the logistics are more difficult than they first appear. They note that:
- the hoax would have needed precise timing to intercept Zamora unexpectedly;
- no participant ever produced convincing documentation or admission;
- and investigators searching at the time did not uncover prank equipment or preparation. [The UFO Chronicles]theufochronicles.comthe socorro ufo incident facts vsIt fools the Project Blue Book investigators (as well as the Air Force, FBI… [Kevin Randle]kevinrandle.blogspot.comKevin Randle Socorro, New Mexico and Lonnie Zamorasocorro-ufo-landing-analysis.html. I have also attempted… No it wasn't a hoax, but that doesn't prove it was aliens from another world…
The absence of a confession became especially important because decades passed without strong corroboration for the hoax scenario. Sceptics respond that successful pranks are not always confessed, while UFO researchers argue that a large student operation would probably have produced rumours, leaks, or reliable testimony eventually. The dispute remains unresolved largely because the theory depends on circumstantial possibility rather than hard evidence. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgAllen. HynekSkeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim…
Could Zamora have seen a secret test vehicle?
Another long-running explanation connects the sighting to Cold War aerospace testing in New Mexico. Socorro lay within a region heavily associated with military research, missile testing, and experimental aviation. White Sands Missile Range and related defence projects fuelled speculation that Zamora may have encountered a classified vehicle rather than a hoax or extraterrestrial craft. [Joe Pompeo]joepompeo.substack.comJoe PompeoUFOs and the legend of Lonnie Zamora - A Little HistoryNovember 16, 2023 — A possible, very simple explanation is that Socorro…
One recurring proposal involves early lunar landing research vehicles. These experimental craft used rocket or jet-assisted hovering systems and produced loud noise, flame, and unstable flight characteristics that superficially resemble parts of Zamora’s description. [NASA]nasa.gov60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar LandingNASA60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar Landing…October 30, 2024 — 30 Oct 2024 — The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and…
However, the timeline creates problems for this theory. NASA’s Lunar Landing Research Vehicle programme did not begin flight testing until later in the decade, after the Socorro sighting. [NASA]nasa.gov60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar LandingNASA60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar Landing…October 30, 2024 — 30 Oct 2024 — The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and…
That has led some researchers to shift toward broader “experimental craft” explanations rather than a direct Apollo training vehicle identification. In this version, Zamora might have seen a lesser-known military prototype or test platform whose details remain classified or poorly documented.
Several difficulties remain with that hypothesis:
- no declassified programme has been conclusively matched to the sighting;
- Zamora described an object unlike known helicopters or aircraft of the period;
- and investigators reportedly checked nearby military installations without finding a clear operational match. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comThe Black Vault SOCORRO NMThe Black VaultSOCORRO NM - 24 Apr 196420 Aug 2023 — LatesL incidents include: -A report from a 10-year· old girl' thM she was burned. 'Y… [Joe Pompeo]joepompeo.substack.comJoe PompeoUFOs and the legend of Lonnie Zamora - A Little HistoryNovember 16, 2023 — A possible, very simple explanation is that Socorro…
Yet the military-testing theory persists because it fits the broader historical environment of 1960s New Mexico better than overtly extraterrestrial claims. Even many cautious researchers who reject the student-hoax theory consider a classified aerospace explanation more plausible than alien visitation. [Joe Pompeo]joepompeo.substack.comJoe PompeoUFOs and the legend of Lonnie Zamora - A Little HistoryNovember 16, 2023 — A possible, very simple explanation is that Socorro…
Simpler sceptical explanations and their weaknesses
Some sceptics have argued that no elaborate craft or secret technology is necessary at all. They suggest the incident could have resulted from a combination of ordinary stimuli, stress, distance errors, and mistaken interpretation during a fast-moving event. [Wikipedia]WikipediaProject Blue BookProject Blue Book
Astronomer Donald Menzel, a prominent UFO debunker of the era, reportedly proposed variants involving balloons and staged elements intended to fool Zamora. Others later suggested atmospheric effects or celestial misidentifications. [Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sighting]enigmalabs.ioIn correspondence with Hynek, astronomer Donald Menzel proposed that the incident had been a hoax involving a balloon and various other e…
These explanations face a major obstacle: Zamora was not reporting a distant point of light. His account involved sound, terrain interaction, visible occupants, and a low-altitude object at relatively close range. That does not prove the report was accurate in every detail, but it makes purely astronomical explanations difficult to sustain. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.org1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4RShortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De…
