NASA's Investigation into UAPs:
A Comprehensive Report
In June 2022, NASA embarked on a preliminary study aimed at unraveling the mysteries of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). This decision underscored the importance of understanding these enigmatic phenomena, with implications for both national security and air safety. NASA’s focus in this endeavor is twofold: to identify existing data and determine the most effective means of acquiring future data, while also exploring how this information can advance our scientific comprehension of the issue.
Leading this ambitious scientific undertaking was David Spergel, a distinguished figure who previously headed Princeton University’s astrophysics department. Assisting him in orchestrating the study is Daniel Evans, a senior researcher within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s commitment to this endeavor is driven by the goal of enhancing our understanding of UAPs through the use of the agency’s scientific expertise, state-of-the-art satellites, and advanced sensors, which are traditionally employed for monitoring Earth’s climate and observing atmospheric conditions.
NASA’s involvement in the UAP study signifies a pivotal step forward in our collective efforts to unravel these mysteries. The agency brings to the table a wealth of scientific talent, as well as an array of cutting-edge satellites and sensors. These assets, originally designed for monitoring Earth’s climate and studying atmospheric conditions, are now repurposed to investigate UAPs. Notably, NASA has committed to a transparent approach, excluding any classified material from scrutiny, as this falls under the jurisdiction of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).
At the core of NASA’s UAP study lies the UAP Independent Study Team, comprising 16 experts hailing from diverse backgrounds in science, technology, data analysis, artificial intelligence, space exploration, aerospace safety, media, and commercial innovation. It boasted of notable personalities such as Astronaut Scott Kelly and the daughter of Frank Drake – Nadia Drake, who currently works as a science journalist. This multidisciplinary team was charged with the critical task of identifying existing data related to UAPs and producing a comprehensive report. The report will serve as a roadmap, outlining how NASA can employ its scientific tools to obtain actionable data for the ongoing evaluation and categorization of UAPs. Importantly, this study is not a retrospective review of past UAP incidents but a forward-looking endeavor.
NASA's Public Discussion on UFOs
On May 31st, 2023, NASA’s UAP Panel, established under the guidance of Director Bill Nelson, conducted an unprecedented public discussion dedicated to UAP. This historic event represented a significant step toward transparency and open discourse on the subject.
Collaboration with ‘Five Eyes’ Partners
During this momentous session, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, a prominent figure in AARO, presented the methodology employed by the organization to analyze UAP cases. In a revelation that captured global attention, Dr. Kirkpatrick disclosed that the Pentagon was actively collaborating with its ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence alliance partners—Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. This international cooperation underscores the gravity of the UAP issue and the determination of multiple nations to unravel its mysteries.
Insights from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The public discussion also featured a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), shedding light on the FAA’s technological capabilities and their potential contribution to resolving UAP reports. Notably, it was revealed that air traffic controllers submit 3-5 UAP reports on a monthly basis. Furthermore, the period from February to March 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge in UAP reports, with over 60 cases documented. This surge was attributed to heightened vigilance following the incident involving a Chinese Spy Balloon, underscoring the need for enhanced vigilance and collaboration in addressing UAP-related phenomena.
NASA's Report is Released
On September 14, 2023, NASA unveiled its highly anticipated report on UAPs. The report, while stopping short of providing definitive answers regarding the origins of UAPs, marked a significant milestone in our ongoing quest for understanding these enigmatic phenomena. During a press briefing, Bill Nelson, NASA’s director, made it clear that the study’s findings did not provide conclusive evidence of UAPs being of extraterrestrial origin. However, he candidly acknowledged the perplexing nature of UAPs, stating that there was still much that remained unknown about these airborne anomalies.
Dr. Nicola Fox, the associate administrator for NASA’s science mission directorate, made a significant announcement during the briefing. NASA revealed its intention to establish a permanent department dedicated to the study of UAPs, signaling the agency’s commitment to unravelling the mysteries surrounding these phenomena. In addition, NASA disclosed its plans to establish a crucial liaison with the Aerial Anomaly Research Organization (AARO), recognizing the importance of collaboration in addressing UAP-related matters.
The agency appointed a director to lead this groundbreaking UAP research effort, and while Dr. Fox did not initially disclose the director’s identity, NASA later identified the individual as Mark McInerney in an updated news release. Mr. McInerney had previously served as NASA’s liaison with the Department of Defense for U.A.P. issues, showcasing his expertise in this field. His extensive background includes roles within NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Hurricane Center.
The newly appointed director will play a pivotal role in several key areas:
1. Centralization of Resources and Data: One of the director’s primary responsibilities will be to centralize communications, resources, and data analytical capabilities across the federal government. This centralized approach aims to establish a robust database for the evaluation of UAP-related information.
2. Leveraging NASA’s Expertise: NASA intends to harness its expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and space-based observation tools for UAP investigations. These advanced technologies will be instrumental in analyzing and understanding the nature of UAPs.
