--- title: "Space Force Leaders Are Too Embarrassed to Study UFOs" description: "Space Force leaders are worried that nobody will take them seriously if the branch were to take a bigger role in investigating reports of UFOs." date: "2021-08-10" modified: "2021-08-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-force-embarrassed-ufos" categories: - "Future Society" - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "aliens" - "space force" - "the digest" - "ufos" --- # Space Force Leaders Are Too Embarrassed to Study UFOs ![Space Force leaders are worried that nobody will take them seriously if the branch were to take a bigger role in investigating reports of UFOs.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## UFO Taboo US Space Force leaders are worried that nobody will take them seriously if the branch were to take a bigger role in investigating reports, video and data about UFOs, [according to *Politico*](). The internal hesitance to study reports of "unidentified aerial phenomena," when even [NASA says it's now researching them](), is a sign both of the taboo surrounding the topic — and of the Trump-era Space Force's deep seated fear of being a laughingstock compared to more established parts of the military-industrial complex. ## Perfect Fit Some at Space Force argue that it'd make "perfect sense" to study the phenomena, as one unnamed former intelligence official told *Politico*. "There is no limit to the Space Force mission," the *Politico* source said. "It doesn't have a geographic boundary like the other services." But Space Force has already struggled with its reputation, becoming the butt of many jokes and even the subject of an entire [Netflix TV comedy series]() of the same name. Becoming more tied to the subject of UFOs could make it even more difficult to maintain an air of authority, according to the former official. "They want people to take them seriously," the source told *Politico*. "They don't want to do anything that is embarrassing. But this is national security. This is their job." ## Hot Potato The news comes after the Pentagon [released]() its long-awaited report on UFO sightings in June. The report was a [bit of a letdown](), failing to include much we didn't already know. Many of the discussions by the Pentagon's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, which was set up last year to study sightings made by pilots over the last two decades, are still behind closed doors. Whether the Space Force will play a more significant role in investigating the sightings is anybody's guess — but it sounds like the branch's leaders will think twice before committing to a more substantial role. **READ MORE:** ['They want people to take them seriously': Space Force wary of taking over UFO mission]() \[*Politico*\] **More on UFOs:** *[New Harvard Project Will Investigate Alien Technology]()* ## 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]()