On a September morning in 1964, an Atlas D intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying an experimental radar defense system and a dummy nuclear warhead. After the nose cone separated, as the warhead headed toward its target in Eniwetok, in the Pacific Ocean, a disc-shaped UFO approached.
The object followed and circled the warhead, emitting four bright flashes of light. After that, the warhead began spinning uncontrollably and fell into the ocean, hundreds of miles short of its target.
This sequence would not be science fiction, according to then-Lieutenant Bob Jacobs, who was the officer responsible for filming the launch through a high-powered telescope. Jacobs, part of the 1369th Photographic Squadron at Vandenberg, stated that the entire event was captured on film.
Upon detailed analysis, the disc-shaped object with a dome was identified, along with its movements. The telescopic camera used was located in Big Sur, California, more than 100 miles from the launch site.
After the incident, Jacobs stated that a 16 mm film version was shown to a select group at Vandenberg. During this screening, government agents, possibly linked to the CIA, reportedly confiscated the most important frames, cutting them from the original sequence.
Jacobs’ account was corroborated by retired Major Florenz J. Mansmann, who at the time worked in the Office of the Chief Scientist in the 1st Aerospace Strategic Division at Vandenberg. Mansmann reportedly ordered Jacobs to attend the restricted screening and confirmed both the event and the subsequent cover-up.
Jacobs published a detailed account of the incident, titled “Deliberate Deception: The Big Sur UFO Filming”, in the January 1989 edition of the MUFON UFO Journal. This material is still available online and serves as a technical foundation for understanding the case.
Controversial Footage
Lue Elizondo stated that he saw the film, and Dave Grusch reportedly found the radar data. The exact date of the event has always been a matter of debate. September 14 and 15 were widely circulated but do not correspond to the correct date.
Jacobs was off by a few days, but Kingston George, the project engineer, corrected him decades later, indicating the accurate date: September 22.
Many films related to the Big Sur incident have been created over the years. Some were produced merely to depict the event, while others were deliberately made to deceive.
Two of these films have become particularly well-known and continue to circulate online. From time to time, they resurface being presented as authentic records of the incident. However, neither of them is genuine. Below are the two most famous versions:
I made this montage clip, feel free to use it Mike. Three Big Sur event videos while Dr. Bob Jacobs talks about the event. pic.twitter.com/n5T8mFttM4
— Tio Red Octo 🐙 W. κρυπτός 𒀭𒀀𒉣𒈾 🜃Φ🌹🇵🇸𓂀 🪬 (@Gandalf_ElPulpo) December 24, 2024The existence of the original footage has always been shrouded in mystery. Enthusiasts around the world have shown great curiosity to watch the recording of the event and witness a UFO disabling a missile. However, reality may not be as astonishing as they expect.
It turns out that this newly surfaced footage appears to show no UFO.
The Footage
On his X account (formerly Twitter), former YouTuber and UFO disclosure advocate Mike Colangelo made a post recalling the famous incident. The publication caught the attention of prominent UFO historian and archivist Jeff Knox, who has over 30 years of research in the field.
Knox surprised everyone by responding to the post with a possible authentic recording of the incident.
The footage was uploaded to YouTube last year by an account called “Work,” which was created on September 27, 2024. Interestingly, this account contains only this single video.
But whose account is this, and who discovered the footage? To clarify, I contacted archivist Jeff Knox, who responded as follows:
“A copy was finally acquired by Tim Printy and uploaded to YouTube. The researcher (and one of the greatest ufologists in history), V-J Ballester Olmos, briefly mentioned the footage on his recent blog.”
The blog Knox referred to is the classic UFOFotocat. In the brief post presented, we find the following:
“UFO researcher Tim Printy has just reported: I just received a link showing the complete footage of the 1964 Buzzing Bee launch. This is the best footage taken by the Boston University Telescope during the Vandenberg launches. It was the launch that Kingston George identified as the one behind the story Robert Jacobs told about a UFO disabling an ICBM. I covered all of this in SUNlite 6-4. I think it’s amazing that the team managed to keep the telescope centered on the rocket. It was mounted on a cart, and two operators used sighting guides and handwheels to keep the object centered in the view. That’s why the image keeps jumping. Near the end, it’s possible to see the launch of the warhead and the decoys.”
Observation: The copy that was acquired by Tim Printy and uploaded to YouTube is now private.
However, someone managed to download it beforehand and posted it here.
Is This the Original Footage?
The sources are highly significant, that is a fact. But is this really the original footage? Well, we don’t know for sure.
Mike Colangelo asked Knox in one of the comments whether anyone had ever shown the footage to the main witness, Jacobs.
Knox replied that he isn’t certain, as the footage was only recently rediscovered, but probably not. He also mentioned that most people seem unaware that it exists and that it is now available on the internet.
I believe the authenticity of the Big Sur incident footage remains uncertain. Although some important sources, such as Tim Printy and Kingston A. George, have provided relevant details about the event, we cannot be sure if this footage is truly the original.
It was recently found and shared online, but no one knows for certain whether Robert Jacobs ever saw it or if it is the genuine footage of the incident. While there are hints that the video might be legitimate, we still do not have enough evidence to confirm it. For now, the truth about what really happened in Big Sur remains a mystery.
