(NewsNation) — An independent panel urged NASA to improve the data it collects about unidentified aerial phenomena, referred to by some as UFOs, in a new report released Thursday.
“The NASA team found no evidence that UAPs have an extraterrestrial origin,” said David Spergel, who headed the UAP committee.
In a news conference, NASA administrators spoke on the findings and future efforts to investigate UAPs, noting one goal is to remove the stigma of reporting unexplained phenomena. They also emphasized discovery and investigation of the unknown are part of NASA’s DNA as an agency.
“We recommend that NASA play a prominent role in the whole-of-government effort to understand UAP by leveraging its extensive expertise to contribute to a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that is rooted in the scientific method,” the report’s conclusions page reads. “We specifically recommend that NASA utilize its existing and planned Earth-observing assets to probe the local environmental conditions associated with UAP that are initially detected by other means.”
It comes after a summer of spotlight on the issue, as whistleblower David Grusch told NewsNation there were people in the government with firsthand knowledge of extraterrestrial life and technology on Earth.
When NASA administrator Bill Nelson was asked about Grusch’s claims, in particular claims that the U.S. has UFOs or alien bodies, he reiterated the need for data.
“Show me the evidence,” he said.
While many reports of UAP may turn out to be normal objects like planes or weather balloons, Spergel noted that being able to eliminate normal phenomena is an important element to understanding the unexplained.
“It is increasingly clear that the majority of UAP observations can be attributed to known phenomena or occurrences,” the report reads.
Spergel said the committee did not see any data that was convincingly extraterrestrial in the course of their work. Most sightings were explained or lacked enough data to determine what was happening.
“We need to collect more quality data,” he said. “Clear images taken with high-quality cameras from multiple angles and cameras that are really optimized to collect quality data.”
The report recommends NASA use existing assets to investigate UAP and collect data to support a rigorous scientific study of the phenomenon and isolate the unexplained for future study. The agency also announced it would establish a new position as director of UAP research, though it did not release the name of the individual who would be taking on the job.
While there was no evidence of extraterrestrial involvement in UAP sightings, Nelson admitted that he does believe life is out there.
“If you ask me, do I believe there’s life in a universe so vast it’s hard for me to believe how big it is, my personal answer is yes,” Nelson said.
He also emphasized the agency’s commitment to transparency when asked if, were NASA to discover evidence of extraterrestrial life, the agency would share that with the public.
“You bet your boots we will,” Nelson answered.
You can read the report here:
This is a developing story and will be updated.