Bolivia: Metallic spheres discovered following fireball sighting

Discovery Two metallic spheres were found in Bolivia on August 10, 1979, one near Enconada and another near Buen Retiro. The discoveries occurred hours after reports of a fireball sighting in Bolivia and northern Chile. The spheres exhibited unusual characteristics, including copper-like exterior surfaces with dark coloring and light spots, suggesting exposure to extreme temperatures.

Official Response Col. Ariel Coca, director of the Bolivian Air Force Academy, suggested the objects were satellite or rocket stage debris. The US Defense Attaché at the La Paz embassy promptly reported the findings to the US Defense Intelligence Agency via telexed Moon Dust reports, which included translations of Bolivian newspaper accounts.

Moon Dust Program Context Moon Dust was an unclassified Cold War USAF initiative designed to recover Soviet space hardware surviving atmospheric reentry. The program's involvement indicated US interest in determining the objects' origin and composition.

Later Analysis In 2014, amateur satellite tracker Ted Molczan presented evidence that the spheres were debris from Delta rocket second stage 1979-072B, which launched the Westar 3 satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the same day as the discovery.