NASA to Set Up Independent Study on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

NASA is putting together a study team this fall to explore unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). This fall, NASA will launch a research team to study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) – unexplained events in the sky that don’t align with known aircraft or natural weather patterns. The goal is to examine current data, figure out how to collect better data moving forward and determine how NASA can apply that information to expand scientific understanding of UAPs.

Because there are so few reliable sightings of UAPs, it’s difficult to make strong scientific conclusions about their origin. However, these unexplained aerial events are of concern due to national security and aviation safety. Determining which of these incidents have natural causes is a key step in identifying or addressing potential threats, and it aligns with NASA’s broader goal of protecting air travel. There is no evidence to suggest that UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin.

“NASA believes that the tools of scientific discovery are powerful and apply here also,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA believes that the tools of scientific discovery are powerful and apply here also,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We have access to a broad range of observations of Earth from space – and that is the lifeblood of scientific inquiry. We have the tools and team who can help us improve our understanding of the unknown. That’s the very definition of what science is. That’s what we do.”

NASA is not part of the Department of Defense’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force or its successor, the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group. However, the agency has collaborated with other parts of the government to explore how science can be used to better understand the origin and nature of UAPs.

NASA’s independent study will be headed by astrophysicist David Spergel, currently president of the Simons Foundation in New York City and former chair of Princeton University’s astrophysics department. NASA has appointed astrophysicist David Spergel to lead its independent study on UAPs. Spergel is currently the president of the Simons Foundation in New York City and formerly led the astrophysics department at Princeton University. Daniel Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, will oversee and manage the study on behalf of the agency.

“Given the paucity of observations, our first task is simply to gather the most robust set of data that we can,” said Spergel. “We will be identifying what data – from civilians, government, non-profits, companies – exists, what else we should try to collect, and how to best analyze it.”

The project is expected to last around nine months. It will bring together experts from fields like science, aeronautics, and data analytics to find better ways of gathering new data and improving the study and interpretation of current UAP observations.

“Consistent with NASA’s principles of openness, transparency, and scientific integrity, this report will be shared publicly,” said Evans. Evans reinforced NASA’s dedication to openness and scientific integrity, stating, “Consistent with NASA’s principles of openness, transparency, and scientific integrity, this report will be shared publicly. All of NASA’s data is available to the public – we take that obligation seriously – and we make it easily accessible for anyone to see or study.”

Although separate from the UAP investigation, NASA remains active in its astrobiology efforts, which focus on studying the origins, evolution, and possible existence of life beyond Earth. This research includes examining the history of water on Mars and studying “ocean worlds” like Europa and Titan, which may have environments capable of supporting life.

NASA also searches for life beyond Earth through missions like the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA continues its search for life beyond our planet through missions such as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Hubble Space Telescope. Both are focused on identifying exoplanets that could potentially support life. The James Webb Space Telescope will further this effort by studying the atmospheres of these distant planets for biosignatures – like oxygen or carbon dioxide – that might indicate conditions similar to Earth’s. NASA also funds research into technosignatures, which are potential indicators of advanced technologies, as another approach to detecting life on planets outside our solar system.