Fast Walkers

Technical Definition

According to official US Air Force research papers:

"Satellite based sensors looking down at the Earth's surface occasionally observe reflected light from an object passing through the image which is moving too fast relative to the background of the image to be located within the atmosphere. These objects are commonly called Fast Walkers."
— Bradley R. Townson, USAF Captain, 2008

Fast Walkers are detected primarily by Defense Support Program (DSP) infrared satellites operating in geosynchronous orbit approximately 22,000 miles above Earth. Ground-based sensors cannot track these objects — only space-based systems have the capability to detect them.

Detection History

Data on Fast Walkers has been systematically recorded since 1972 by ballistic missile early warning satellite systems (DSP). Both Richard P. Oszx's 1989 paper and Bradley R. Townson's 2008 study confirm continuous detection and cataloging of these objects over decades.

The 1989 Oszx paper noted that Fast Walker analysis had become "an increasingly important issue due to the increase in geosynchronous satellites which detect the objects while ground-based sensors cannot."

Course Corrections and Controlled Flight

A defining characteristic of many Fast Walker detections is evidence of controlled flight rather than ballistic trajectories. Bob Fish described a DSP detection where an object:

• Entered Earth's atmosphere from deep space
• Made a 30-degree course correction turn mid-flight
• Demonstrated it was "under some sort of control" rather than following a meteor's ballistic path

This controlled maneuvering distinguishes Fast Walkers from meteors, space debris, or satellites following predictable orbital mechanics.

Notable Detection Cases

Bob Fish Incident (1980s-1990s)

DSP operators at El Segundo, California detected a Fast Walker that entered from deep space, passed close to the DSP satellite, and made a 30-degree course correction — impossible for a natural object.

1984 Indian Ocean Case

Joe Staulia reported a May 5, 1984 DSP detection of an object traveling at 22,000 mph that came within 1.8 miles of the satellite, changed course, and returned to outer space.

1976 Tehran UFO Incident

Lee Graham and Roger Rager confirmed DSP satellite detection with 238 scans (39.7 minutes of tracking) of the anomalous object during the Tehran encounter.

Slow Walkers

The military also uses the designation "Slow Walkers" for objects entering or leaving the atmosphere at lower velocities. Both terms serve the same purpose: categorizing space-transiting objects under technical military terminology distinct from "UFO" or "UAP."

Classification and Secrecy

All FOIA requests for Fast Walker data have been denied under Executive Order 13526, citing national security:

• 1979: NORAD told Barry J. Greenwood and Lawrence Faucet processing their request would cost $155,000
• 2013: US Northern Command classified it as "critical to National Defense"
• 2023: US Space Force issued final denial under FOIA Exception One

This pattern demonstrates Fast Walker data is among the most protected information held by US military space commands.

Significance

The Fast Walker designation represents official military acknowledgment that satellites routinely detect objects that:

1. Move too fast to be atmospheric phenomena
2. Often exhibit controlled flight characteristics (course corrections)
3. Cannot be tracked by ground-based sensors
4. Have been detected continuously since at least 1972
5. Originate from or depart into deep space

The use of specialized terminology allows continued classification while avoiding disclosure under standard UFO/UAP FOIA requests.

Sources

• Video - FASTWALKERS – UFOs Outside Earth