Within NASA Records
What Were the Missing Fragology Files?
The missing Fragology Files matter because they were the kind of records that might have documented recovered space-object fragments.
On this page
- What fragology records were supposed to cover
- Why the boxes became central to Kean v NASA
- What later releases did and did not solve
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Introduction
The “Fragology Files” became one of the most important missing record sets in the Kecksburg controversy not because anyone could prove they contained evidence about the 1965 incident, but because they were precisely the kind of files that might have documented the recovery and analysis of unidentified space objects. During journalist Leslie Kean’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) battle with NASA, researchers discovered references showing that NASA once maintained records known as “Fragology Files” covering recovered space fragments and efforts to identify their origin. When those files could not be located, the disappearance itself became part of the transparency dispute. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
For Kecksburg investigators, the issue was not simply whether a UFO had crashed. It was whether NASA once possessed records capable of distinguishing between a meteor, a Soviet spacecraft, ordinary space debris, or some other recovered object—and whether those records had vanished before they could be examined. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
What Fragology Records Were Supposed to Cover
The term “fragology” referred to the study and identification of recovered fragments from objects that re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. Documents cited during the FOIA dispute described the Fragology Files as records involving the recovery of space objects and the analysis of fragments to determine their national ownership and vehicle origin. In practical terms, these files would have been expected to contain reports, technical analyses, correspondence, and recovery information relating to pieces of spacecraft, satellites, rockets, and other recovered aerospace material. [Scribd]scribd.comMAJIC EYES ONLYMAJIC EYES ONLY - Earth's Encounters With…The Fragology files consist of “reports of space objects recovery, analysis of fragmen…
The files became especially relevant because one of the individuals named in Kean’s request was Richard M. Schulherr. Contemporary records identified Schulherr as a NASA engineer associated with fragology work and as a liaison connected to Project Moon Dust, a military programme concerned with recovering foreign space hardware and other unusual aerospace objects. Researchers believed that records maintained by Schulherr might contain information about notable recovery events from the 1960s. [The UFO Chronicles]theufochronicles.comconclusion of nasa lawsuit concerning 10The UFO ChroniclesTHE CONCLUSION OF THE NASA LAWSUIT: Concerning…11 Nov 2009 — For example, a one page “memo for record” was prepared…
Importantly, the significance of the Fragology Files does not depend on any extraterrestrial interpretation. Even under entirely conventional explanations, a large unidentified object reportedly recovered after a highly publicised fireball event would be the type of incident that could generate fragment-analysis paperwork. That possibility is what made the files valuable as evidence. [Scribd]scribd.comMAJIC EYES ONLYMAJIC EYES ONLY - Earth's Encounters With…The Fragology files consist of “reports of space objects recovery, analysis of fragmen…
Why the Boxes Became Central to Kean v NASA
Kean’s original 2003 FOIA request specifically sought records relating to Kecksburg, the Fragology Files from 1962–1967, Richard Schulherr, Project Moon Dust, and Cosmos 96. The inclusion of the Fragology Files was deliberate: investigators already knew from previously released NASA material that such files had existed. The question was whether they still existed and whether they contained relevant information. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
NASA’s responses created a problem. The agency initially reported that it could not find responsive records, yet court proceedings revealed uncertainties about where searches had been conducted and whether potentially relevant repositories had been examined. Judge Emmet Sullivan ultimately concluded that NASA had not adequately demonstrated that its searches were sufficient, forcing additional efforts to locate the records. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
The dispute intensified when NASA officials acknowledged that boxes of historical records associated with the period could not be located. Public reports from the litigation noted testimony that two boxes of papers from the relevant era were missing. Because the Fragology Files were believed to have been stored in archival collections, the missing boxes became a symbol of the larger records-management problem confronting the court. [The Guardian]theguardian.comThe Guardian Nasa told to solve 'UFO crash' X-File | World newsThe GuardianNasa told to solve 'UFO crash' X-File | World newsNovember 11, 2007 — 11 Nov 2007 — Steve McConnell, Nasa's public liaison of…
The central issue was evidentiary rather than sensational. If the files had been found and contained no reference to Kecksburg, that result would still have helped clarify the historical record. Their absence prevented either confirmation or elimination of several competing explanations. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
The Link to Space-Debris Identification
The Fragology Files mattered because they sat at the intersection of two competing narratives about Kecksburg.
