The UFO Industrial Complex was quite excited when NASA announced it would scientifically study the UFO phenomenon. Perhaps I should use NASA’s preferred term, “UAP” for “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.” I guess that sounds more sciencey than UFO, which at least sounds more sciencey than “flying saucers.”
NASA has released its final report on the matter. At 36 pages it is a short read with acknowledgements and large (generally meaningless) pictures filling up much of the space.
If you are hoping the report concludes that UAPs are alien in origin, or even that it could be, you will be disappointed. The final paragraph does make a small bow in that direction, though that paragraph begins with “at this point there is no reason to conclude that existing UAP reports have an extraterrestrial source.” However, it goes on to suggest that might be possible, that if so they must be traveling through our solar system to get here, and we should look in our solar system for “technosignatures” of such things.
In general the report:
- Makes clear the vast majority of UAP sightings are eventually conventionally explained.
- Acknowledges there are a small number for which there are currently no conventional explanations.
- Attributes the small number of unexplained cases to lack of sufficient data.
- Criticizes the inconsistent collection of data with uncalibrated sensors lacking metadata, and the lack of standardized means for measuring and studying UAP events.
- Notes that the lack of explanation is a potential threat to national security and aircraft safety.
- Urges de-stigmatizing UAP reporting to improve data collection, working to calibrate sensors to better process UAP data, standardizing means to measure and study UAPs, and encouraging more reporting of such events from military and conventional pilots. The report also endorses using NASA satellites studying Earth as a tool to detect and gather data on UAPs.
- Takes credit for NASA’s serious approach to this leading to such reforms. NASA will appoint a Director of UAP Research.
Overall the lack of explanation for UAPs is attributed to poor sensors, insufficient data and inconsistent measurements and standards for studying the issue. To resolve the question NASA recommends improving all that. NASA presents this as how science works. If something is not known, the answer is more data. The solution is to gather more data and study it.
The truth is out there, but it needs more data to be found.
