INFORMATION SHEET Prepared by:

Number 78-1 LFF-3 / Public Services Branch

Office of External Relations
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

The information contained here has been compiled to respond
to queries on Unidentified Flying Objects directed to the White
Rouse as well as NASA.

NASA ~s the focal point for answering public inquiries to

the White House relating to UFOs. NASA is not engaged in a re-
search program involving these phenomena, nor is any other govern-
ment agency.

BACKGROUND

In July of 1977, Dr. Frank Press, Director of Science and

Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President, wrote to
Or. Robert A. Frosch, the NASA Administrator, suggesting NASA
should answer all UFO-related mail and also to consider whether
~ NASA should conduct an active research program on UFOs. In a
letter dated December 21, 1977, Or. Frosch agreed that NASA will
continue to respond to UFO-related mail as it has in the past
and, if a new element of hard evidence that UFOs exist is brought
to NASA's attention from a credible source, NASA will analyze the

~nexp l ained o rganic or inorganic sample and report its findings.

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Quoting from Or. Frosch's December 21 letter: " ..• If some '

new element of hard evidence is brought to our attention in the

future, it would be entirely appropriate for a NASA laboratory to
analyze and report upon an otherwise unexplained organic or

inorganic sarr~le; we stand rea~y to respond to any bona fide

physical evidence from credible sources. We intend to leave the

door clearly open for such a possibility.

"We have given considerable thought to the question of what

else the "United States might and should do in the area of UFO

research. There is an absence of tangible or physical evidence

available for thorough laboratory analysis. And, because of

the absence of such evidence, we have not been able to devise a

sound scientific procedure for investigating these phenomena.
To proceed on a research task without a sound disciplinary
framework and an exploratory technique in mind would be wasteful
and probably unproductive.

"I do not !eel that we could mount a research effort with-

out a better starting point than we have been able to ide~tify

thus far. I would therefore propose that NASA take no steps to

,
estab l ish research in this area or to convene a symposium on
this SUbject.
-- 3

RI wish in no way to indicate that NASA has come to any

conclusion about these phenomena as such~ institutionally, we

retain an open mind, a keen sense of scientific curiosity and a

willingness to analyze technical problems within our competence."

•

---------------------
Reports of unidentified objects entering United States air

space are of interest to the military as a regular part of

defense surveillance. Beyond that, the u.s. Air Force no longer

investigates reports of UFO sightinqs.

This was not always the case. On· December 17, 1969, the

Secretary of the Air Force announced the termination of Project

Blue Book, the Air Force program for UFO investigation started

in 1947.

Th e decision to discontinue UFO investigations, the USAF

saie, was based on: (1) an evaluation of a report (often called

~~e C ~ncon Report ) prepared by the University of colorado and

entitled "Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects;" (2)

a ~ev i ew o f t he University of Colorado report by the National
•
Aca c e~y of Sciences: ( 3 ) past UFO studies; and ( 4) Air Force

ex?er~ence investigating PFO reports for two decades •

•
-- 4

As a re su lt of the se in ve sti ga tio ns an d stu di

es , an d ex -
pe rie nc e ga ine d fro m in ve sti ga tin g UFO re po rts
sin ce 19 48 , the
co nc lus ion s of the Ai r Fo rce we re: ( I) no UFO re po
rte d, in ve sti -
ga ted , an d ev alu ate d b y the Ai r Fo rce ha s ev
er giv en an y
in di ca tio n of th re at to ou r na tio na l security
~ ( 2) th er e ha s
be en no ev ide nc e su bm itt ed to or dis co ve red by
the Ai r Fo rce
th at sig ht in gs ca teg or ize d as "u ni de nt ifi ed "
re pr es en t
tec hn olo gic al de ve lop me nts or pr in ci pl es be yo nd the
ran ge of
pr es en t da y sc ie nt ifi c kn ow led ge ; an d ( 3) th er
, e ha s be en no
ev ide nc e in di ca tin g th at sig ht in gs ca teg or ize d as
l1u nid en tif ied "
are ex tra te rre str ia l ve hi cle s.

Wi th the ter mi na tio n of Pr oj ec t Bl ue Bo ok , the Ai r

Fo rce
re gu lat io n es tab lis hi ng an d co nt =o lli ng the pro gra m
fo r in ve sti -
ga tin g an d an aly zin g UFOs wa s re sc in de d. Al l do cu me
nta tio n
reg ard ing the for me r Bl ue Book in ve sti ga tio n ha s be
en pe rm an en tly
tra ns fe rre d to the Mo der n M ili tar y Br an ch , Na tio na
l Ar ch ive s
an d Re co rds Se rv ice , Bth St re et an d Pe nn sy lva nia Av
en ue , N . \~. ,
Wa shi ng ton , DC 20 40 8 , an d is av ail ab le fo r pu
bl ic rev iew an d
'an al ys is. Th ose wi sh ing to rev iew th is ma ter ial may ob tai n
a
~esearc h er's pe rm it ~rom the Na tio na l Ar ch ive s an d Re co rd
•
Se rv ice .
-- 5

