NASA's Opinion on UFOs
NASA's Opinion on UFOs:
NASA Facts
Document FS-2000-01-015-HQ
That is, a document issued by NASA Headquarters (its main office) and dated January 2000, updated on December 7, 2001
Source: website http://www.nasa.gov
page:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/facts/HTML/FS-015-HQ.html
The United States Government and UFOs
No department of the United States Government is currently involved in research or supervising studies focused on the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations existing on other planets, or on unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The United States Air Force (USAF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have independently conducted sporadic research into the potential existence of life on other planets; however, no evidence has been established proving that life exists on any planet other than Earth, nor has it been proven that the UFO phenomenon is linked to visits by extraterrestrials. From 1947 to 1969, the Air Force studied UFO reports; then in 1977 (during President Carter’s administration, who had admitted to having witnessed a UFO, NDT), NASA was asked to review these studies. After reviewing all available data, NASA concluded that continuing such research was pointless due to the lack of tangible evidence.
In October 1992, Congress tasked NASA with conducting a systematic study of potential radio signals that might originate from an extraterrestrial civilization. A High Resolution Microwave Survey (HRMS) program was launched, focused on TOPS (Towards Other Planetary Systems). The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program was established in Mountain View, California. It replaced the government project, using the signal processing system initially developed by NASA. The SETI Institute is a private, non-profit organization managing research across various disciplines, ranging from astronomy and planetary science to the evolution of chemical species, the origin of life, biological evolution, and cultural evolution.
During various space missions, NASA astronauts have reported phenomena that were not immediately explainable; however, in every case, NASA has demonstrated that these observations could not be classified as "abnormal" within a space environment. The USAF's UFO research was conducted under Project Bluebook. This project, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, ran from 1947 to 1969. Of the 12,618 visual observations analyzed by the Bluebook team, 701 were categorized as unidentified.
The decision to discontinue UFO research was based on the analysis of conclusions from a report prepared by a team from the University of Colorado titled "Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects." The National Science Academy (NSA), or National Academy of Sciences, reviewed both the findings of this report, prior UFO studies, and preliminary Air Force investigations into UFO sightings from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Based on investigations conducted since 1948, the Bluebook project concluded:
1 - No unidentified flying object observed, studied, and evaluated by the Air Force ever posed a threat to our national security.
2 - Nothing indicates that observations categorized by the Air Force as "unidentified" involve technological developments or principles beyond our current scientific knowledge.
3 - And that these cases could correspond to vehicles of extraterrestrial origin.
At the conclusion of the Bluebook project, the Air Force revised its procedures for collecting information and analyzing data. Documentation from the Bluebook project was transferred to the Modern Military Branch (Modern Military Branch), and to the National Archives and Records Service (National Archives and Records Service), Washington DC 20408, where it is available and accessible to the public.
Since the closure of the Bluebook project, no new facts have emerged that would justify the U.S. government resuming UFO research.
Since neither NASA nor the Air Force is currently engaged in day-to-day research on the UFO phenomenon, neither agency analyzes articles related to UFOs intended for possible publication, evaluates designs of vehicles inspired by UFOs, nor explores aspects derived from observations in the field of aerial phenomena research.
NASA's statement concludes with:
Points of Contact Regarding UFOs:
1 - For additional information regarding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, contact SETI, 2035 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043, (415) 960-4530.
2 - Producers of programs needing archival documents from the Bluebook project may contact the National Archives Public Affairs Office, (202) 501-5525. Public inquiries should be directed to the Bluebook Project Archivist by calling (202) 501-5385. For requests not related to the Bluebook project, contact the National Archives representative at (202) 501-54000. Documentation is available at the Modern Military Branch, National Archives and Records Service, Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408.
3 - The Air Force publication, "The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert," a comprehensive document providing all available details collected by the Air Force on the Roswell incident, is available for $52 by contacting the Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.
4 - Additionally, many universities and scientific organizations have held seminars and conferences on the UFO phenomenon. A list of interested private organizations can be obtained by consulting the Gale's Encyclopedia of Associations. (Gale's Encyclopedia of Associations).
Below is the classification system for flying objects used by the Air Force:
Official NASA Contact: email: Mary
F. Bells B: SAIC Information Service
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