WATCH LIVE: NASA holds public meeting on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), the new term for UFOs
The meeting is expected to help the agency’s independent study team determine how to evaluate these mysterious sightings going forward.
Speakers at NASA's UFO meeting said there are unusual incidents that should be investigated further, but there's nothing definitive to say whether there is extraterrestrial life.
NASA said during Wednesday's meeting many UFO sightings are still likely unreported, and the available data has been inconclusive when put through the "rigorous" scientific test because of the poor quality of data, grainy images and blurry videos.
These were the final deliberations before NASA's independent study team, which includes 16 experts across diverse areas on relevant UFO matters, before the U.S. space agency releases its final report that's expected by the end of July.
Several speakers said this meeting, as well as the Pentagon's investigative undertaking, is "a turning point" for destigmatizing UFO reporting and discussions, although members of the panel and the Department of Defense's team have reportedly been harassed and chastised for their work.
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Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Pentagon's newly formed All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), speaks at NASA's May 31, 2023, meeting. (NASA)
NASA's study of UAPs – unidentified anomalous phenomena, which is a government-derived word for UFOs – is separate from the Pentagon's investigation, although the two studies are running on parallel tracks that include corroborative efforts.
While NASA's science mission was seen by some as promising a more open-minded approach to a topic long treated as taboo by the defense establishment, the U.S. space agency made it known from the start that it was hardly leaping to any conclusions.
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NASA examines unclassified UFO sightings and other data collected from civilian, government and commercial sectors, while the Pentagon's newly formed All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) uses both classified and unclassified data in the name of national defense.
Sean Kirkpatrick, director of AARO, said his office is investigating over 800 cases, but only 2-5% of the cases are "truly anomalous."
He defined what makes an incident anomalous as "anything not readily understandable to the operator or the censor."
UAP reporting trends presented during April 19, 2023, Senate hearing and again during NASA's May 31, 2023, meeting. (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) )
A potential UFO was seen flying over a U.S. Marine base in 2021. The photo was obtained by Jeremy Corbell, who shared it with Fox News Digital. (@Jeremycorbell/WeaponizedPodcast.com)
He defined what makes an incident anomalous as "anything not readily understandable to the operator or the censor."
"It's doing something weird," Kirkpatrick said, "whether that's maneuvering against the wind at mach 2 with no apparent propulsion or it's going into the water, which we figured out was a censor anomaly… It's something not readily understandable."
NASA defines "anomalous" as "observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective."
During the hearing, Kirkpatrick shared with NASA recommendations, which are included in the slide below.
Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Pentagon's newly formed All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), shares recommendations at NASA's May 31, 2023, meeting on UFOs. (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) )
Mike Freie, technical adviser in the FAA, said the agency receives about three to five UAP reports from air traffic controllers throughout the U.S. per month.
There was an uptick in reports in August 2022 and in February, around the time of the Chinese balloon, according to Freie, although they are likely explained.
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The speakers were peppered with questions from NASA's expert panel about the "stigma" around reporting possible UFO/UAP sightings, which follow introductory remarks about gathering higher-quality data and visuals.
Kirkpatrick said reports of UFOs are being destigmatized, but harassment and some ridicule still continues, and he said he believes it's because of the average person's lack of knowledge about how the scientific process works.
"The greatest thing to happen to me is to say, ‘Hey, I know what all these things are,’" Kirkpatrick said. "But I don't, and it's going to take time to research all those. But people want answers now."
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U.S. defense officials have said the Pentagon's recent push to investigate such sightings has led to hundreds of new reports that are under examination, though most remain categorized as unexplained.