Also available:
Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects. Condon
~e~crt
. study conducted bv
~ . the ~niversitv
- of Colorado under con-

trac~ F44620-76-C-0035. Three volumes, 1,465p. 68 plates. Photo-

duplicated hard copies of the official report may he ordered for

S6 per volune. $18 the set of three, as AD 680:975, AD 680:976.

and AD 680:977, from the National Technical Information Service,

U.S, Department of Co~erce, Sprin9field, VA 22151.
,
,

Review of University of Colorado ReDort on Unidentified

• 7

Flying Objects. Review of report by a panel of the National

Academy of Sciences. National Academy of Sciences, 1969, 6p.

?hotoduplicated hard copies may be ordered for $3 as AD 688:541
frot". t.he National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department
of Coorne~ce, Sprinqfield, VA 22151.

---------------------------------
aware of the many tlFO reports I!\.ade in recent years.
" ,
.However, the ma]orl.ty of inquiries to NA£A concerning UFO sight-
ings address themselves to the reported sightings by astronauts
during Earth orbital and lunar missions and the report by
Presice ~ t Carter while serving as Governor of Georqia.

,
-- Du rin g se ve ra l sp ac e mi ssi on s NASA as tro na ut s rep
6

or ted
ph eno me na no t im me dia tel y ex pl ain ab le. Ho we ve r, in ev ery
ins tan ce NASA sa tis fie d its el f th at wh at ha d be en
ob ser ve d wa s
no thi ng wh ich co uld be ter me d ab no rm al in the sp ac
e en vir on me nt.
Th e air -to -g ro un d tap es of al l ma nn ed ~issions ar e
•
av ail ab le
at the Joh nso n Sp ace Ce nte r, Ho us ton , fo r rev iew by
the se rio us
re se ar ch er .

On " Oc tob er 12 , 19 73 , wh ile se rv ing as Go ve rno r of

Ge org ia,
Mr . Ca rte r res po nd ed to in qu iri es fro m the NA
tio na l In ve sti ga -
tio ns Co mm itte e on Ae ria l Ph eno me na (NICAP) sa yin g th
at he ha d
see n a br ig ht , mo vin g ob jec t in the sk y ov er Le ary ,
Ge or gia , in
.
Oc tob er of 19 69 . He sa id the ob jec t wa s vi sib le
fo r 10 to 12
"in ut es an d, at on e po in t, sho ne as br ig ht ly as the
• Moon. Th e
reg ion al NICAP repres~ntative in ve sti ga ted the sig .. .-
ht in g an d
rep or ted th er e wa s no ev ide nc e to su pp or t an yth ing
be yo nd pla cin g
wha t Mr . Ca rte r saw in NICAP' s "u ni de nt ifi ed " ca teg
or y. Ho we ve r,
it ha s be en su gg es ted by some stu de nt s of ae ria l ph
eno me na th at
Mr . Ca rte r .may ha ve vie we d the Pl an et Ve nu s wh ich
, at ce rta in
tim es , may ap pe ar ma ny tim es br ig ht er tha n a sta r
of the fir st -
ma gn itu de .
•
Sin ce NASA is no t en ga ge d in da y- to- da y UFO re se ar
ch , it
do es no t rev iew UF O- rel ate d ar tic le s int en de d fo r
pu bl ica tio n,
ev alu ate UF O- typ e sp ac ec ra ft dra wi ng s or ac ce pt ac
co un ts of
UFO sig ht in gs or ap pl ica tio ns fo r em plo ym en t in th
e fie ld of
~rial ph eno me na in ve sti ga tio n. Al l su ch ma ter ial wi ll be
ret ur ne d wi th NA SA 's tha nk s to the se nd er.
-- 7

A number of universities and scientific ~rganizations have

considered UFO phenomena during periodic meetings and seminars.

In addition, a nunber of private domestic and foreign groups

continue
,
to review UFO sighting reports actively. Some of these

organizations are:

(1) National Investigations Committee on

Aerial Phenomena
John L. Acuff, Director
Suite 23
,
3535 University Boulevard, West
Kensington, MD 20795
(301) 949-1267

(2) The committee for the Scientific Investigation

of Claims of the Paranormal
UFO Subcommittee
Robert Sheaffer, Chairman
~805 McHillan Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 2091~
(301) 589-8371

(3) Aerial Phenomena Research Organization

James and Coral Lorenzen, Directors
3910 E. K1einda1e Road
Tucson, AZ 85712
(E02) '93-1825

(4) Mutual UFO Network

T"ial ter H. ]I..ndrus, Jr., Director
103 Old Towne Road
•
Seguin, TX 78155
(512) 379-9216
• (5) 7he Center for UFO Studies
Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Director
924 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
(312) 491-1780

February 1, 1978