US Space Agency speaks out about search for extraterrestrial life
US space agency NASA hosted a four-hour discussion on the topic of unidentified flying objects, with members of the public allowed to poll participants via the Internet.
NASA held its first public meeting on UFOs , a year after the start of the study of unexplained sightings, according to Sky News.
The space agency televised Wednesday's four-hour hearing with an independent panel of experts at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in which the public participated remotely.
The team included 16 scientists and other experts selected by NASA, including an astronaut retired Scott Kelly, the first American to spend nearly a year in space.
According to group chairman David Spergel, the group has studied what unclassified information is available on the subject and how much more is needed to understand what is going on in the skies.
No classified military data associated with alleged spy balloons from China seen flying over the US this year was not included, notes Sky News.
However, the group said they have seen a spike in sighting reports since then, with the Department of Defense's Office of Anomaly Resolution in All Areas, which is also investigating separately from NASA, receiving about 800 sightings so far, but only a tiny fraction of them contain signals that could be considered «anomalous».
During the meeting, the experts were asked a number of questions, including why experts began to call the mysterious phenomena «unidentified air phenomena» (UAP), not «unidentified flying objects» (UFO, or UFO).
Dr. Daniel Evans, assistant assistant administrator for research, said they no longer use the term UFO (unidentified flying object) due to the stigma attached to the term.
He said they decided instead use the term «unidentified anomalous phenomena» (UAP) because the topic is «serious business.»
Responding to a question about what they would do if they did discover extraterrestrial life, astrobiologist Dr. David Grinspoon said that NASA would » ;extremely interested" share evidence.
He cited the example of 1996, when NASA scientists believed they had discovered possible signs of life on Mars in a meteorite.
A huge press conference was called with the participation of the space agency in connection with this, and «that's it would have happened» if a similar event had occurred during this study. «If we found something, we would try to make sure we were right, and then loudly and proudly announce it to the public,» he said.
In order to make this discovery, Dr. Spergel said that NASA «is in the search for life in any form.»
«The search for extraterrestrial life is a really important thing. We haven't found life beyond Earth yet, he said. – But we are looking.»
However, dispelling hopes that we were close to first contact, Dr. Evans said firmly: «I want to emphasize this loudly and proudly: there is absolutely no conclusive evidence of extraterrestrial life related to unidentified objects.»
He further lamented that several members of the committee had been subjected to «online insults»; for working as a team, which is a distraction from the scientific process.
He said that NASA security is doing this.
«It is this rigorous, evidence-based approach allows you to separate fact from fiction,” said Dr. Evans.
The final report is expected by the end of July, followed by a meeting to discuss its findings.