Another sceptical path is psychological rather than physical. In this interpretation, Zamora sincerely believed he saw something extraordinary, but stress, surprise, and fragmented perception filled gaps in the experience. The event began during a police chase, included a sudden roar and flame, and unfolded rapidly across uneven desert terrain. Under those conditions, perception errors are possible even without deliberate deception. [Wikipedia]WikipediaLonnie Zamora incidentLonnie Zamora incident
Yet this approach also leaves unresolved questions about the ground traces and Zamora’s enduring consistency. Critics of purely psychological explanations argue that while human memory is imperfect, the broad structure of his account remained stable over time. [Center for UFO Studies]cufos.org1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4RShortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De…
Why the case still divides researchers
The Socorro incident became a long-running argument about investigative standards rather than just about UFOs themselves. Supporters of the case often point to it as evidence that some sightings resist conventional explanation even after official scrutiny. Sceptics respond that “unidentified” does not equal “unexplainable”, and that incomplete evidence naturally leaves room for mystery. [Wikipedia]WikipediaLonnie Zamora incidentLonnie Zamora incident
The dispute also reflects larger disagreements about Project Blue Book itself. Critics of Blue Book sometimes portray the Air Force as dismissive and overly eager to explain reports away. Ironically, Socorro cuts against that image because investigators did not force a weak solution onto the case merely to close it. Hynek later used examples like Socorro to argue that some UFO reports deserved more serious scientific attention than they received publicly. [Wikipedia]WikipediaLonnie Zamora incidentLonnie Zamora incident
At the same time, sceptics see the same case as a cautionary example of how credibility can outpace evidence. Zamora may well have been honest, they argue, but honest witnesses can still misinterpret unusual events, especially when no definitive physical proof survives. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgAllen. HynekSkeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim…
That unresolved tension explains why Socorro still appears regularly in debates about UFO evidence. The case contains enough official documentation and credible testimony to resist easy dismissal, but not enough hard evidence to settle the matter decisively in either direction.
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Endnotes
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Project Blue Book
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Blue_Book -
Source: cia.gov
Title: how to investigate a flying saucer
Link: https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/how-to-investigate-a-flying-saucer/Source snippet
21 Jan 2016 — Southbound on a lone desert highway, police officer Lonnie Zamora was in pursuit of a speeding car outside the town of Soco...
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Source: hangar1publishing.com
Link: https://hangar1publishing.com/blogs/ufos-uaps-and-aliens/lonnie-zamora-sighting?srsltid=AfmBOoo-FD9II9tFZIKooc8jkngzw94piYkc2q6_NFjE1fs3SZCm-hZDSource snippet
Hangar1publishingThe Lonnie Zamora Sighting: Unraveling the MysteryAllen Hynek, the civilian scientific consultant for Blue Book, found Z...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/library/d5a94111-9a9b-4d25-b411-5baf83034520Source snippet
In correspondence with Hynek, astronomer Donald Menzel proposed that the incident had been a hoax involving a balloon and various other e...
-
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Lonnie Zamora incident
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Zamora_incident -
Source: nasa.gov
Title: 60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar Landing
Link: https://www.nasa.gov/history/60-years-ago-the-first-flight-of-the-lunar-landing-research-vehicle/Source snippet
NASA60 Years Ago: The First Flight of the Lunar Landing...October 30, 2024 — 30 Oct 2024 — The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and...
Published: October 30, 2024
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Source: youtube.com
Title: What Can Explain This New Mexico UFO Sighting?
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERxNsoYwF3ESource snippet
The Black Vault Originals: FBI Documents on the Lonnie Zamora Case / Socorro, NM UFO Landing...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiJ9UMzEsIwSource snippet
UFO Project Blue Book at National Archives Museum...
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Source: documents2.theblackvault.com
Title: The Black Vault SOCORRO NM
Link: https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/projectbluebook/ProjectBlueBook-Socorro-NewMexico-04-24-1964.pdfSource snippet
The Black VaultSOCORRO NM - 24 Apr 196420 Aug 2023 — LatesL incidents include: -A report from a 10-year· old girl' thM she was burned. 'Y...
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Source: skepticalinquirer.org
Title: Allen. Hynek
Link: https://skepticalinquirer.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2010/03/p25.pdfSource snippet
Skeptical InquirerFamous Socorro 'UFO Landing' a Student Prank?The famous Socorro “UFO landing” case of April 24, 1964, has been proclaim...
Published: April 24, 1964
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Source: theblackvault.com
Title: a secret lunar lander test) to an elaborate hoax, but all leads proved
Link: https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/the-vault-files-the-socorro-ufo-landing-incident-april-24-1964/Source snippet
The Black VaultThe Vault Files: The Socorro UFO Landing Incident, April...13 Aug 2025 — Early speculation ranged from a misidentified ex...
