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ICA-UAP-D001: Analysis of Colorado Springs UAP Incident
U.S. intelligence-community assessment (public release) · 2026 release (event 2022-02-15)
ICA-UAP-D001: Analysis of Colorado Springs UAP Incident · 4 pages · PDF 0.0 MB
US federal government record (Department of War, PURSUE release). Public domain; hosted here so it can be read and searched. Original source ↗
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Page 1
SUBJECT : USA/ Colorado : An Airborne Object Over Cheyenne Mountain in February 2022 was Possible Backscattering of Sunlight page 1 of 4
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- - - - - - page 3 An airborne object over Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado /was observed by five U.S. Army service members at Fort Carson, /Colorado at 0935 MNT on 15 February 2022, was possibly /backscattering of sunlight. has low confidence in this /assessment based on uncertainty in the field of view of each /witness, amount of snow cover, and exact elevation and amount of /cloud cover. No anomalous data or characteristics were recorded or /assessed, and the event did not represent an unknown adversarial /capability. / / According to the accounts of five U.S. Army service /members On 15 February 2022, an airborne object was observed /approximately 6 miles to the west over and slightly behind the /Cheyenne Mountain silhouette for approximately 30 - 180 seconds. /The witnesses describe the object as roughly the size of a large /jet and resembling an angular, non-symmetrical potato made of /uneven panels, which was completely stationary about 300-500 feet /above Cheyanne Mountain while slowly changing shape. It had a /slightly translucent, shimmering white appearance, with defined /edges and a milky shimmer that reflected sunlight. The witnesses /noted that the sky was clear, and despite keeping their eyes on the /object, it suddenly disappeared. / / At 0945 MST on February 15, 2022, in Colorado Springs, /the sun was positioned at an altitude of about 27.5 over the /horizon in the southeast sky and roughly at an azimuth of 125, /casting shadows toward the northwest and providing soft, angled /light. According historical the National Water and Climate Center /reporting, snow depth on Cheyenne Mountain likely ranged from 6 to /12 inches. Although witnesses reported clear, blue skies, multiple /weather reports, including those from AFWA and Weather Underground, /indicated the presence of clouds, suggesting that the skies were /partly to mostly cloudy that morning. / / Analysis possibly indicates that the positioning of the /sun in relation to Cheyenne Mountain would allow for backscattering /of sunlight reflecting off snow-covered ground. This reflection /could illuminate low-level clouds in the vicinity, which might /account for the visibility of the object followed by its sudden /disappearance. It is possible that either the clouds or the sun /shifted slightly, causing the reflection to vanish. has low /confidence in this assessment based on uncertainty in the field of /view of each witness, and exact level of cloud cover. / / Analyst Note: Altostratus clouds are a kind of mid-level cloud /known for their consistent gray or blue-gray appearance. These /clouds usually develop at altitudes ranging from 6,500 to 23,000 page 3 of 4
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-- I ■ ■ page 4 /feet (about 2,000 to 7,000 meters) and can create a dense, uniform /layer across the sky or thin and wispy. While they often appear /opaque, altostratus clouds can permit some sunlight to pass /through, resulting in a luminous effect. Typically, the presence of /altostratus clouds suggests that precipitation is imminent, as they /may bring light rain or snow. / / Analyst Note: Backscattering is the phenomenon where sunlight /reflects off the snow-covered ground and reflects upwards, /scattering through the atmosphere and illuminate low-level clouds. /This is especially noticeable when the sun is low over the horizon. / No aircraft or balloons were noted active in or around /Cheyenne Mountain during the time the witnesses saw the airborne /object. / page 4 of 4
Record
- Author / institution
- U.S. intelligence-community assessment (public release)
- Date
- 2026 release (event 2022-02-15)
- Source type
- Official government analysis
- Used for
- CASE-016 independent official assessment and alternative hypothesis
- Limitations
- Low confidence; depends on incomplete geometry, snow and cloud information; official 09:35 timing differs from witness account