[FPSPACE] Use Caution on this story (Re: Pieces of a Proton rocket found on Kansas farm?)

[WSpaceport@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/27/2000 9:45:40 PM, lklaes@bbn.com writes:
 
>>The Kansas fireball of October 13th hits the news again... You may remember
>>that NORAD were denying that it was space junk, despite ever-increasing
>>evidence that it was the Russian Proton booster of a Glonass (GPS) satellite
>>launch. Well, a surprised Kansas farmer has found the battered remains of
>>the rocket on his farm. I spoke to the Wichita Eagle reporter who has been
>>covering this "UFO" story, she says that she is going to try and get a
>>comment from NORAD on the find.
> 
>>Readers may find the following report interesting. This seems to settle the
>>case for once and for all.
> 
>>  http://meteors.com/cometlinear/locals_report_mysterious.html



After checking the veracity of the report. . .I'd take the story with a grain 
of salt.
 
Eight years ago in 1992, I happened to be back in Wichita, KS visiting a 
girlfriend when a very similar story broke in the local media.  
Coincidentally, it occurred right about the same time a "fireball" was 
reportedly seen in the night sky.  
 
KAKE-10, the local ABC affiliate even ran a "Top Story" on the farmer who 
purported 
to have a remnant of the Russian hardware in question that he "found" on his 
property -- almost the same dimensions, complete with a scorched portion
of the ground where it landed, and Cyrillic lettering (in red, no less) still 
visible on the object.
 
Unfortunately, after being examined by the folks at the Kansas Cosmosphere
and Space Center in Hutchinson (via the famed "Space Works" team -- 
responsible for restoration of various space hardware, including most 
recently, Gus Grissom's "Liberty Bell 7" Mercury spacecraft), the item in 
question was found to be an elaborate hoax.  
 
The battered piece of "space debris" was nothing more than an odd scrap of
hammered out metal, scorched with a blowtorch.  I believe the red paint
used for the "Cyrillic lettering" was even traced to an Ace Hardware store. 
 
The story was quickly retracted by the end of the week, with a lot of egg on 
the face of the local TV station reporter that fell for it (who I don't think 
is working there anymore).
 
Now, I'm not suggesting that history is repeating itself once again. . .but 
then again, there isn't much that happens in Kansas around this time of
year -- although the locals do have a good sense of humor.
 
BTW -- October 13th was a Friday. . .
 
Regards,
 
Jim Spellman
NSS/Western Spaceport Chapter