NASA appoints new head of UFO research

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The agency's UFO chief previously served as NASA's liaison to the Pentagon.

a silver balloon rises into a blue sky
An upper-level weather balloon sails into the sky after release from the Cape Canaveral weather station in Florida. (Image credit: NASA)

NASA has named a new head of UFO research.

Mark McInerney was appointed as Director of UAP Research, a role in which he will oversee the agency's studies into unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, a new term that encompasses UFOs in the sky as well as unexplained objects or events that are observed under water, in space or that appear to travel between any of these domains.

McInerney previously served as the agency's liaison to the U.S. Department of Defense. In this new role, McInerney will coordinate NASA's communications and studies into UAP in order to "establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP," according to a NASA statement. In addition, NASA's new UAP chief will help the agency provide expertise in artificial intelligence and space-based Earth observation satellites to help the U.S. government begin collecting data that it hopes might help explain the UFO phenomenon.

Related: NASA UFO report finds no evidence of 'extraterrestrial origin' for UAP sightings

In a briefing on Thursday (Sept. 14) held to discuss the first public report of its independent UAP study team, NASA leaders initially stated that they would not be naming the director publicly. It's unclear why the agency reversed that decision, but comments made during the briefing suggested that members of NASA's UAP study group had received threats and harassment online. 

"That's in part why we are not splashing the name of our new director out there, because science needs to be free, science needs to undergo a real and rigorous and rational process and you need the freedom of thought to be able to do that" Dan Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research at NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said. "Some of the threats and the harassment have been beyond the pale, quite frankly, towards some of our panelists. And yes, it's important that science be free as part of that process.

Despite the harassment NASA's UAP study team received, agency leaders are optimistic that this new position will help give UFOs the serious scientific scrutiny the topic deserves. In the statement announcing McInerney's appointment, Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said that the new position director of UAP Research is "a pivotal addition to NASA's team and will provide leadership, guidance and operational coordination for the agency and the federal government to use as a pipeline to help identify the seemingly unidentifiable."

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— UFOs worth investigating despite lack of 'real evidence,' former astronaut Scott Kelly says

In their report published Thursday (Sept. 14), NASA's UAP study team concluded that current analysis of the UAP phenomenon is limited by poor quality data, a lack of multiple measurements or even basic baseline data.

"The NASA independent study team did not find any evidence that UAP have an extraterrestrial origin, but we don't know what these UAP are," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a briefing Thursday after the report's release. "The top takeaway from the study is that there is a lot more to learn." 

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Brett Tingley
Brett Tingley
Managing Editor, Space.com

Brett is curious about emerging aerospace technologies, alternative launch concepts, military space developments and uncrewed aircraft systems. Brett's work has appeared on Scientific American, The War Zone, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery and more. Brett has English degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his free time, Brett enjoys skywatching throughout the dark skies of the Appalachian mountains.

11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Energythebook
    Admin said:
    NASA has named a new director of UFO research who will oversee the agency's studies into UAP, or unidentified anomalous phenomena.

    NASA appoints new head of UFO research : Read more
    I'm concerned that at the onset of a renewed UAP investigation, and without admittedly any concrete evidence, a statement during the announcement seemed to conclude that whatever these objects are, they aren't extrestrial. Such a think cannot be known, unless of course, you know much more than NASA or the Pentagon has admitted to. Or, you simply wish to perpetuate the silence and misdirection we're already so accustomed to from every official source.
    Reply
  • billslugg
    You are correct, no one can prove a negative. What they said was none of them passed the criteria for being ET. Only isotopic analysis can prove the origin of things. It is the easiest method, the cheapest method and the only method that cannot be faked. Easily faked images and testimony don't count.
    Reply
  • Energythebook
    billslugg said:
    You are correct, no one can prove a negative. What they said was none of them passed the criteria for being ET. Only isotopic analysis can prove the origin of things. It is the easiest method, the cheapest method and the only method that cannot be faked. Easily faked images and testimony don't count.
    True, provided it is false testimony and one is looking for absolute proof, then I agree that testimony alone is insufficient.
    However, we both know it isn't false, at least not the predominance of it and much of the video evidence is similarly authentic, as well. After all, if only a single authentic extraterrestrial craft seen is authentic, the we have indeed been visited.
    Perhaps we should remember that Gravity remains a theory too. A solid and predictable one no doubt, but one where absolute proof has never been explained.
    The American government in all its forms has traditionally denied the possibility of such a visitation, and continues to do so today, it has mocked any suggestion that what's being seen throughout the world could be extraterrestrial simply because it cannot explain how it might be possible, and that doesn't appear scientific to me.
    I'm very happy Mr. Einstein didn't subscribe to that methodology.
    Reply
  • billslugg
    Yes, I am looking for absolute proof. Testimony and images have no value in establishing this proof. Both are easily faked.

