NASA announced in June that it would be conducting a study on unexplained aerial phenomena.
Thomas Zurbuchen said the intent is to move the scientific understanding of UAP forward.
Zurbuchen said that NASA believes that the tools of scientific discovery are powerful and apply here as well. There is a wide range of observations of Earth from space. The team and tools we have can help us understand the unknown better. That's how science is defined. We do that.
David Spergel is currently the chair of the astrophysics department at Princeton University.
The first task is to gather the most robust set of data that we can. We will identify what data exists, what else we should collect, and how to best analyze it.
Space.com reached out to leading experts in the field to get their opinions on NASA's new endeavor.
There is a possibility of a turning point in the study of unexplained phenomena.
Robert Powell is an executive board member of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies.
Powell said that during their press conference it was clear that they would provide an exemplary approach to the subject by combining scientific rigor, transparency and a fundamental curiosity. "All scientists interested in the study of these phenomena should be encouraged by NASA's entry into the arena as an indication that the time has come for the scientific community to openly examine this subject, and it is hoped that Congress will appropriate funding to open the study of this enigma to all of
According to Powell, the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies would encourage NASA to tap into the background knowledge that has already been obtained by other science organizations and become familiar with the pitfalls and successes of the study of this subject. He said that this will allow more rapid scrutiny of UAP development areas.
Powell said that the new NASA UAP group should consider identifying an individual that can coordinate data and information sharing with established UAP organizations. This will help reduce the amount of effort.
The head of Harvard's Galileo Project is also welcoming the new study by NASA.
The Galileo Project is currently assembling its first telescope system on the roof of the Harvard College Observatory, planning an expedition to retrieve fragments from the first known interstellar meteorite, and designing a space mission to rendezvous with the next strange object.
He summarized his thoughts about the NASA announcement in an essay.
This outcome is gratifying and represents a win-win development. He wrote that the Galileo Project is likely to get a boost in funding from wealthy individuals and foundations. The scientific mission narrative is now echoed by the government. As long as the truth is being told, it doesn't matter who tells it.
The government often looked for flying saucers.
It's great that NASA will be involved in trying to understand the mystery of UAP. A mixed bag of natural and human made objects will be the result of this quest.
"But even if we have high-quality data on just a single object that demonstrates something else, such as an extraterrestrial technological origin, it would represent the most important discovery in human history," he said.
He wrote in the essay that he would be happy to give any input that could help the study. The collection of new evidence-based knowledge on UAP should be worked on by government agencies and academics.
Scientific research also has open mindedness. We should look for evidence and not assume what we find. The Galileo Project and NASA agree on this principle.
"NASA's new UAP initiative is very encouraging, perhaps even more so than the formation of the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group in the Pentagon," said Mark Rodeghier.
This will allow a range of qualified researchers to be involved, but also because this will allow the results of the investigation to be shared with the public.
The military may be able to gather critical data on the phenomenon by using advanced sensor capabilities. Findings will not be shared with the public, that's for sure. Those of us who have advocated for years for more resources to be devoted to studying UAP have always recommended that this be done in a transparent manner.
According to Rodeghier, NASA is conducting research to learn what data is available and how best to study the phenomenon, and he is not concerned about coordination with the military.
Rodeghier said that science is best done with multiple research groups working on the same problem and UAPs are no different. NASA should reach out to the serious UFO community because we can advise them on data and data-quality issues that we understand from long experience. Their study will be more comprehensive thanks to our involvement.
The military is taking all hands on deck to understand unexplained phenomena.
It's great that NASA, the U.S. Navy, and other organizations are starting to pay more attention to the issue of unexplained phenomena. Michael Masters, a professor of biological anthropology at Montana Technological University, said that he found it odd that the U.S. Air Force was completely silent on the issue in modern times.
In his new book, "The Extratempestrial Model", Masters argues that aliens are our future human descendants, coming back through time to study their own evolutionary past.
A number of case studies are featured. He said that the Air Force Office of Special Investigations was always involved in cases involving military personnel. They are so quiet now. Why are these offices not talking to each other and sharing information?
"I think NASA's involvement is very significant," said investigative journalist and author of "UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record"
Jimmy Carter asked NASA to do an assessment when he was in office. NASA did not want the president of the United States to get involved. The stigma has been removed. We are living in a different world.
To find out what data researchers have, what more they should collect and how to analyze it is what NASA's task is at this point.
We might not be given any major revelations in the near term. This is the beginning of the process. They are looking for data from both government and civilians. Everything will be made transparent to the public. It will help lift the stigma within the scientific community by stimulating additional scientific investigations.
Data can be shared between the two organizations if NASA's UAP look-see can help. I want NASA to get data from space. We have something if we can document the existence of UAP.
The University at Albany has an associate professor named Kevin Knuth. He is a researcher.
Knuth asked if NASA astronauts had seen significant unidentified phenomena in space, given that pilots have been reluctant to come forward. The NASA UAP investigation should interview NASA astronauts to find out what was seen in space. Maybe there will be interviews of former or current cosmonauts.
There is a chance of a new safety issue involving UAPs because of the increased activity of civilian organizations in space. The U.S. Navy is required to report encounters with unknown objects in space.
Knuth points out that there are a number of former and current NASA scientists working to study UAPs. Knuth hoped that the NASA study team took advantage of their experience and energy on the topic.
Some people don't like the NASA UAP effort.
"NASA says that they are establishing an independent group of investigators to look into UAP reports, but it's difficult to see why this is expected to accomplish anything," said Robert.
There have been lots of people looking into the claims for 75 years, some of them very educated. What does NASA bring to the table that was not there before? Do people think that physicists and astronomy have never looked at reports of aliens?
The budget for NASA's UAP appraisal is $100,000, which in the overheated world of government contracts won't even pay for a single full-time researcher for a year.
The Pentagon gave $22 million to a Nevada company to investigate UAPs and their "collocating" quirks.
He said that there were reports of poltergeists, supernatural wolf-like creatures and blue orbs attacking people, but they didn't know anything about the nature of UAPs. After that, the Department of Defense refused to give any money.
The problem is not that there is too much data to analyze but that there are only anecdotal reports.
Government investigators of high strangeness apparently have yet to learn the lesson of those who know the history of 75 years of unexplained phenomena.
The book "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" was published by National Geographic. David has been writing about the space industry for more than 50 years. We encourage you to follow us on social media:
All Rights Reserved © 2024
