By: Alice Li

Last Thursday, a top agency official announced that NASA, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is going to conduct a search on the sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP).

This comes after dozens of UAP sightings were reported, mostly by naval aviators, as unidentifiable flying objects. There was no evidence that these objects were technology developed by other countries, however, there was also no evidence of these objects being extra-terrestrial. These facts led NASA to the decision to conduct an investigation on UAPs.

Thomas Zurburchen, the head of NASA’s science mission directorate, addressed the anticipated criticism that the study of UAPs is not “science”, saying, “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 confirms that examining UAPs fit with their investigation of signs of life beyond Earth, and wants to regard in a scientific way which has been a point of fixation for centuries. Even though the theory of UAPs might be stereotypically fake and is highly controversial, NASA reaffirmed that they will take on this project.

The study of UAPs will be led by David Spergel and Daniel Evans. They plan to start in fall, and costs are estimated at $100,000. There is not much evidence or a working hypothesis to start examining the UAPs, excluding the idea that the UAPs are caused by several different phenomena. It is a necessity for data to be collected and eyewitness accounts of the flying objects categorized.

This is discussed more in a report released by the director of national intelligence, where it is stated that “Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion. In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings.” This small amount of data collected might prove this study is leading to something, and not a waste of money and resources, but until further notice this topic of UAPs will remain largely controversial among critics.