Are there UFOs out there? NASA opens public hearing on the study of 'anomalous phenomena'

The team was studying unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.
While UFOs are commonly associated with aliens, NASA doesn’t think the phenomena are “extra-terrestrial in origin.”

NASA is holding its highly anticipated public hearing on UFOs Wednesday, seven months after its 16-person team began studying “events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or as known natural phenomena.”

Technically the team was studying unidentified anomalous phenomena, UAPs. NASA says they are of interest for national security as well as air safety.

“Without access to an extensive set of data, it is nearly impossible to verify or explain any observation,” NASA said when it announced the investigation last year. The focus of the study is determine what data can be collected “to scientifically discern the nature of UAP.”

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, said understanding data surrounding unidentified anomalous phenomena is critical to drawing “scientific conclusions about what is happening in our skies. Data is the language of scientists and makes the unexplainable, explainable.”

NASA announces 16 people who will study UFOs to see what’s natural – and what isn’t

Other developments:

∙ In June 2021, the office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence released a report examining unidentified aerial phenomena, determining that no “firm conclusions” could be drawn on more than 140 instances.

∙ In July 2022, the Pentagon set up the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office to, among other things, identify unidentified anomalous phenomena that might pose a threat to national security.

∙ Last May, Congress held its first public hearing on UFOs in more than 50 years.

Safe skies, national defense are top priorities

The team is trying to determine how data gathered by civilian government agencies, commercial data and data from other sources can potentially be analyzed to shed light on UAPs. It will then recommend a “roadmap” for potential UAP data analysis by the agency going forward.

Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the AARO, says the majority of unidentified objects reported to his agency appear to be nothing more than balloons, unmanned aerial systems, clutter, natural phenomena or other readily explainable sources, he said.

“We cannot answer decades of questions about UAP all at once, but we must begin somewhere,” Kirkpatrick told a Senate subcommittee last month. “I assure you that AARO will follow scientific evidence wherever it leads.”