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Source: kevinrandle.blogspot.com
Title: Kevin Randle Socorro, New Mexico and Lonnie Zamora
Link: https://kevinrandle.blogspot.com/2016/07/socorro-new-mexico-and-lonnie-zamora.htmlSource snippet
socorro-ufo-landing-analysis.html. I have also attempted... No it wasn't a hoax, but that doesn't prove it was aliens from another world...
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Source: cufos.org
Title: 1964 04 24 US NM Socorro CUFOS Zamora Files1&4R
Link: https://cufos.org/PDFs/1965_04_24_Socorro/1964_04_24_US_NM_Socorro_CUFOS_Zamora_Files1%264R.pdfSource snippet
Shortly at'ter 5:30 pm on Friday, 24 April 1964 Sgt Lonnie zamora of' the Socorro Police De...
Published: April 1964
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Source: theufochronicles.com
Title: the socorro ufo incident facts vs
Link: https://www.theufochronicles.com/2018/07/the-socorro-ufo-incident-facts-vs.htmlSource snippet
It fools the Project Blue Book investigators (as well as the Air Force, FBI...
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Source: joepompeo.substack.com
Link: https://joepompeo.substack.com/p/ufos-and-the-legend-of-lonnie-zamoraSource snippet
Joe PompeoUFOs and the legend of Lonnie Zamora - A Little HistoryNovember 16, 2023 — A possible, very simple explanation is that Socorro...
Published: November 16, 2023
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Source: kevinrandle.blogspot.com
Title: I just liked the sound of it better. But, after a number
Link: https://kevinrandle.blogspot.com/2017/12/lonnie-zamora-as-hoaxster.htmlSource snippet
A Different Perspective: Lonnie Zamora as the Hoaxer*9 Dec 2017 — *I had thought that "hoaxster" was a proper name for someone who had cr...
Additional References
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Source: socorronm.org
Link: https://socorronm.org/location-activity/socorro-landing-a-ufo-story/Source snippet
Socorro Landing: A UFO StoryOne of the best documented UFO sightings in US history was witnessed by City of Socorro Police Officer Lonnie...
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Source: socorronm.org
Link: https://socorronm.org/notable-local/socorro-landing-ufo-story/Source snippet
Socorro Landing: A UFO StoryOne of the best documented UFO sightings in US history was witnessed by City of Socorro Police Officer Lonnie...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1061947753884363/posts/7193435404068870/Source snippet
Socorro New Mexico UFO Sighting MonumentSocorro Spaceship erected to commemorate Officer Lonnie Zamora UFO Sighting which occurred on Apr...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToolMusic/posts/trinity-might-there-have-been-a-ufo-crashretrieval-prior-to-roswell-that-occurre/377729267058283/Source snippet
TRINITY Might there have been a UFO crash/retrieval prior...MY THOUGHTS If you study this UFO subject long enough, most would have to co...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1aq0qd1/a_theory_based_on_the_lonnie_zamora_ufo_incident/ -
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/nasaarmstrong/videos/llrv-testing-contributed-to-apollo-11s-success/735913415395908/ -
Source: osi.af.mil
Title: Office of Special Investigations Project Blue Book Part 1 (UFO Reports)Dr
Link: https://www.osi.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/2302429/project-blue-book-part-1-ufo-reports/Source snippet
Blue Book Part 1 (UFO Reports)Dr. J. Allen Hynek worked with the U.S. Air Force, leading investigations of UFO sightings under Projects S...
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Source: factorelblog.com
Link: https://factorelblog.com/2025/03/09/the-socorro-ufo-case-one-step-away-from-the-final-explanation/Source snippet
The Socorro Ufo Case: One step away from the final...Mar 9, 2025 — The Socorro Ufo Case: One step away from the final explanation...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: 4241964 the lonnie zamora incident in socorro new
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1ccq2e2/4241964_the_lonnie_zamora_incident_in_socorro_new/Source snippet
4/24/1964 - The Lonnie Zamora Incident in Socorro, New...Conventional explanations of Zamora's claims include a lunar lander test by Whi...
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Source: afmc.af.mil
Title: history in two the lunar landing research vehicle
Link: https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1898049/history-in-two-the-lunar-landing-research-vehicle/Source snippet
Air Force Medical CommandHistory in Two: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle9 Jul 2019 — Between October 1968 and November 1972, the vehic...
Published: October 1968
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