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The Curtis Peebles Personal Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SDASM-SC-10114

Abstract

Curtis Peebles was an aerospace historian for the Smithsonian Institute and is known as the nation’s leading researcher and skeptic on UFO sightings. In addition to his UFO research, he has written numerous books and magazine articles dealing with declassified (formerly secret) Air Force secret weapons projects.

Dates

  • Majority of material found within 1980 - 2016

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research by appointment.

Conditions Governing Use

Restrictions: Some restrictions might apply. Will need to be evaluated for International Traffic and Arms Regulations based on researchers request and review.

Biographical / Historical

Curtis Peebles was an aerospace historian for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and joined the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center history office in 2000. Peebles is known as the nation’s leading researcher and skeptic on UFO sightings. In addition to his UFO research, he has written numerous books and magazine articles dealing with declassified (formerly secret) Air Force secret weapons projects.

Peebles has written over forty articles for NASA and other national magazines about the subject and interviewed on several documentaries, such as “Where are all the UFOs?” shown on A&E Network in 1997 and Discovery Channel’s “Unsolved History: Area 51” in 2005. A writer since 1977, Peebles has authored over eleven books: Battle for Space and, Guardians: Strategic Reconnaissance Satellites (1987), Watch the Skies! (1995), High Frontier: The U.S. Air Force and the Military Space Program and, The Corona Project: America’s First Spy Satellites (1997), Asteroids: A History (2000), Shadow Flights: America’s Secret Airwar Against the Soviet Union (2001), Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft (2003), Twilight Warriors: Covert Air Operations Against the USSR (2005) and Road to March 10: Lessons Learned from the X-43a Flight Research Program (2008).

Extent

3 Cubic Feet : This is a seven box collection, each box with measurements 16 ½” x 13” x 10”. The collection contains NASA reports/publications, magazine articles, newsletters, and other secondary materials, along with Peebles research notes and sources for his publications. Over 2,000 books have been removed from this collection to be processed and added into the Museum’s library collection. An original list of books is included in this collection.

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to SDASM.

Related Materials

UFO Subject Files.

Physical Description

This is a seven box collection, each box with measurements 16 ½” x 13” x 10”. The collection contains NASA reports/publications, magazine articles, newsletters, and other secondary materials, along with Peebles research notes and sources for his publications. Over 2,000 books have been removed from this collection to be processed and added into the Museum’s library collection. An original list of books is included in this collection.

Title
The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Curtis Peebles Personal Papers
Author
Alan Renga
Date
5/6/2016
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives Repository

Contact:
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101 USA US
(619) 234-8291
(619) 233-4525 (Fax)