NASA is still unable to fully explain the mysterious sky sightings, according to a major new report.
A panel convened by the space agency to investigate unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) emphasized the need for additional and improved data to understand these events.
Recent reports from various sources, especially military pilots, have detailed sightings of unidentifiable objects in the United States. While certain observations are attributed to known natural or man-made causes, others persist in a confusing explanation.
Bill Nelson, NASA’s chief administrator, acknowledged the challenge posed by the lack of comprehensive information, making it extremely difficult to elucidate these remaining anomalies.
“There is a worldwide fascination with UAPs,” Nelson said said during a panel discussion after the report’s publication. “A lot of that fascination comes from the unknown nature of it.
“Think about it: most UAP observations result in very limited data. That makes it even more difficult to draw scientific conclusions about the nature of UAP.”
To better understand where these still-mysterious phenomena come from, the space agency panel urged the panel to come up with “a rigorous, evidence-based, data-driven scientific framework” to better investigate and understand them.
Some of that could be done by NASA, the report said, and the space agency should play a “prominent role.” But the investigation must be done by the entire US government.
Nicola Fox, deputy director of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, says UAPs are “one of the greatest mysteries of our planet.”
“Observations of objects in our skies that cannot be identified as balloons, airplanes or natural phenomena have been recorded worldwide, but there are only limited high-quality observations,” she writes. “It is the nature of science to explore the unknown, and data is the language scientists use to discover the secrets of our universe.
“Despite numerous reports and images, the lack of consistent, detailed and composite observations means we currently do not have the amount of data needed to draw definitive, scientific conclusions about UAP.”
