Mystery Sphere in Texas - Like Those Near Groom?

From: campbell@ufomind.com (Glenn Campbell, Las Vegas)
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 22:46:49 -0800
Subject: Mystery Sphere in Texas - Like Those Near Groom?

Steve Douglass reports on his site that a "space ball" was found in a Texas
field.

See http://users.arn.net/~webbfeat/PROJECT%20BLACK/INN.html

"MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE TAKEN POSSESION OF A METAL SPHERE THAT WAS FOUND
IN THE MIDDLE OF A SOUTH TEXAS FIELD, A GUADALUPE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY
SAID. DEPUTY TODD FRIESENHAHN SAID FRIDAY NIGHT THAT OFFICIALS FROM
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE IN SAN ANTONIO CONFISCATED THE OBJECT, WHICH IS
ABOUT 2 (1/2) FEET IN DIAMETER , SCORCHED AND PITTED ON ONE SIDE AND WITH
WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE REMAINS OF A VALVE."

There is a picture on the web page, which shows a metal sphere about two
feet wide.

It looks just like a "space ball" I have in the front yard of the Research
Center in Rachel.  My ball is identical to the silver balls that are on the
tops of metal posts marking the military border. However, my ball doesn't
have a hole for the post.  It is a perfectly sealed aluminum ball, very
light, with a dent on one side.  All of the balls on posts are similarly
dented, with a hole punched in the middle of the dent so they can be placed
on the pole.

My best theory is that these metal balls are dropped from planes to
calibrate radar for very sensitive tests, like in testing the radar
profiles of stealth aircraft.  A sphere would always give a known radar
return.  Once they hit the ground, they dent and can't be used again, so
they are reused as border markers.  (I found mine about a mile outside the
border.)

The Texas ball apparently isn't the same.  There would be no reason for a
valve on my ball, because that would disrupt the radar return. I also
don't know why a space ball would be scorched or pitted; mine isn't.  Other
than that, the size and appearance in the photo matches my own space ball.

Steve also writes: "According to witnesses at the scene. The ball weighed
aprox 65-70 lbs, took two men to lift and left a crater ten feet across and
3 feet deep."

Okay, so it's not my spaceball.

My spaceball is so light that given stormy weather, it might be carried
miles from its target.  There is no way that my spaceball would be
responsible for a lights in the sky however.

The dropping of a space ball in the field is obviously an error, one the
Air Force might not want to own up to, even if it was one of my spaceballs.
My own space ball is innocuous enough (probably $1000 each through military
procurement, $29.50 at Wal-Mart.) but the fact that space balls are being
dropped might suggests that very sensitive radar tests are being conducted
nearby.  These tests themselves could be classified and could involve
aircraft the Air Force does not want to talk about.

I'll reserve judgment and wait to see what the Weekly World News has to say.

Glenn

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