The discovery that a mystery satellite was orbiting the earth was revealed May l9th by the Smithsonian Observatory at Cambridge, Mass., which controls a worldwide network of tracking stations. Extracts from the official statement follow:

"Satellite tracking stations around the world have been asked to help track an unsuspected, unpredicted bright satellite. The satellite was first spotted, on May 18, at Jupiter, Fla, The observatory is trying to get other sightings and an orbit. The satellite is about as bright as Echo One and can be seen early with the naked eye under right conditions."

At Haleakala, Hawati, Clifton Marsh, head of the local observatory, said Smithsonian officials also had alerted its network of high powered, telescopic cameras to spot and photograph the mystery satellite.

One unexplained factor was introduced by a Smithsonian spokesman who stated that they had "no reason yet to believe the satellite is anything new, because such orbiting mavericks are spotted with some regularity."

As this issue goes to press, the mystery satellite still has not been identified.