NASA releases report on UFOs, says more science and less stigma is needed to understand them

NASA said Thursday that studying UFOs will require new scientific techniques and more advanced satellites, as well as a change in the perception of unidentified flying objects.

The space agency spent a year studying UFOs before releasing its report.

In its 33-page report, an independent team working on behalf of NASA warned that negative perceptions surrounding UFOs pose an obstacle to data collection. But NASA’s involvement should reduce the stigma associated with what it calls unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).

“We want to move the conversation about UAPs from excitement to science,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. He promised an open and transparent approach.

Officials stressed that the committee found no evidence that the UAPs were of extraterrestrial origin. But Nelson realized that among the billions of stars in billions of galaxies, there could be another Earth.

“If you ask me if I believe in the possibility of life in a universe so vast that it is difficult for me to comprehend its size, my personal answer is yes,” Nelson said in a press conference. Its scientists said that the probability of life existing on another Earth-like planet is “at least a trillion.”

When reporters insisted on whether U.S. governments or other countries were hiding extraterrestrial creatures or ships, Nelson said: “Show me the proof.”

NASA said it is not actively searching for unexplained objects. But it operates a fleet of ships that orbit the Earth and can help determine, for example, whether a strange event is due to the weather.

The 16-member panel said artificial intelligence and machine learning are needed to identify UFOs and other strange events.

NASA recently appointed a director of UFO investigations, but will not reveal his identity to protect him from the threats and harassment that committee members have faced.

“This is one reason the name of our new director is not being published because science requires freedom. Science has to go through a really rigorous and rational process, and that’s why freedom of thought is needed,” said Dan Evans, NASA’s liaison to the committee.

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