The UAP reports: what the Pentagon and NASA found
Hundreds of reports, an office to sort them, and one short answer.
How this site works. Every fact is in our own words with its source linked beside it. The pictures are our own drawings. We never say aliens have been found, because nobody has shown that they have; we show what was reported, then what the evidence says.
Asked whether it has found any evidence of extraterrestrial technology, the US Defense Department’s AARO answers: “No.” It says examination of sightings is ongoing. AARO FAQ
The office: AARO
AARO, the US government’s UAP office, says many cases are labelled “unidentified” simply because the sensors didn’t collect enough information to say what they were. AARO FAQ
AARO says no single explanation covers most UAP reports. AARO FAQ
Civilian pilots are encouraged to report UAP sightings to air traffic control. AARO FAQ
AARO says it will announce when there is a way for the public to report. AARO FAQ
More reports than ever
The US Defense Department received 247 new UAP reports between March 2021 and August 2022, compared with 263 in the 17 years before. NASA UAP study
By 2023 AARO had collected more than 800 reported events. NASA UAP study
AARO’s report for May 2023 to June 2024 covered 757 UAP reports. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
What they turned out to be
Its director said AARO had resolved hundreds of cases to everyday things such as balloons, birds, drones, satellites and aircraft. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
He said only a very small percentage of reports are potentially anomalous. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
More than 900 reports lacked enough scientific data to analyse, and are kept in case new information turns up. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
AARO says reports cluster near US military bases and sensors. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
In one resolved case, infrared video turned out almost certainly to be birds: the infrared glow pulsed at the rate of wing beats. AARO imagery
In others, objects drifting at the speed and direction of the wind were judged almost certainly to be balloons. AARO imagery
Some cases stay unresolved simply because the footage is too poor, such as 30 seconds of mobile phone video. AARO imagery
Looking back 80 years
In March 2024 AARO published a review of nearly 80 years of US government work on UAP, going back to 1945. US Defense Dept, 2024
It found no verifiable evidence that any UAP sighting was extraterrestrial activity. US Defense Dept, 2024
It found no verifiable evidence that the US government or private companies ever had access to alien technology. US Defense Dept, 2024
Every official investigation, at every level of secrecy, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and misidentifications. US Defense Dept statement
AARO looked at claims from about 30 people it interviewed. US Defense Dept, 2024
It put claims of hidden alien-technology programmes down largely to “circular reporting”: a small group repeating inaccurate stories heard from others over decades. US Defense Dept, 2024
AARO said it believed most of the people repeating the claims did so sincerely, without any wish to mislead. US Defense Dept, 2024
NASA’s study
NASA’s study team published its final report on 14 September 2023. NASA Science
NASA’s independent study team (2023) said there is, to date, no conclusive evidence in the peer-reviewed scientific literature that UAP come from beyond Earth. NASA UAP study
It said extraterrestrial life must be the explanation of last resort, used only after every other possibility is ruled out. NASA UAP study
NASA’s team said eyewitness reports can be interesting and compelling, but can’t be reproduced and usually lack the details needed for a firm answer. NASA UAP study
NASA’s team said the stigma around reporting UAP is an obstacle, and that its own involvement could help reduce it. NASA UAP study
It suggested smartphone apps that collect pictures and sensor data from many observers at once. NASA UAP study
Status of the reports
He also said AARO had found no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity or technology. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
AARO’s director said reports near national security sites must be taken seriously and investigated scientifically, because unidentified objects can be a safety risk. US Defense Dept, 2024 report
Our view: “we haven’t found aliens” and “some reports are still unexplained” are both true, and neither cancels the other out. Taking reports seriously and saying “no evidence of aliens” is exactly what careful people should do.