A NASA report says unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) are not definitively connected to extraterrestrial life, but what they actually are remains unclear.
"We don't know what these UAP are," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Thursday during a briefing to discuss the report.
For the first time ever, the space agency took concrete steps toward explaining what UAP are and the 33-page report released Thursday detailed some evidence behind UAP that could not be explained.
A number of UAP sightings, also known colloquially as unidentified flying objects or UFOs, could not be determined due to a lack of evidence from data collected, the report concluded.
This, according to NASA, "hampered" the analysis of UAP.
Despite a lack of information, NASA said so far, UAP have not been linked to life from other planets.
"No evidence of UAP is extraterrestrial in origin," Nelson said at the press briefing. "But we don't know what these UAP are. The mission of NASA is to find out the unknown."
Nelson said NASA will be "transparent" on further studies on UAP.
When asked specifically if NASA will tell the public if UAP are found to be linked to extraterrestrial life, Nelson said "You bet your boots."
"Whatever we find, we're going to tell you," he said. "If you ask me, do I believe there’s life in a universe that is so vast that it’s hard for me to comprehend how big it is? My personal answer is yes."
The report noted detecting UAP is "serendipitous" and is often captured by sensors not "designed or calibrated" to track them, leaving the data incomplete.
Evidence of UAP that cannot be identified from NASA report. (NASA)
"Coupled with incomplete data archiving and curation, this means that the origin of numerous UAP remain uncertain," the report stated.
The 16-member independent and global study team of leading experts, artificial intelligence, data analysts, aerospace safety specialists and multiple research institutes came together to provide the report.
To better understand UAP and shift the conversation from "sensationalism" to "science", NASA has appointed a director of research for UAP.
While NASA promised an open and transparent approach to the UAP issue, it did not initially plan to name the new director of UAP research in order to avoid harassment – only to reverse that decision hours later.
"Science needs to undergo a rigorous and rational process and you need the freedom of thought to be able to do that," Dan Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said. "Some of the threats and the harassment have been beyond the pale, quite frankly, to some of our panellists."
Nelson said UAP are a global fascination and hopes NASA can provide some answers through further research.
"NASA searches for the unknown," he said. "We are looking for signs of life past and present. It's in our DNA to ask why things are the way they are."
Stigma around reporting UAP is also contributing to a lack of evidence, David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation and chair of NASA’s UAP independent study team, said.
"NASA, by lending its name to UAP studies, is already helping to reduce stigma associated with reporting," the report said. "Many scientists and aviators consider the study of UAP to be “fringe” at best."
The report, which took a year to finish, aimed to bring some answers to UAP using scientific data. It said new data analysis techniques like artificial intelligence and technologies like future satellites could help provide more answers.
"At NASA we're scientists, we love data. We love all data. And if there is something that needs to be reported, and we want people to be able to feel that they can report that," Nicola Fox, associate administrator, of Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington, said.
Later in the day, Fox made a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, announcing the name of NASA's new UAP lead.
"Given the interest, I’m sharing NASA selected Mark McInerney director of UAP research," Fox wrote, following earlier online backlash. "As we continue to digest the study team’s report and findings, please treat him with respect in this pivotal role to help us better scientifically understand UAP."
McInerney previously served as NASA's Pentagon liaison, which included some UAP-related activities.
"In the director role, he will centralize communications, resources, and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP," an updated press release from NASA said. "He also will leverage NASA’s expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and space-based observation tools to support and enhance the broader government initiative on UAP."
The NASA report also noted engaging the public in better understanding UAP "will be vital" and even suggested the creation of "open-source smartphone-based apps that simultaneously gather imaging data and other smartphone sensor metadata from multiple citizen observers worldwide."
The NASA report relied on unclassified and public data. The Pentagon's current UAP research effort, known as the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), would be able to access data not available to NASA researchers.
In Canada, officials do not typically investigate reports of unusual lights and objects, which have been filed by police officers, soldiers, air traffic controllers and pilots on medical, military, cargo and passenger flights operated by WestJet, Air Canada Express, Delta and more.
CTVNews.ca previously revealed that the Canadian government's top scientific advisor has launched the first official Canadian UAP study in nearly three decades. Known as the Sky Canada Project, the effort from Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada seeks to understand how UAP reports "are managed in Canada and to recommend improvements." A new Sky Canada Project webpage promises a final public report in 2024.
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