--- title: "NASA Says It’s Officially Investigating UFO Reports" description: "NASA has announced it is commissioning a study to examine reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), events in the sky that cannot be explained." date: "2022-06-09" modified: "2022-06-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-investigating-ufo-reports" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "NASA" - "the digest" - "uaps" - "ufos" --- # NASA Says It’s Officially Investigating UFO Reports ![NASA has announced it is commissioning a study to examine reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), events in the sky that cannot be explained.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## UFO Study NASA [announced today]() that it's commissioning a study to examine reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), events in the sky that cannot be explained by conventional aircraft or other known phenomena, from a scientific perspective. It's an interesting new development given the fact that the US military [has become increasingly open about studying]() these phenomena for several years. With NASA throwing its weight behind the same efforts, maybe we'll finally get some satisfying answers. Before anybody gets too excited, though, NASA was quick to point out that "there is no evidence UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin." Regardless, though, it's an interesting development. We'll stay tuned. ## Declassified The agency also says that studying these phenomena is of interest not only to the scientific community, but for national security as well. The news comes almost exactly a year after The Office of the Director of National Intelligence [released]() its hotly-anticipated [but underwhelming]() declassified UAP report. Recently [declassified videos]() have only added to the mystery, showing strange sightings made by several US military pilots of objects that travel through the sky in strange and seemingly impossible ways. Shortly before the release of last year's report, planetary scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Ravi Kopparapu argued in a [*Washington Post* opinion piece]() that scientists are "notably absent from the current UAP conversation." That means the ensuing "vacuum of knowledge" has been "filled by unscientific claims thanks to a lack of scientific investigation," Kopparapu wrote. That all could change with NASA's latest announcement. The space agency is hosting a media teleconference later today, so hopefully we'll learn more then. **READ MORE:** [NASA to Discuss New Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Study Today]() \[NASA\] **More on UFOs:** *[Scientists Intrigued by Strange Lights in Old Space Photos]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()