Project Sign ends - Estimate of the Situation burned
Project Sign is dissolved. A core team had produced an internal report, the 'Estimate of the Situation', concluding that the best explanation for the high-quality cases was extraterrestrial. Air Force chief Hoyt Vandenberg rejected it and reportedly ordered all copies destroyed; Hynek, who had contributed to the report, experienced this as his first lesson in the topic's politics.
Background
Project Sign is dissolved. Internally a core team had produced a report titled 'Estimate of the Situation' - conclusion: the best explanation for the high-quality cases was extraterrestrial. Air Force chief Hoyt Vandenberg rejected the report and is said to have ordered all copies destroyed. Hynek, who had contributed to the report, learns here for the first time the political mechanics of the topic: findings that do not fit the narrative simply disappear.