3. Coordination with Federal Bodies: The director will serve as NASA’s primary point of contact for UAP research with other federal agencies, with a particular focus on collaborating with AARO. This coordinated effort seeks to ensure that UAP investigations are carried out collectively and efficiently.
In the pursuit of comprehensive data collection and analysis, NASA also announced its intention to engage with the public and commercial pilots. By actively involving these stakeholders, NASA aims to improve data gathering and advance citizen reporting of UAP sightings. This proactive approach is geared toward destigmatizing UAP reporting, encouraging individuals to come forward with their observations and experiences.
Details of the Report
Analyzing the Available Data
NASA’s investigation commenced with a comprehensive analysis of the existing data related to UAPs. This analysis involved exploring strategies to harness existing platforms for gathering additional data, thereby enhancing the resolution of UAP reports. This endeavor represents a significant step towards fostering transparency and cooperation across various government agencies and organizations tasked with unraveling the mysteries of UAPs.
Leveraging Earth-Observing Satellites
NASA’s vast fleet of Earth-observing satellites represents a valuable resource in the quest to understand UAPs. While these satellites may lack the spatial resolution to directly detect small UAPs, they play a pivotal role in discerning the environmental conditions coinciding with UAP sightings. Notably, advanced sensors aboard missions such as Terra and Aqua offer the potential to retroactively probe the state of the Earth’s local environment, including the oceans and atmosphere, at the time and location of UAP sightings initially detected through other means.
Civilian Capabilities in UAP Scrutiny
Beyond NASA’s capabilities, promising civilian assets are at our disposal for scrutinizing UAPs. The NEXRAD Doppler radar network, a collaboration between the FAA, U.S. Air Force, and National Weather Service, and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, hold the key to distinguishing intriguing objects from airborne clutter. Furthermore, ground-based telescopes, exemplified by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will soon conduct large-sky surveys, complementing our search for anomalous objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
SAR Technology and the NASA-ISRO Collaboration
NASA boasts substantial expertise in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, offering higher angular resolution images of Earth’s surface and the ability to confirm surface motion and changes. In particular, NASA’s collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission holds immense promise. NISAR’s exceptional resolution will provide invaluable radar data for direct examination of UAPs and their environmental context. SAR systems will also offer critical validation for anomalous properties, such as rapid acceleration or high-G maneuvers, through the Doppler signatures they produce.
Data Curation: A Crucial Element
One critical aspect often overlooked is structured data curation, an indispensable component of an evidence-based framework to comprehensively understand UAPs. NASA, renowned for its expertise in curating, archiving, and disseminating vast volumes of data, adheres to FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) data principles. This commitment enables both scientists and citizen scientists to engage in data mining and meaningful analysis. In addition, NASA’s rigorous approach will be essential in establishing standardized protocols for collecting, processing, and curating civilian UAP reports, resolving the current inconsistencies.
The Role of the U.S. Commercial Remote-Sensing Industry
The U.S. commercial remote-sensing industry presents a potent combination of Earth-observing sensors with the potential to directly investigate UAP events. Commercial satellite constellations offer imagery at various spatial resolutions, well-matched to the typical scales of known UAPs. The high temporal cadence provided by these networks enhances the chances of retrospective coverage of UAP events initially observed by other means. However, it’s important to note that commercial satellite coverage does not extend comprehensively across Earth’s surface at high resolution, necessitating fortunate circumstances to obtain pertinent observations.
Crowdsourcing and Citizen Observers
An emerging avenue for UAP scrutiny involves modern crowdsourcing techniques, such as open-source smartphone-based applications. These apps enable multiple citizen observers to gather imaging data and other sensor information simultaneously. NASA should explore the feasibility of developing or acquiring such a crowdsourcing system as part of a comprehensive data strategy.
Reducing Stigma and Encouraging Reporting
NASA’s active involvement in UAP data collection can play a pivotal role in reducing the stigma associated with reporting such sightings. This stigma is a significant factor contributing to data attrition. NASA’s longstanding public trust is essential for destigmatizing UAP reporting and scientific research, serving as a model for approaching controversial topics with transparency and rigorous analysis.
NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO. NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems.
NEXRAD or Nexrad (Next-Generation Radar) is a network of 159 high-resolution S-band Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service (NWS), an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NEXRAD captures precipitation and wind data, which, when analyzed, can be visualized as a mosaic map revealing patterns of precipitation and its directional flow in the atmosphere.
The Crucial Role of Earth-Observing Satellites
Despite the spatial resolution limitations of existing Earth-observing satellites, they remain indispensable for collecting data on environmental conditions coinciding with UAP sightings. Analyzing future satellite data will undoubtedly shed light on the typical environmental factors associated with UAPs. Upcoming missions, like the NOAA/NASA Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite system, will significantly enhance our data collection capabilities, contributing significantly to UAP analysis.
