NASA's panel begins 9-month long study on unexplainable UFO sightings
What's the story
Have you wondered about the veracity of stories regarding unidentified flying saucers? We may soon get an answer to our doubts.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has established a first-of-its-kind panel to study unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) or unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
A group of 16 scientists will spend the next nine months looking into events involving flying objects or unnatural phenomena.
Context
Why does this story matter?
After years of denials and deflections, the US government is finally flaunting its 'alien colors.' After Pentagon, NASA has also decided to get a deeper understanding of UFOs or UAPs, as they are called now.
This is uncharted territory for an agency that has opposed any claims related to UAPs before. Whatever its intention is, NASA's involvement in this matter changes the whole conversation.
Study
The team will only use unclassified data
Over the course of the next nine months, NASA's new panel will study about UAPs and lay the foundation for future studies on them by NASA and other agencies.
The team will analyze data gathered from various sources. This data will be analyzed to see if they shed any light on UAPs or not.
The study will be on unclassified data.
Team
The study panel has 16 members from various walks
In June this year, NASA announced that it would form a team to study UAPs. The 16-member panel began its study on October 24.
The panel is chaired by David Spergel, an astrophysicist. The team has leading scientists, aerospace experts, AI practitioners, and other experts.
They will focus on finding a way to collect data to "scientifically discern the nature of UAPs."
Official words
Understanding data surrounding UAPs is critical
"Exploring the unknown in space and the atmosphere is at the heart of who we are at NASA," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
"Understanding the data we have surrounding UAP is critical to helping us draw scientific conclusions about what is happening in our skies. Data is the language of scientists and makes the unexplainable, explainable," he added.
Optics
NASA's involvement lends UFO claims credibility
NASA should be aware of how an agency-sponsored panel to study unidentified aerial phenomena must look to the general public.
The agency has tried to spin it in a way that makes it look like the study on UFOs is related to the search for extraterrestrial life on other planets.
NASA's involvement in the matter lends UFOs the credibility they never had.