In 1979, a presidential panel described a double flash of light over the South Atlantic as being caused by a meteoroid.
This flash was detected by the Vela 6911 satellite; which was designed to detect various types of atmospheric nuclear detonations. However, records show that many experts at the time believed that this flash was indeed the result of a nuclear test.
According to National security Archive:
“The conclusions of the Presidential panel (the Ad Hoc Panel) were reassuring, as they suggested that the most likely explanation of the Vela detection was a meteoroid hitting the satellite — in part because of the discrepancy in bhangmeter readings.”
However, this statement was hotly debated.
At the time, several reports actually indicated that the most probable explanation was a covert nuclear test initiated by South Africa, Israel, or collaborative effort made by both countries.
Such an alleged detonation has never been confirmed or dismissed.
The panel claimed that there were too many discrepancies in the data for it to have been a nuclear detonation. The U.S. sent out planes in an attempt to detect atmospheric radiation, to no avail.
On top of that, the Vela 6911 satellite was plagued with mechanical failures that raise further doubt that what it sensed was in fact a nuclear test.
Nevertheless, the Presidential Panel’s official explanation itself raised some doubts.
The explanation was something you would expect to hear in a Hollywood movie like Men in Black. Their final determination was that the double flash was caused by "an artifact of a meteoroid hitting the satellite, and sunlight reflecting off particles ejected as a result of the collision."
This explanation, though possible, does seem a bit far-fetched. However, there is no real proof to the contrary.
The Vela flash will probably always be a mystery because of the lack of evidence. In this particular case, the evidence can be interpreted as a nuclear test or a meteoroid hit, with no definitive proof for either theory.
Image Credit: NASA
Dennis Dufrene is the resident historian and technical writer. With this background, Dennis brings insight and accuracy to the stories published here at Top Secret Writers. Dennis has 314 post(s) at Top Secret Writers
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