    "However, we both know it isn't false,"
    A false statement. It is false until proven true. Right now, your claims are "false".
    Reply
  • Energythebook
    billslugg said:
    Yes, I am looking for absolute proof. Testimony and images have no value in establishing this proof. Both are easily faked.

    "However, we both know it isn't false,"
    A false statement. It is false until proven true. Right now, your claims are "false".
    So is yours.
    billslugg said:
    Yes, I am looking for absolute proof. Testimony and images have no value in establishing this proof. Both are easily faked.

    "However, we both know it isn't fal
    A false statement. It is false until proven true. Right now, your claims are "false".
    Double talk. Science is dependant on speculation. Astromony itself is full of it, yet lessons and books are written on many topics lacking absolute truth and you must know it. In fact, all of science evolves as more accurate speculation develops.
    Science isn't stifled by absolutes, except perhaps where it comes to UFOs.
    You can demand concrete evidence if you like, but with a decades long governmental campaign to sequester any and all evidence, finding any becomes nearly impossible. Any evidence that does escape their grasp, is belittled and slated as "false". As you have. But millions aren't reporting giant spiders traversing the woodlands, or intelligent ooz rolling down city streets, they are reporting and recording technologies we know nothing of quite consistently and the sudden dedication to absolutes is therefore, highly suspicious. Besides, I doubt anyone thought NASA would announce they believed the objects were extraterrestrial., but no one expected that NASA would be so directly opposed to that possibility as to make the announcement they did. In retrospect however, its just another branch of government, so not surprising at all.
    Reply
  • billslugg
    Science demands absolutes wherever they are available. In the case of ET, isotopic analysis is handy, cheap, easy to do and incapable of being falsified.

    The job of the believer is to provide the evidence. The job of the skeptic is to evaluate it. When the believer does the evaluation there is a "conflict of interest". This is why we don't let employees write their own paychecks.

    Right now, the case for ET has zero evidence. NASA told us there is no current evidence for ET, they did not say ET does not exist.
    Reply
  • Dave
    So NASA has decided to join the military in the false pretense of denying these sightings are real. Credible witnesses mean nothing to them. Credible testimony is continually ignored.
    (See congressional hearing 'UFO whistleblowers' dated July the 26th)

    Some choose for whatever reason to deny basic common sense. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE SEEING? (Is the question) The answer is simple: intelligent lifeforms observing the earth who do not wish to be discovered. You are not going to find scientific data or evidence because a better science (that is another species more advanced wishes to remain anonymous.) Everyone else wishes to wash their hands ignoring the truth.

    Will the new director forego the status quo of lies , misdirection, cover ups then silence. Time will tell.

    The good news is that bipartisan members of congress are investigating the claims and testimony of the whistleblowers. We can all look forward to the results. Here, there is a real chance that the truth will finally be heard.
    Reply
  • billslugg
    I am sure the credible witnesses saw something. They are not lying. They are just confused in what they saw. Humans are notoriously bad at visual observation. Lots of studies done on that.
    Plus the inability to replicate the observation.
    Plus the huge amount of money and fame that would be showered upon the first person to prove it, thus there being a conflict of interest.
    Plus the complete lack of punishment for liars.
    Plus the ease at which images and videos can be faked.
    This is thin gruel. I want some beef. Like an actual piece of a UAP.
    Reply
  • Dave
    Of course the credible witnesses observed something. Spacecraft performing maneuvers that defy the laws of physics. They are not confused. Simple observations. Simple facts. Countless times this has been seen by a countless number of credible witnesses. if this were a court of law hands down you would lose your case. I would have hundreds of credible witnesses on my side. The reasonable explanation is the simplest one. They are spacecraft belonging to an advanced species of intelligent lifeforms that do not wish to be discovered. Their science is beyond our understanding for the moment.

    At some point in the future the human race will do the same. We will venture to the stars. We will observe intelligent lifeforms less advanced than we are. If the species in question, is socially aggressive and dangerous we will not contact them. We will observe only. The real question is: what would a more advanced lifeform do if they found us?

    Why does the military continue to cover up the truth? Why all the misdirection? Bipartisan members of congress will get to the bottom of it.
    Reply
  • billslugg
    "Spacecraft performing maneuvers that defy the laws of physics. Simple observations." - Dave
    No laws of physics being violated. It may look like it, but it isn't. Humans, even trained aviators, are notoriously inaccurate when judging speeds while looking out the windshield.
    Air Canada flight 878 Toronto-Zurich, Jan 14, 2011. Sixteen people injured when pilot mistakes Venus for an approaching airplane, sends 767 into a dive.

    https://www.cnn.com/2012/04/17/travel/canada-disoriented-pilot/index.html#:~:text=Fourteen passengers and two flight attendants were injured.,where the injured passengers and crew were treated.
    Reply