NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Independent Study Team Report/Foreword
FOREWORD
Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are one of our planet's greatest mysteries. 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. The nature of science is to explore the unknown, and data is the language scientists use to discover our universe's secrets. 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.
At NASA, we use data and the tools of science to explore the unknown in the atmosphere and space. In June 2022, NASA established an external independent study team to find a way we can use our open-source data and resources to help shed light on the nature of future UAP. Much like a team of peer reviewers, NASA commissions independent study teams as a formal part of NASA's scientific process, and such teams provide the agency external counsel and an increased network of perspectives from esteemed scientific experts. NASA's UAP Independent Study Team is made up of 16 experts from diverse backgrounds in science, technology, data, artificial intelligence, space exploration, aerospace safety, media and commercial innovation. They were assigned to pinpoint the data available around UAP and produce a report that outlines a roadmap for how NASA can use its tools of science to obtain usable data to evaluate and categorize the nature of UAP going forward. This is not a review of previous UAP incidents.
We thank the UAP Independent Study Team members for their service on the study and for their contributions towards the advancement of our nation's understanding of UAP. While we are still evaluating the report and assessing the team's findings and recommendations, NASA's Science Mission Directorate and the Agency are committed to keeping a clear and open pipeline for communication and resources with the Department of Defense's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to support its whole-of-government approach towards understanding and resolving UAP cases. NASA is appointing a Director of UAP Research to centralize communications and leverage NASA's extensive resources and expertise to actively engage in the whole-of-government UAP initiative. This individual will also ensure that the agency's vast analytical capabilities, including its proficiency in data management, machine learning and artificial intelligence, are contributed to the government's unified UAP effort.
At NASA, we are committed to openness, transparency, and scientific integrity and they are a central part of our operations. By setting up this independent study team, NASA gained important external perspectives from leading experts in our nation for how we can use our resources to advance the study of UAP data and explore the unknown in air and space for the benefit of all.
Dr. Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate
A meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower.