THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE SERVICE FACTS ABOUT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Robert L. Chartrand Specialist in Science ond Technology Scienoe Policy Research Asaisted By: William F'. Brown Analyst in Science and Technology Science Policy Research Washington, D.C. The Congressional Research Service works exclusively for the Congress, conducting research, analyzing legislation, and providing information at the request of Committees, Mem- bers and their staffs. Service makes such research available, without partisan bias, in many forms including studies, reports, compilations, digests, and background brieOngs. Upon request, the CRS assists Committees in analyzing legislative proposals and issues, and in assessing the possible effects of these proposals and their alternatives. The Servlces senior specialists and sub ject analysts are also available for personal consultations in their respective Oelds of expertise. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 THE UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT 4 Description of Various Types of UFO's 5 Trends in UFO Activity 5 Historical Sightings or Aerial Phenomena 7 Identification of ilying Objects (versus UP0 U. S. GOVERNMENT MONITORING OF UFO ACTIVITY 9 Foroe Establishes a 3pecial ProjGct 10 $pecial Studies or UFO 's 14 Special Briefings on UFO Activity 23 ' PUBLIC REACTION TO UF0 FOO'mOT&l 27 APPDfDICES A -Air Force Regulation 200-2 B -u. s. Air Force Teoru.ioal Intor.mation .. , Biographical Information D-Unidentified FlJing Objeotsa Selected Bibliography SUl.O.tARY For almost two decades, there has been high public interest in the reported sightings ot many kinds or ~eterious objects in the :Jky. These aerial phenomena have bean called lying saucers" or "Unidentified n,ing Objects" (UFO's) both in tho public press and in official documentation. A series of sighting& early in 1966 ~aused renewed interest in tho subject, and the Seore~ary of the Air torco wna requested !I to provide infornation concerning Air iorce ~otiVitieo in the area ~r reported UF0 d to the ~ed Services Committee or tho U. s. House of Representatives. f'ne essential elements of hio report are included in this study, togotho~ with an historical perspective and details regarding the development of reporting and evaluation procedures tor handling UFO sighting information. Public avareness of unusual flying objects cotm1enced in 1947, nov considered to be the beginning of the "modem ora" ot sightinga, and has continuati with periodic "waves" of activity to the present. or the 10,147 oases invastigated 6/b,y the u.s. Air Ioree proJect establicheu to analyze such reports, 9,501 objects have been identi- fied officially as bright stars and planets, com~ts anct meteors, satellites, balloons, aircraft, and other known causes. This study is concerned with those sightings in vhich the flfing object remained unidentifiedJ i.o., in which the intormation available to the investi- gators is not adequate for analysis, or for vhicb the existing in!orma- tion suggests a bfpothesia but the object or phenomenon explaining it cannot be proven to have been present or taken place at the recorded time of the sighting. Late in 194?, the Department of the Air Force vas designated as official nechanism of the United States Government tor invest!- gating and evaluating reports on unuxplained lying objeots and of determining any latent threat to the national security. The organiza- tion then established, known for many years as Project Blue Book, is charged with monitoring, investigating, documenting and ~valuating alleged UFO sightings within the continental United States. In addition to Air lorce in-house efforts to document and analyze the broad spectrum of sightings, special non-government con- sultant panels periodically have been formed to review investigatory procedures and findings ot the best documented UFO oases. Also, an industrial consultant firm was directed to conduct an exhaustive oxwnation o1~ the procedures adopted for reducing sighting data to a form useable in later statistical manipulation and graphic depiction. The puhlished findings of the study efforts, both by the Air ~orca and independent consultants, contain five major points: 1. UFO's do not pose a threat to the nation; 2. UFO's do not represent developments or principles beyond present-day scientific knowledge; J. 'fhere is no evidence of extraterrestrial vehicles control or an intelligent being; 4. There is no evidence of physical matter left behind b,y a reported UFO; 5. Some small fraction of total sightings remain "unidentified." numerous WlOtfioial organizations exist wbioh colleot intorma- tion and pulJlisb news on UFO sightings. Many ot these groups allege that the Air Force is not revealing all of the truth about unidentified t'l.finl objects. No evidence of such concealment has been developed. However, to strengthen its investigatory capabilitr, the Air Force has announced that a now "blue ribbon" panel or scientists has been appointed to con- duct an independent, comprehensive studr or data pertaining to sigbtings that so far have beon denoted as Unident:t.fied. INTOOOOCTION Shortly after the end of the Second World War, the inhabitanta of various countries reported observing unusual aerial phenomena. The news media publicized many of these sightings --including opinions as to their possible extraterrestrial origin --and a high degree of public interest developed. Although numerous reports of unexplained flying objects were reported throughout Europe in 1946, attention in the United States vas focused on the subject as the result of businessman Kenneth Arnold. flying his private plane on June 24, 1947 that he had seen "a chainlike formation of disc-shaped objects" near MOunt Rainier, Washington. Due to the vide circulation of this story, and the use of the descriptive phrase "flying saucers, nationwide interest quickly developed and vas sustained by numerous other alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects. "Unidentified flying objects," the terms used in all official and most popular references to the subject today, are defined by the United States Air Force as "any aerial object which the observer is unable to identify." Dr. Carl Sagan of the Department ot Astronomy University, prefers to consider "UFO" as a "generic term for atmospheric phenomena, detected visually or by radar, of a nature not immediately understood." THE UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT It is not possible to state that there is 8 typiaal" UFO but, 88 discussed later, such aerial phenomena may be aeparated into several categories. The numerous reports on sightings, which number more than lv,ooo in tbt United Stat!la alone for the period 1947 through 1965, haYe been described b7 Dr. Donald H. Menzel, Director of the Harnrd Univerait7 Observator,r, as a heterogeneous collection ot tacts, tiotion, and gue1ees." The .lir Force indicates that reports ot untailiar objects in the sk7 have been made b7 a vide range of obsernrs1 milt tarr and civilian pilots, amateur astronomers, houee- vine, etc. ~sorMlt,lgD of Vtrious Types of UfQs Descriptions uf UPOs often are inadequate for subsequent explana- tion due to the conditions under which the sighting vas made, the qualitications or the observer, or the dlfficultr or translating the ele.ente ot the sighting into meaningt\ll terms. Basic descriptive data usuall1 at6 expressed in these categories (vith examples): Shape (cigar, propeller, aircraft, disc) Size (varies widely) Color (red, green, white, etc) MOtion (hovering, supersonic, vertical, zigzag) Means of propulsion (unknown --flaming exhaust or none; various noises or s!lent) Incidence (day or night; seldom ovar v~ter ~r touohin~ the earth) Structure (unknown: apparently solid to "invisible~} Purpose (unknown) !V Trend! in U.K> Activity Experience derived from nearly twenty years (post-1947) of UFO sighting activity indicates that act! vi t.y m.'ly he rP.porteti in "vavos" of observations, sometimes in a localized area. The activity in Europe in 1946, in the United States in 1952, and the high number or sip.htings in 1957 after the launching of Sputnik reflect such patterns (see Figure 1). In the aftermath of the Sputnik I 1BunehinP. in October of 1957, official Total UFO Sightings FIGURE 1 UFO Sightings by Year records show that 701 sightings were recorded between October and December or that year. Historical Sightings of Aerial Phenomena Prior to the so-called modena era (i.e., post-1947) of UPO activity,unexplalned flying objects were reported less frequently. of activity are discernible in the 1882-1886 period, as vel] .as in 1887, 19o6 and 1909 (see Figure 2). Written sourees, raneing from ancient manuscripts to noted newspapers tell of pre-twentieth centur,y UFO sighting&; Jacques Vallee, author of Anatomy of a Phenomenon, has assembled a file ot more than 300 such reports for that period. Arter 1800, sigbtings became more numerous and were better doc- umented, both in the public and professional press. The explanations or such phenomena involved much conjecture, but observers increasingly sought rational criteria against which to test observations. The great lesson of western civilization is that such relation, between natural phenomena, cannot be adequately understood on the basis of introspection, speculation or superstition, but requires investigation. The ~ethods and techniques of investigation are vhat we mean by science. li/ Identification of FlYing Oblectg (yergys UFOs) To evaluate UFO sightings, the Air Force hns estnhltshed categories of identification, based upon previous experience that usually permits conversion of an unidentified flying objoct to an identifiable one1 Aircraft --evaluations are made on the basis of des- cription and flight characteristics. Essential performance elements are delineated for conventional, jet, photo, and advertising aircraft; helicopters, and refUeling missions. YEARLY NUHBKR OF UPO RER>RrS - 1815-1915 Chart reproduced vith permission or Henry Regner,r Com~, troa AnatomY of a Phenomenon b7 Jacques Vallee (Chicago, 1965h tolloving Balloons --evaluations are made on the hBsis of descrip- tion and flicht characteristics. Essential performance are delineated for weather (low level) balloons, upper research balloons, other research balloons (e.g., pillow, oluster, mrlar), and miscellaneous (toy, "hot air") balloons. Astronomical sightings --bright stars, planets, comet~, fireballs, meteors, auroral streamers, etc. Satellites --evallation will be basert on four elements of data: time of sighting, description of object, dit~ction of flight, and duration of sighting. Other --missiles, reflections, mirages, searchlights, birds, kites, spurious radar indications, fireworks, flares. Those UFO reports which are not relegated to c,ne of the "Identified" categories (above) are designated either undor "Insufficient Data" or ~a "Unidentified. Reports categorized as "Insufficient Data" lack one or more elements of oritioal informationJ every effort h made to obtain this data 1n order to perform a meaningfUl analysis. A sighting is considered to be "Unid~ntif~ed" when "a report apparently contains all pertinent data nocesaar,y to suggest a valid hypothesis concern- ing the cause or explanation or the report but the description C)f the objec't. or its motion cannot be corr9lat~d with any known object or phenomenon." The role or the anal)~t vho must evaluate tho sighting reports is oa~oially demanding bacausa1 The attempted identification of the phenomena observed is genar&lly derived rrom human impressions and inter- pretations and not from scientific devicos or measure- ments. ltv' The French student or UFO's Vallee, agrees, but cautlons that "We must anulyze the ovidence already gathered in such a VQY thatve neither pre- suppose nor preexcluris any possible conclusion." U.S. GOV&RNMI'Ft JoDNITORING OF UA:> ACTIVITY As the result of the flurry of s1eht1ng~ through()Ut the United States toll~wfns A~ld'~obo~rvation or sovoral d~sc-shaped obje~ts, a letter was sent September 23, l947 by Lt. Gen. Nathan Twinin~, Commander ~r tho Air Materiel Command, to the Office of Ghiof of Staff of the U. S. Air Force, expressing the opinion that there was "surficient nubstance to the reports to warrant rietailed study." On Decembe~ JO, 1947 the Chief of Staff, Gen. Carl SpaRtz, directed G~n. Joseph T. MeNnrney, Chief of tho Materiel Command, to establish a special proje~t for the purpose of collecting, collating, evaluating, and distributinP. information concerning u"' sightings. Thus, "Project Sign'' came into being on. February 11, 1948. Air Force Establishes a Special ProJect February of 1949, the Project Sip,n report was publi~hed, stating that on the basis of 243 of tho "best documonted" reports studlerl, "no definite evidence was available to confirm or disprove the actual existence of unidentified flying objects as new and unKnown types of aircraft." On December 16, 1?48, the project name was chanced to "Gntdge~; the conclusions roached after sturlying 241~ reports (best rlocumontert) was that tho phenom~na presented no throat to the se~urity of the United States and that tho vast majority of sightings were m1st"terpretati~ns of conventional objects. The newly formed Department of the Air force, then, was designated as the Federal Government's inst.rumont for "tnves- tigating reports on unidentified flying objocta and of evaluating any possible threat to our national security t.hnt such ohjcu~ts rnip.ht pose." In March, 1?52, the Air ~'or~e project n11me be~an:o "Pro.Ject Blue Book", ~hich re1'1141ns its current official design'ltion. The objectives of Project Dlue Book are twofold: first, to determine whethor uus pose a threat to the.security of;'the Unitod States; a:-ad o&cond, to deter~1ne vh~thnr UtUs exhibit any unique scientific information or advanced tochnology o~hich could contribute to ~clentU'ic or tech nical research." ~ lnv?stigotgrY Progedyres When a sightine 13 rep~rted, it is the responsibility of the air ba~e commander closest to the scene to investigate the occurrence, inter view tho wltness(os), and complete the requisite form. The documento- (FTD lo'onn 164) is forwarded to the Aer1al Phenomena Dranch, Foreign Technolo'3 Divisiont Air Force Systems Commnnd at Wright-Patterson Air Force Baso, Chic. There l t io carefully rovifJ\Ie-i hy ProJect Blue Book J)4Jrsonnel, and o chAok is mado, as appropriate, with the c:ognhnnt specialty g~ups noted below If a second investigation is deemed neoessar,y, either Air Force or consultant personnel vlslt the scene of the incident, and submit a further report. Since 19S5, Project Blue Book oontinues'to investigate 2D!l those sightlnRS vhich ore reported either direotly to the Air Force, or via some lnw onrorcAmant agency. Only sightings within the continental United States oro included in these investi~ator,y efforts. Informa- tion is prepared by tha USAF Office of Information tor the general public in tho form of news releases and "Fact Sheets". tonts fro vide ~xper~J_so in Manx Am as thP. day-to tlay t-reatment of tTro sightin~s, tho Air fo"orce teu utilizes the expert,ise ,,.r many organizations and individuals (see Flp,ure 3 ' For a9':.ronornical sightil'lgs, such scientists as Dr. J Allen Hynek, Dr. Charles 1,. Ollvier, and Dr. Donald Menzel are used; alao, the statts ot soientifio magazines (kx and Telescope, etc.) are Figure )I REPORJ'ING, INVESTIGATING, AND ANALYZING U.ro SIGHTIHGS I LAW OFFICERS . f ~D PUBLIC i SERVICE OR GOVERIM!XT , !ERIAL PHg{()MENA BRANCH, WRIGirr-.,... .,. P U B L I C i_ .. FORCE BASE, OHIO // ~ WITNESSES ./ SPECIALisrS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FAA, NASA, INVESTIGATION LOCAL AIR OTHER GOVT. COMPILATION --fORCE BASE AODfCIES ANALYSIS'-ltfVESTIGATOR PHOTO . ,., I AIU' SPECIALISTS I NAVY CONSULTANTS queried. In the case of suspected aircraft sightings, contact is made with the Air Defense Command, the Strategic Air Command, local airports, and the Federal Avi~tion Agency. Balloon sigh~inp.s are referred to one or more of the following: Balloon Control Center (Hollorr~n AFD), U.S. Weather Bureau (Ashville, N.C.), local airport and weather stations, and various industries (e.g., General Mills) and universities which ~ro conducting balloon research a~tivities: Satellite information is chocked by t~ference to printed ECHO (the large reflector satellite) schedules, NASA satellite reports, Smithsonian North and South Equatorial Crossings, and the Space Detection and Tracking Systems (SPADATS). Missile information is obtained by contacting Cape Kennedy (Fla.), Vandenberg AFB (Calif.), Point M8gu (Calif.), Wallops Island (Va.), or military units involved in special exercises, Speci~l. Air Force ~nnlytical groups, and on occasion Eastman Kodak Co., handle the technical aspects of radar sightings and most photographic reports. Physical specimens suspected of connection with the sightinp,s nre proces3ed by such groups as Battelle Memorial Institute (ceramic~), the Air Fore~ Materiel Laboratory, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Libby Owens and Corning Fibrep,lass companies (glass), and certain academic groups (e.g., Northwestern University Department of Geology). pecipl Stud!~ oj(UFOs In addition to in-house studies, the Air Force conttacted with an industrial consulta~t in 1951, tor an independent analysis leading to1 Special Report No, 14 (6nalYi~ of Reports pf Ynidentif!gd Aarial Objects), dated May 5, 1955. The methodology use in the preparation or this report is discussed below. Concurrently with this independent study, the Air Force appointed a Scientific Advisor,y Panel chaired by the late Dr, H. P. Robertson (Califor- nia Institute or TeohnoloaY) This five-man panel met during the week of Januar,Y 14, 195), and examined 75 of the best documented UFO oases. The panel concluded that the phenomena presented no threat to the security ~f the United States. It further recommended that the Air Forcd deprive the ,' project or its spacial status, which would aid in decreasing the ~ster,y attached to the subject. Neva releases and all matters dealing with the public would be handled by the Office of Information at the Seoretar,r Air Force fiesulation ~ In 1953, Air Force Regulation 200-2 (see Appendix A) vas issued, which established the responsibility ~ procedures for reporting infor- mation and evidence on UF0 s, and tor releasing information to the gen- eral public. regulation established the UFO Program to investigate and analyze UF0 s over the United States. Such investigation and analysis are directly related to Air.Force responsibility for the defense of the United States. ~ A questionnaire (see Appendix B) was prepared for use in documenting aightings or unidentified aerial phenomenon, entitled "U. s. Air For