UAP FAQs
NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Study
Frequently Asked Questions
NASA applauds President Donald J. Trump’s direction for whole-of-government transparency and will always make available our materials and expertise to the investigators at the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which leads the U.S. government’s efforts to address Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) using a rigorous scientific framework and a data-driven approach.
For questions that relate to recent disclosures click here.
To learn more about the work NASA is doing to answer humanity’s most profound science questions and search for life, click here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Is there a possibility of life beyond Earth? Is NASA involved in the search for extraterrestrial life?
One of NASA’s key priorities is the search for life elsewhere in the universe: NASA has not found any credible evidence of extraterrestrial life and there is no evidence that UAPs are extraterrestrial. However, NASA is exploring the solar system and beyond to help us answer fundamental questions, including whether we are alone in the universe.
2. What are technosignatures? Does NASA fund technosignature research?
Technosignatures are a specific type of biosignature, which is defined as any detectable sign of extant or extinct life. Technosignatures are signs of technology that we can use to infer the existence of an advanced civilization elsewhere in the universe, including large orbiting structures, atmospheric pollution, narrow-band radio signals or pulsed lasers. The term SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) often is used synonymously with the search for technosignatures.
NASA efforts include search for biosignatures (signs of biology) and technosignatures (signs of technology), as long as it is space-based, not ground-based, research.
Given that a planet might support life for billions of years before intelligent life evolves to create technology that can be spotted from other solar systems – our own planet has only been creating detectable technosignatures for a little over a century, for example – we have a much better chance of finding life by looking at a broad spectrum of biosignatures.
3. What has NASA funded so far in the search for extraterrestrial life or UAP?
To date, NASA has funded extensive numbers of exoplanet and biosignatures research missions and grants. We welcome solicitations for, and currently fund a handful of technosignatures science grants. We have funded two “Technoclimes” workshops to develop a research agenda for searching for technosignatures.
NASA does not actively search for UAP. However, through our Earth-observing satellites, NASA collects extensive data about Earth’s atmosphere, often in collaboration with the other space agencies of the world. While these data are not specifically collected to identify UAP or alien technosignatures, they are publicly available, and anyone may use them.
4. Is NASA involved with studying UAP?
Exploring the unknown in space and the atmosphere is at the heart of who we are. The nature of science is to better understand the unknown – but the language of scientists is data. The limited number of high-quality observations of unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, currently makes it impossible to draw scientific conclusions about the nature of such events. Without access to an extensive set of data, it is nearly impossible to verify or explain any observation, thus the focus of the study is to inform NASA what possible data could be collected in the future to shed light on UAP. In 2023, NASA commissioned the UAP Independent Study Team to examine unidentified anomalous phenomena from a scientific perspective – with a focus on how NASA can use data and the tools of science to move our understanding forward.
5. Are there any data supporting the idea that UAP are evidence of alien technologies?
No. Most UAP sightings result in very limited data, making it difficult to draw scientific conclusions about the nature of UAP.
6. Does NASA refer to UAP as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena?
To be consistent with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), NASA refers to UAP as “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” instead of “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena”. NASA’s UAP independent study was largely focused on aerial phenomena.
7. What did NASA’s 2023 Independent report on UAPs cover?
To learn more, you may read the UAP Independent Study Team Final Report or watch NASA’s Media Briefing.
The UAP independent study team’s main focus for the report was to come up with a way in which to evaluate and study UAPs going forward by using data, technology and the tools of science. It is not a review of previous UAP incidents. The report was published with the intent to inform NASA on what possible data could be collected in the future, and how it can be collected, to shed light on UAP.
8. Was it a National Academies study?
No.
9. What is the difference between an independent study versus an independent review board?
NASA established the Independent Study as a means to securing the counsel of community experts across diverse areas on matters relevant to potential methods of study for unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The UAP Independent Study served as a community-based, interdisciplinary forum for soliciting and coordinating community analysis and input and providing advice.
The nine-month study did not involve an independent review board. NASA uses independent reviews for early-stage strategic missions to put these important and complex science missions on the path to success.
10. How were the independent study team members selected?
Our UAP Independent Study Team was made up of some of the world’s leading scientists, data and artificial intelligence practitioners, aerospace safety experts, all with a specific charge, which was to tell us how to apply the full focus of science and data to UAP.
Our independent study members were all active in the UAP community and acted in accordance with FACA committee rules and regulations. All members successfully submitted financial disclosures and had a comprehensive government ethics briefing to be part of the study team. Each member of the team was appointed in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which is the gold standard to ensure independent and objective advice.
Possessing a security clearance was not a requirement as the team is only studying unclassified data.
All members were either special government employees or regular government employees who are subject to government ethics rules, which NASA takes very seriously.
11. Who participated in the Independent Study and what did they do?
NASA selected 16 individuals to participate in its independent study team on unidentified anomalous phenomena. They were experts in the scientific, aeronautics, and data analytics communities. This independent study team was led by astrophysicist David Spergel, who is president of the Simons Foundation in New York City, and previously the chair of the astrophysics department at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. Daniel Evans, the assistant deputy associate administrator for research at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, served as the NASA official responsible for orchestrating the study.
The team met periodically to identify what data – from civilian government entities, commercial data and data from other sources – can potentially be analyzed to shed light on unidentified anomalous phenomena. These meetings were designed for the study team to prepare and gather facts from relevant experts. The study team then recommended a roadmap for potential future NASA unidentified anomalous data analyses. The study took nine months. Afterward, the information was released in a publicly available report. NASA expects to hold a full public meeting of the UAP Independent Study Team in late spring/early summer 2023. The meeting was broadcast to the public.
12. What parts of NASA supported the independent study?
The independent study was run by sixteen members, under the guidance of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. This study is not related to any NASA flight missions or other NASA programs.
13. Did NASA have a budget or any associated funding for this UAP study?
The budget for this study was consistent with any of the other external review groups that the Science Mission Directorate convenes each year through its Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) calls. NASA has not established a program to search for UAP, so there is no associated programmatic funding.
For more information on ROSES, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations
