Robert M. Jacobs

He was a retired U.S. Air Force First Lieutenant who built a career in military aerospace operations before becoming a professor of broadcast communications following his departure from active duty. During his service, he was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

In September 1964, he operated a high-speed tracking telescope during an Atlas missile test launch, capturing film that depicted a disc-shaped object circling a nuclear warhead dummy. According to Jacobs and his superior officer, Major Florenze Mansmann, the object allegedly emitted beams of light that struck the warhead, causing it to tumble from sub-orbital space, after which the film was confiscated by CIA agents.

After retiring from the Air Force, Jacobs went public with his account in the 1980s, maintaining his testimony despite facing professional consequences, including ridicule from colleagues. His account was corroborated by Major Mansmann, who served as his superior officer at the time of the incident. The event represents one of the most significant alleged UAP interactions with a nuclear weapons delivery system.