Expanding Data Collection to the Solar System
NASA’s foray into UAP investigation extends beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Radio and optical astronomy, typically focused on technosignature searches within Earth’s atmosphere, should expand to encompass the entire solar system. Additionally, programs monitoring near-Earth objects (NEOs) represent an untapped reservoir of data for characterizing natural phenomena and anomalies. NASA should consider integrating these elements into a robust future-data strategy.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques have proven essential in identifying rare occurrences within vast datasets. NASA’s extensive experience positions it well to employ AI and ML to investigate the nature and origins of UAPs. However, the effectiveness of these techniques relies heavily on the quality of the data used for training and analysis. Obtaining high-quality data takes precedence over the development of new analytical methods.
Physical Constraints on UAPs
Establishing physical constraints is a crucial aspect of UAP analysis. While the focus often centers on anomalous events, the most robust constraints emerge from the study of conventional events. Understanding the range of velocities and accelerations achievable by known platforms, such as drones and balloons, is essential. Deviations from these known characteristics serve as scientifically interesting phenomena and merit thorough investigation.
Government Agencies’ Data Contributions
Government agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), collect civilian airspace data that can be mined for UAP insights. However, this data is not always optimized for rigorous scientific analysis, given that it is typically acquired using instruments not specifically designed for UAP detection and often lacks essential metadata. Standardizing civilian UAP reporting mechanisms remains a challenge, as citizens are currently directed to contact local law enforcement or non-governmental organizations.
Leveraging the Aviation Safety Reporting System
NASA’s involvement in the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), a confidential and non-punitive reporting system administered for the FAA, can be pivotal in collecting commercial pilot UAP reports. With its vast database of safety-related incidents and close-calls in aviation, ASRS provides a valuable resource for UAP analysis, and NASA should provide technical support in this endeavor.
Advancing Air Traffic Management (ATM) Systems
NASA’s expertise in researching and developing air traffic management tools positions it well to design future ATM systems that can acquire UAP data. These systems could incorporate advanced sensing techniques, including imaging and multispectral or hyperspectral data. Machine learning algorithms could be integrated to detect and analyze UAPs in real-time, representing a complex but crucial undertaking.
Ensuring Open Dissemination of Information
Scientific transparency and objectivity are foundational in UAP investigations. NASA collaborates with government agencies to ensure the timely and comprehensible dissemination of UAP-related information to the public. Advocacy for the declassification of historical UAP data is on the agenda to foster scientific collaboration and engagement.
The Public's Reaction
NASA’s press briefing addressing UAPs left many in the UFO community questioning the agency’s credibility and transparency. Several key points raised during the briefing added to the skepticism within the UFO community:
1. Handling of Extra-Terrestrial Origins:
Bill Nelson, NASA’s director, faced a crucial question from James Fox regarding how NASA would handle the potential discovery of UAPs with extra-terrestrial origins. Nelson’s response was less than satisfactory, as he simply stated that NASA would be open and transparent. While he expressed an open-minded stance on the possibility of alien life in the universe, his response lacked depth and specifics, leaving room for ambiguity.
2. Secrecy Surrounding Budget:
The panel overseeing UAP research revealed that the NASA budget allocated for the program would not be discussed openly. This lack of transparency regarding financial resources raised concerns within the UFO community, as it left them in the dark about the scale and commitment of NASA’s efforts in studying UAPs.
3. Misinformation on David Grusch:
Bill Nelson’s handling of a question concerning David Grusch’s involvement in UAP research further eroded confidence. Nelson appeared to misquote the facts and continued to emphasize transparency, despite his apparent lack of knowledge about a significant development in the UAP issue. This misstep by Nelson raised doubts about NASA’s competence and awareness regarding the subject matter.
The reactions from the UFO community to NASA’s briefing have been mixed. Some individuals welcomed NASA’s decision to establish a permanent office dedicated to UAP research and its collaboration with AARO. They viewed this as a positive step towards NASA taking a central role in UAP investigations.
Conversely, others within the UFO community expressed concerns about a potential cover-up. They questioned NASA’s claims of transparency, particularly in light of Bill Nelson’s apparent misinformation about the David Grusch story. If any of Grusch’s statements were true, it raised questions about the wasteful allocation of public resources and time to study UAPs when other agencies might already be in possession of crucial information and material evidence. Furthermore, NASA faced criticism for appearing oversensitive to public opinion. While the UFO issue is significant, some argued that NASA should expect scrutiny and criticism in the digital age and should focus on their mission regardless.
Additionally, NASA seemed to disregard external developments, such as Chuck Schumer’s UAP Disclosure Act, which could grant the government authority to recover crashed UAPs and associated materials. Critics argued that NASA’s lack of acknowledgment of such developments made them appear disconnected from the public’s concerns and wasteful of resources. They believed that NASA’s credibility had already been compromised due to past handling of testimonies from astronauts like Gordon Cooper and Edgar Mitchell, which led to a prevailing belief that the study was a distraction or part of an ongoing cover-up.
In conclusion, NASA’s press briefing on UAPs left many in the UFO community with mixed feelings. While some appreciated the agency’s efforts to delve into the subject, others questioned their transparency, competence, and responsiveness to recent developments. The skepticism within the UFO community underscores the challenges NASA faces in building trust and credibility in its pursuit of understanding UAPs.
