NASA’s UFO Research Team to Brief the Public
NASA last year assembled a team to examine ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena.’ Photo: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES By Joseph De Avila May 31, 2023 5:30 am ET NASA’s team studying unidentified flying objects is set to meet Wednesday to discuss the types of data the space agency can collect and evaluate to learn more about UFOs and where they come from. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration assembled the team last year to examine “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” a phrase the federal government uses to refer to what are commonly known as UFOs. NASA says UAP are observations of events in the sky that can’t be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective. The researchers plan to make recommendations that NASA can use for UAP d
NASA last year assembled a team to examine ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena.’
Photo: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
NASA’s team studying unidentified flying objects is set to meet Wednesday to discuss the types of data the space agency can collect and evaluate to learn more about UFOs and where they come from.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration assembled the team last year to examine “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” a phrase the federal government uses to refer to what are commonly known as UFOs.
NASA says UAP are observations of events in the sky that can’t be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective. The researchers plan to make recommendations that NASA can use for UAP data analysis.
The public meeting will be livestreamed Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ET. Separately, the team is expected to publish a report on their findings this summer.
The meeting comes after U.S. defense officials released videos of unidentified flying objects last year during the first congressional hearing on the subject in more than half a century.
Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray during a 2022 congressional hearing on UFOs.
Photo: jim lo scalzo/Shutterstock
One clip showed the view from the cockpit of an aircraft and a split second flash of a spherical object flying to the right of the aircraft. Military officials said they have been unable to explain what the object is.
NASA said the lack of high-quality observations of UAP make it difficult to draw scientific conclusions to explain the nature of such events.
The team of 16 researchers, with backgrounds in astrophysics, oceanography, astronomy and other fields, have focused on identifying data that can potentially be analyzed to learn more about UAP. The nine-month study focused on unclassified data and considered what information can be gathered from civilian government entities and the private sector.
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The Office of the Director of National Intelligence also released a report in 2021 reviewing dozens of reports of flying objects that occurred between 2004 and 2021. Some of the objects had unusual flight characteristics, but these observations could be the result of sensor errors, spoofing, or observer misperception, the report said.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence came up with five potential explanations for UAP: airborne clutter; natural atmospheric phenomena; U.S. government or U.S. industry developmental programs; foreign adversary systems; or other.
UAP are of interest for both national security and air safety, NASA said. The agency has said that there was “no evidence” that UAP are extraterrestrial in origin.
Collecting more data on UAP will help the space agency ensure the safety of aircraft, it said.
Write to Joseph De Avila at [email protected]
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