Nasa UFO report: Unexplained objects could pose threat, warn scientists
Nasa announced it was appointing a director of UFO research after admitting that there were still unexplained objects in the skies that could be a threat to US airspace.
The US Space Agency released a new report today following a 15-month inquiry into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), warning that the data was too limited to make “definitive scientific conclusions”.
The independent team concluded that the majority of UFOs were natural phenomena – mostly aeroplanes, balloons, drones, weather phenomena or an issue with the recording instrument.
It also ruled out the USS Theodore Roosevelt “Go Fast” video from 2015, in which a Navy fighter jet pilot described an object skimming across the ocean at high speed. The team concluded there was no evidence of a propulsion system, and most likely the object was drifting on the wind.
But the report authors also warned that some UFOs were still unexplained, and advised that satellite data and crowdsourcing should be harnessed to try and get to the bottom of the mystery.
‘We don’t know what the UAP are’
Nasa administrator Bill Nelson, a former space shuttle astronaut and US senator, said there was no evidence that any of the phenomena had an extraterrestrial source, but said he could also not rule out an alien origin.
Speaking at a media briefing after the publication of the report, Mr Nelson said: “The Nasa independent study team did not find any evidence the UAPs have an extraterrestrial origin, but we don’t know what these UAP are.
“The mission of Nasa is to find out the unknown. We don’t know what the UAP are, but we are going to try to find out.”
Asked if Nasa would be open if they did find evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, Mr Nelson said: “You bet your boots we will say that we deal openly and we will be transparent.
“In a universe that is so vast, could there be replication of life on Earth elsewhere in another Solar System? Of course I believe that.
“It would have to be a very advanced civilisation, and the distances (involved) - hundreds of light years, billions of light years. But whatever we find we’re going to tell you.”
Trolling and ridicule
Nasa said it wanted to end the stigma of reporting UFO sightings, which often stopped people from admitting to witnessing strange events, and said it would be appointing a director of UAP research.
However, Nasa said it would not be naming the new director after its UFO team had faced trolling and ridicule throughout the inquiry.
The report authors said Nasa should explore the viability of developing crowdsourcing smartphone apps where people could report phenomena, which would have verifiable meta-data.
The team also called for Nasa to make use of existing and future Earth-observing satellites to probe the Earth, ocean and atmospheric conditions when UFOs are seen, as well as making use of AI and machine learning.
The report also recommended inviting UFO reports through the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) - a confidential, voluntary reporting system that receives safety reports from pilots, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, cabin crew, ground operators and maintenance technicians.
‘Serious concerns about the safety of our skies’
The report concluded: “Recently, many credible witnesses, often military aviators, have reported seeing objects they did not recognise over US airspace.
“Most of these events have since been explained, but a small handful cannot be immediately identified as known human-made or natural phenomena.
“Observations of objects in our skies that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft, or natural known phenomena have been spotted worldwide, yet there are limited high-quality observations.
“Despite numerous accounts and visuals, the absence of consistent, detailed, and curated observations means we do not presently have the body of data needed to make definitive, scientific conclusions about UAP.”
Daniel Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research at Nasa, said: “We at Nasa believe that understanding UAP is vital for several reasons.
“The presence of UAP raises serious concerns about the safety of our skies. And it’s the national obligation to determine whether these phenomena pose any potential risk to airspace safety.”
04:05 PM BST
Today's live coverage has ended
Here is a roundup of the main events:
It is the ‘first time’ Nasa has taken action on UAPs.
Nasa is considering using ‘smartphone apps’ to track UFOs.
AI must also be used to detect UAPs.
The word ‘alien’ was used just three times in the report.
The report found ‘no evidence’ of extraterrestrial UAPs.
04:01 PM BST
Nasa will not name new director for research on UAPs
Nasa announced new director for research on UAPs, but has decided to not name them.
Nasa said the new director of UAP research will handle “centralized communications, resources and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP.”
03:51 PM BST
Switch 'sensationalism to science'
One of the speakers said that combating the stigma around reporting sightings of UAPs is one of their main goals.
“We want to shift the conversation around UAPs from sensationalism to science,” they said.
“If you see something, collect high quality data on it, because then we can learn.”
03:48 PM BST
Study leaders 'ridiculed' for involvement in report
One member of the study tam involved in the report said she received hate mail from a colleague for her involvement in the project, because it is still viewed by many as “fringe at best”
“Others were ridiculed or criticized on social media,” the report reveals.
“Such criticism, either by detractors or by proponents of the extraterrestrial hypothesis, are anathema to the scientific method, which NASA always has and will continue to promote in an objective and open-minded fashion.”
03:46 PM BST
US government will be 'open' about UAPs of extraterrestrial origin
Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson was asked by a member of the audience how people would be alerted of a UAP of extraterrestrial origin.
He replied: “The Nasa independent study team did not find any evidence that UAP have an extraterrestrial origin, but we don’t know what these UAP are. The mission of Nasa is to find out the unknown.”
But in the case of extraterrestrial origin, Nasa “will be open on this”, he added.
Mr Nelson said that the group is trying to address concern that research into extraterrestrial UAPs is happening behind closed doors and that the American government is not being transparent.
“We are the American government and we are open,” he said. “We are going to be open about this, but we don’t know what these UAP are.”
03:34 PM BST
'No evidence' of extraterrestrial UAPs
There is no evidence that UAPs currently found are extraterrestrial in origin, Dr Spergel said.
“It is essential to clarify, based on our current findings and methodology, that we find no evidence to suggest that UAP are extraterrestrial in origin.
“Most events are explainable as planes, drones, balloons, weather phenomenon...”
03:28 PM BST
Nasa to 'bridge data gap' on UAP sightings
David Spergel, president, the Simons Foundation and chair of Nasa’s UAP independent study team, is now speaking.
He said that “most UAP events lack high-quality data” and that one of Nasa’s goals is to bring this to the detection effort.
AI tools will be helpful in this, he added.
“Stigma has limited reporting for pilots, so we know there is missing data,” he said.
03:24 PM BST
Goals of the project will be to determine the physical constraints of UAP sightings
Back to the paper. It says that of the goals of the project will be to determine the physical constraints of UAP sightings.
The experts say this “is within reach” and could be managed if the data-driven approach is adopted widely.
By knowing the size, speed and trajectory of an object, for example, it would allow NASA to know if it is moving in conventional ways.
“Convincing evidence of verified anomalous accelerations and velocity would point towards potential novel explanations for UAP,” the document adds.
03:23 PM BST
One step closer to 'uncovering the mysteries of the world around us'
The insights of the report will “greatly enhance our nation’s understanding of UAP going forward”, Dr Evans said.
He added: “The team’s report stands as a testament to Nasa’s and the team’s commitment to transparency, to the power of science and to the unwavering quest for knowledge.
“We at Nasa believe that studying UAP represents an exciting step forward in our journey to uncover the mysteries of the world around us.”
03:17 PM BST
'We must focus on the safety of our skies", says Nasa official
Dan Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research, Nasa’s Science Mission Directorate, is now speaking.
He said that understanding UAPs is “vital” and “provides an opportunity for us to understand the universe around us”.
The study, he said, aims to “enhance situational awareness” as we must focus on the “safety of our skies”.
03:15 PM BST
'Destigmatisation' of UAP sightings needed
Nicola Fox, associate administrator, the Science Mission Directorate, Nasa Headquarters in Washington, said that observations are currently not collated effectively.
Ms Fox added that there must be a “destigmatisation” in recording sightings.
03:13 PM BST
'Alien' used just three times in report
The word “alien” is only used three times in the report, an indicator of how seriously NASA is taking the project and not getting carried away in the search for answers.
“It is increasingly clear that the majority of UAP observations can be attributed to known phenomena or occurrences,” the report says.
The issue, he adds, is that there is often no data to accompany the sightings which makes scrutiny and analysis impossible.
03:10 PM BST
'Not a review of previous UAP incidents'
A team of 16 experts who compiled the review said “it is not a review of previous UAP incidents”.
The focus of the report is very much on how to set up a framework and system to enable future sightings and claims to be thoroughly tested and to provide data which can actually be used.
Nasa, the report says, is to appoint a “Director of UAP Research” who will be talked with using Nasa’s vast resources to maximise the project.
03:08 PM BST
Data collection key issue to be tackled
The report states that data collection is the key issue that needs to be tackled. Previous sightings have been with poorly calibrated instruments which make it impossible to determine the object’s true origin.
“The importance of detecting UAP with multiple, well-calibrated sensors is paramount, and Nasa could potentially leverage its considerable expertise in this domain,” the report states.
03:06 PM BST
'First time' Nasa has taken action on UAPs
Speaking at the briefing, Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson said this is the first time Nasa has taken concrete action on UAPs.
03:04 PM BST
Nasa panel calls for agency to play larger role
The Nasa panel recommended that the space agency increase its efforts to gather information on unidentified objects in the sky and play a larger role in helping the Pentagon detect them. The report said:
“NASA has a variety of existing and planned Earth- and space-observing assets, together with an extensive archive of historic and current data sets, which should be directly leveraged to understand UAP.
“Although NASA’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites typically lack the spatial resolution to detect relatively small objects such as UAP, their state-of-the-art sensors can be directly utilized to probe the state of the local earth, oceanic, and atmospheric conditions that are spatially and temporally coincident with UAPs initially detected via other methods.
Thus, NASA’s assets can play a vital role by directly determining whether specific environmental factors are associated with certain reported UAP behaviors or occurrences.”
03:01 PM BST
Nasa livestream due to begin
The Nasa livestream on the long-awaited Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UFO) report is due to start imminently.
Leading scientists and Nasa officials will speak about the report, which focuses on how to determine the true origin of UAPs in the future.
You can watch at the top of this page.
02:57 PM BST
AI must be used to detect UAPs
The report has recommended that artificial intelligence be used in UAP detection.
They said that sophisticated data analysis techniques, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, must be coupled with systematic data gathering and robust curation.
They have asked for Nasa’s expertise in these key areas to come together and contribute to the UAP effort.
02:53 PM BST
1,940,000 sightings since records began
Nasa’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) has received more than 1,940,000 reports, averaging approximately 100,000 per year, since its inception 47 years ago.
02:48 PM BST
Nasa considering using ‘smartphone apps’ to track UFOs
Nasa is considering using ‘smartphone apps’ to track UFOs.
The agency said that modern crowdsourcing techniques, including open-source, could be used to gather image data and information from “citizen observers”.
“Nasa should therefore explore the viability of developing or acquiring such a crowdsourcing system as part of a future data strategy,” they said.
02:42 PM BST
Report now live
The UFO report how now been published and we will give you updates as they come.
02:35 PM BST
Mexican remains could be extraterrestrial
A discredited “ufologist” presented what he claimed were alien remains to Mexico’s congress earlier this week in an attempt to persuade politicians to declare the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Jaime Maussan said scientists had been unable to identify the bodies, which have supposedly been preserved in a Peruvian mine for a thousand years.
The specimens were brought into the Chamber of Deputies in what appeared to be wooden crates, as representatives held their first-ever hearing on UFOs.
Two men removed the lids from the makeshift coffins, revealing two tiny corpses with elongated skulls and three fingers on each hand lying in the heavily padded interiors.
At a later point, legislators were shown X-rays of the bodies which supposedly revealed implants made of rare metals. One was said to have eggs in its stomach.
02:27 PM BST
Former intelligence officer ‘actually’ believes government in possession of UFOs
In July, a former US intelligence officer made headlines when he told a congressional committee he “absolutely” believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomena -- as well as remains of their alien operators.
“My testimony is based on information I’ve been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country -- many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony,” David Grusch told lawmakers.
02:11 PM BST
More than 800 events previously discovered
While Nasa’s probes and rovers scour the solar system for any fossils of ancient microbes, and its astronomers look for signs of intelligent civilizations on distant planets, its historic posture has been to “debunk” sightings on our home planet.
There have been more than 800 “events” collected over 27 years, of which two to five per cent are thought to be possibly anomalous, the report’s authors said during the May meeting.
These are defined as “anything that is not readily understandable by the operator or the sensor,” or “something that is doing something weird,” said team member Nadia Drake.
The US government has begun taking the issue of UAPs more seriously in recent years, in part due to concerns that they are related to foreign surveillance.
02:00 PM BST
What has happened before?
The US space agency announced last year it was reviewing evidence regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs -- which has replaced the term “UFO” in official parlance.
An independent team of 16 researchers shared their preliminary observations in May, finding that existing data and eyewitness reports are insufficient to draw firm conclusions while calling for more systematic collection of high-quality data.
In July, a former US intelligence officer made headlines when he told a congressional committee he “absolutely” believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomena.
Earlier this week, the alleged bodies of two “non-human” beings were presented during a congressional hearing in Mexico, generating a mixture of surprise, disbelief and ridicule on social media.
01:59 PM BST
Welcome to our live coverage
For the first time ever, a team of Nasa scientists is taking unidentified anomalous phenomena seriously.
Here we will bring you live coverage of the space agency’s release of a long-awaited study on unexplained flying objects in Earth’s skies.