One narrative held that the object was related to a Soviet spacecraft or other man-made space hardware. The other argued that available orbital data did not support that conclusion. To evaluate either claim, researchers needed records showing how NASA and associated specialists historically identified recovered debris. The Fragology Files appeared to be exactly the sort of archive where such analyses would reside. [calameo.com]calameo.comInternational UFO Reporter 2005 v30I researched the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office data files for tracking data (aka two-line element…
This became particularly relevant when NASA publicly stated in 2005 that experts had previously examined metallic fragments and determined they came from a Soviet satellite, while also stating that records documenting those findings had been lost. Critics immediately noted the difficulty of verifying a conclusion when the supporting documentation could no longer be produced. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]post-gazette.comPittsburgh Post-Gazette Kecksburg 'UFO' records still an alien conceptPittsburgh Post-GazetteKecksburg 'UFO' records still an alien conceptDecember 8, 2005 — 7 Dec 2005 — A National Aeronautics and Space Adm…
At the same time, orbital-debris specialist Nicholas L. Johnson examined available tracking information relating to Cosmos 96 and reported that the object’s known orbital history did not fit the commonly repeated claim that debris from that spacecraft fell at Kecksburg during the evening event. Whether one accepts Johnson’s interpretation or not, his work highlighted why historical debris-analysis records were important: they could potentially show what investigators at the time actually concluded about recovered material. [calameo.com]calameo.comInternational UFO Reporter 2005 v30I researched the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office data files for tracking data (aka two-line element…
What Later Releases Did and Did Not Solve
The years following the lawsuit produced additional document releases and renewed searches, but they did not resolve the central mystery surrounding the Fragology Files.
NASA eventually released hundreds of pages connected to the FOIA case and conducted further archival reviews. Some records confirmed that fragology functions existed within NASA and that Schulherr had responsibilities connected with those activities. Researchers therefore gained stronger evidence that the file system itself was real and not merely a rumour. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comJuly 27, 2021 Office of Communications John Greenewald…27 Jul 2021 — Since the FOIA lawsuit concluded in destroyed with the exception…
What the releases did not provide was the missing corpus of fragology records from the period most relevant to Kecksburg. Later disclosures indicated that historical Fragology Files from the 1962–1967 period had been destroyed or could no longer be located within NASA’s holdings, leaving investigators without the complete record set they had sought. [The Black Vault]documents2.theblackvault.comJuly 27, 2021 Office of Communications John Greenewald…27 Jul 2021 — Since the FOIA lawsuit concluded in destroyed with the exception…
As a result, the evidentiary value of the Fragology Files today lies less in what they reveal than in what they might once have revealed. Their disappearance neither proves a cover-up nor supports any specific theory about the Kecksburg object. Instead, it demonstrates a narrower but historically significant point: records that were potentially relevant to identifying recovered space debris existed, were known to researchers, became the subject of a federal lawsuit, and ultimately could not be fully produced when the public asked to see them. [The Black Vault+2UFOs Scientific Research]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
Why the Missing Files Still Matter
The enduring importance of the Fragology Files is methodological. Historical mysteries are often resolved not through eyewitness testimony but through administrative records, technical reports, and chain-of-custody documentation. The Fragology Files represented a category of records specifically designed to answer questions about recovered aerospace material. [Scribd]scribd.comMAJIC EYES ONLYMAJIC EYES ONLY - Earth's Encounters With…The Fragology files consist of “reports of space objects recovery, analysis of fragmen…
Because those files are incomplete, missing, or destroyed, they remain one of the most frequently cited examples in the Kecksburg transparency debate. Their absence does not establish what happened in December 1965. It does, however, explain why arguments over NASA’s record-keeping became almost as significant as arguments over the object itself. [The Black Vault+2Reporters Committee]documents2.theblackvault.comUSCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed…March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag…
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Endnotes
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Source: scribd.com
Title: MAJIC EYES ONLY
Link: https://www.scribd.com/document/801265190/MAJIC-EYES-ONLY-Earth-s-Encounters-With-Extraterrestrial-Technology-1Source snippet
MAJIC EYES ONLY - Earth's Encounters With...The Fragology files consist of “reports of space objects recovery, analysis of fragmen...
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Source: scribd.com
Link: https://www.scribd.com/document/39530664/kecksburg2Source snippet
ested records on NASA employee Schulherr and education. Tax...
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Source: calameo.com
Link: https://www.calameo.com/books/00058403715f1b45994fcSource snippet
International UFO Reporter 2005 v30I researched the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office data files for tracking data (aka two-line element...
-
Source: post-gazette.com
Title: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Kecksburg ‘UFO’ records still an alien concept
Link: https://www.post-gazette.com/breaking/2005/12/08/kecksburg-ufo-records-still-an-alien-concept/stories/200512080509Source snippet
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteKecksburg 'UFO' records still an alien conceptDecember 8, 2005 — 7 Dec 2005 — A National Aeronautics and Space Adm...
Published: December 8, 2005
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Source: scribd.com
Link: https://www.scribd.com/doc/34473106/International-UFO-Reporter-v30Source snippet
International UFO Reporter v30 | PDF | Space DebrisInternational UFO Reporter v30 - Free download as PDF File (.pdf) or read online for f...
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Source: documents2.theblackvault.com
Title: USCOURTS dcd 1 03 cv 02509 1
Link: https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/nasa/USCOURTS-dcd-1_03-cv-02509-1.pdfSource snippet
The Black VaultCase 1:03-cv-02509-EGS Document 45 Filed...March 21, 2012 — MEMORANDUM OPINION. Plaintiff Leslie Kean brings this suit ag...
Published: March 21, 2012
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Source: theufochronicles.com
Title: conclusion of nasa lawsuit concerning 10
Link: https://www.theufochronicles.com/2009/11/conclusion-of-nasa-lawsuit-concerning_10.htmlSource snippet
The UFO ChroniclesTHE CONCLUSION OF THE NASA LAWSUIT: Concerning...11 Nov 2009 — For example, a one page “memo for record” was prepared...
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Source: ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com
Link: https://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/2010/01/project-moon-dust.htmlSource snippet
Project Moon Dust... files on recovered foreign space fragments - the so called "fragology files." However, despite several searches by N...
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Source: rcfp.org
Title: judge forces nasa take giant leap foia suit
Link: https://www.rcfp.org/judge-forces-nasa-take-giant-leap-foia-suit/Source snippet
Reporters CommitteeJudge forces NASA to take a giant leap in FOIA suit10 Dec 2007 — Leslie Kean, a freelance reporter working with suppor...
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Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian Nasa told to solve ‘UFO crash’ X-File | World news
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/nov/11/spaceexploration.usaSource snippet
The GuardianNasa told to solve 'UFO crash' X-File | World newsNovember 11, 2007 — 11 Nov 2007 — Steve McConnell, Nasa's public liaison of...
Published: November 11, 2007
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Source: rcfp.org
Title: nasa ordered review its records data ufo sighting
Link: https://www.rcfp.org/nasa-ordered-review-its-records-data-ufo-sighting/Source snippet
NASA Ordered to Review Its Records for Data on "UFO...10 Dec 2007 — A federal judge in October ordered NASA to conduct a thorough search...
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Source: documents2.theblackvault.com
Title: The Black Vault
Link: https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/nasa/21-HQ-F-00500.pdfSource snippet
July 27, 2021 Office of Communications John Greenewald...27 Jul 2021 — Since the FOIA lawsuit concluded in destroyed with the exception...
Published: July 27, 2021
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Source: ecf.cofc.uscourts.gov
Title: show public doc
Link: https://ecf.cofc.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2016cv0932-154-0=Source snippet
Corp.17 Jul 2024 — Plaintiff alleges NASA breached both contracts and the implied covenants of good faith and fair dealing and seeks comp...
Additional References
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Source: cshlaw.com
Link: https://www.cshlaw.com/news/mica-nguyen-worthy-submits-first-of-its-kind-claim-to-nasa-seeking-recovery-from-damages-sustained-from-space-debris/Source snippet
Mica Nguyen Worthy Submits First-of-its-Kind Claim to...21 Jun 2024 — On May 22, 2024, Mica Nguyen Worthy submitted a claim to NASA to r...
Published: May 22, 2024
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spacehipsters/posts/1882803595097848/Source snippet
NASA document archives and their disappearanceCourt papers show officials found classified documents in 14 of the 15 boxes, including 25...
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Source: epic.org
Link: https://epic.org/documents/nasa-v-nelson/Source snippet
NASA v. NelsonThe Supreme Court ruled in NASA v. Nelson that the government did not violate an employee's right of informational privacy...
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Source: wutangcorp.com
Link: https://wutangcorp.com/forum/showthread.php?103970-UFO-Alien-Chronological-Thread-Directory%2F=&page=14 -
Source: slideshare.net
Link: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/international-ufo-reporter-v30/6915252Source snippet
December 9, 1965, highlighting its mystery due to government secrecy and military intervention...
Published: December 9, 1965
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Source: mg.co.za
Title: 2007 11 11 nasa told to solve ufo crash x file
Link: https://mg.co.za/news/south-africa/2007-11-11-nasa-told-to-solve-ufo-crash-x-file/Source snippet
Mail & GuardianNasa told to solve 'UFO crash' X-file11 Nov 2007 — Steve McConnell, Nasa's public-liaison officer, has admitted two boxes...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: NAS A’s “Fragology Files”
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/q7aeqc/nasas_fragology_files_an_update/Source snippet
NASA's "Fragology Files" - An Update: r/UFOsNASA's "Fragology Files" detailed cases of unknown space objects; their recovery; and the an...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Kecksburg UFO incident
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kecksburg_UFO_incidentSource snippet
Kecksburg UFO incidentThe Kecksburg UFO incident occurred on December 9, 1965, at Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, United States, when a fireb...
Published: December 9, 1965
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Source: clientlinkserver.com
Title: ufo law 65b6729ff1ee6
Link: https://www.clientlinkserver.com/media/ufo%20law_65b6729ff1ee6.pdfSource snippet
CURIOUS LAWYER UFO LAWincident, the "Fragology Files" for 1962 to 1967, Richard M. Schulherr. Project Moon Dust, and "Cosmos 96." NASA h...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: Leslie Kean v NASA
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/osz4lz/leslie_kean_v_nasa_220_pages_just_released/Source snippet
220+ Pages JUST ReleasedMy FOIA case also revealed an unknown number of records were DESTROYED when it came to KEAN v NASA. And although...
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