Aerojet
Aerojet is an American rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer that has been a major contractor for US military and space programs since World War II. The company has facilities in California and other locations, developing propulsion systems for ballistic missiles, space launch vehicles, and satellite systems. Through its work on military space programs, Aerojet maintained personnel with expertise in satellite sensor systems and space-based detection technologies.
| Type | defense contractor |
|---|
Satellite Sensor Technicians and Fast Walker Research
Aerojet employed satellite sensor technicians Lee Graham and Roger Rager, who conducted research into Fast Walkers — objects detected by Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites entering or leaving Earth's atmosphere. Graham and Rager's work focused on connecting DSP satellite detection data with documented UFO incidents.
1976 Tehran UFO Investigation
Graham and Rager confirmed that the 1976 Tehran UFO Incident was tracked by United States military DSP satellites. During their investigations, they located a computer printout from the timeframe of the Iranian UFO overflight showing that the DSP satellite detected an anomalous object in Iranian airspace. The printout documented 238 scans (approximately 39.7 minutes of continuous tracking) with the notation "possible SR" (possibly Strategic Reconnaissance).
Access to Classified Detection Data
As contractor personnel working on satellite sensor systems, Graham and Rager would have had technical access to DSP detection records through their work with the program. Their ability to locate and analyze specific DSP printouts related to UFO incidents suggests they were working in roles with clearance and access to classified satellite detection data.
Significance
Aerojet's involvement — through its technical personnel — in analyzing DSP detection records represents rare confirmation from defense contractor employees that US military satellites have been tracking specific, well-documented UFO incidents. Graham and Rager's research bridged the gap between eyewitness UFO reports and classified satellite sensor data, providing hard evidence that NORAD and DSP systems were detecting and tracking the same objects observed by military pilots and civilians.