Roswell 1947 Historical File
Historical FBI documentation related to the 1947 incident near Roswell, New Mexico, including period correspondence and press handling.
The original photographs, video, audio, and supporting documents for this case are hosted by the originating agency. Direct embedding will be added to this page as the corpus is mirrored into our reference archive.
PURSUE portal ↗Official description
Period documents from Bureau records concerning the recovery of debris and subsequent press statements, including the initial Air Force claim of a 'flying disc' and the subsequent retraction identifying the material as a weather balloon.
Editor's context
The case remains culturally significant in popular discourse despite the official explanation. Project Mogul was a classified high-altitude balloon program designed to detect Soviet nuclear tests; many physical features of the recovered debris are consistent with Mogul materials.
Prevailing explanation
What scientists and analysts generally think
The U.S. Air Force formally identified the debris as a Project Mogul balloon train in 1994, after a multi-year review of records. The Mogul identification accounts for the physical features of the debris, the timing of the recovery, and the initial classification posture taken at the base. It remains the prevailing official explanation.
In the margins
Transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten markings, the paratext of the file. Often the most human part of a declassified document, and worth reading on its own.
- Stampp. 1TELETYPE, DALLAS FIELD OFFICE, 7-8-1947
- Stampp. 1FBI HQ, RECEIVED 7-9-1947, ROUTING: D. M. LADD
- Redactionp. 1[Field office return address, redacted under (b)(7)(C)]
- Handwrittenp. 1Note pen-marked in blue ink: 'See A.F. statement.'
- Annotationp. 1Body of teletype: 'Flying disc, resembling a high altitude weather balloon, found near Roswell, New Mexico.'
Cite the primary source
Citations center the originating government agency and link to the official record. This archive is listed as the access point, not the author.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Roswell 1947 Historical File." Released via PURSUE program, 2026-05-08. File ID: FBI 62-HQ-83894 (referenced section). https://vault.fbi.gov/Roswell%20UFO. Accessed 2026-05-12 via Social Media for Aliens archive, https://socialmediaforaliens.com/files/roswell-1947-historical.
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