Washington, D.C., 1952 Reassessed: What Filled the Capital’s Radar Screens?

Why Washington still matters In July 1952, radar targets appeared around Washington on two weekends, fighters scrambled, Truman requested answers, and the Pentagon held an extraordinary press conference. This exposed a mystery the government could not resolve in real time—not proof of extraterrestrial craft. The wave helped trigger the CIA review leading to the Robertson Panel. Its contemporaneous report recommended public “debunking” to address reporting overload, public disruption, and poss...