NASA Aeronautics and Space Database Records on UFOs (1960-Present)

This document is a comprehensive compilation of records from the NASA Aeronautics and Space Database regarding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and related phenomena, spanning from 1960 to 2003. The archive includes a wide array of technical reports, journal articles, conference proceedings, and internal government correspondence. A significant portion of the document focuses on the administrative history of NASA's involvement—or lack thereof—with the UFO phenomenon, particularly during the late 1970s. The correspondence between Dr. Frank Press, Science Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, and Dr. Robert Frosch, the NASA Administrator, highlights the tension between the White House's desire for NASA to serve as a focal point for UFO inquiries and NASA's reluctance to commit resources to a formal research program. NASA's official stance, as articulated in various internal memoranda and information sheets, was that it was not engaged in UFO research and that no tangible or physical evidence had been presented to warrant a formal investigation. The document also contains technical papers discussing the 'UFO' (UHF Follow-On) satellite system, which is a naval communications programme, demonstrating that the term 'UFO' is frequently used in NASA documentation for non-anomalous technical purposes. Other entries include academic discussions on the Fermi Paradox, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and sociological analyses of UFO reporting. The document serves as a historical record of NASA's policy of maintaining an open mind while simultaneously declining to establish a dedicated research activity, citing a lack of scientific protocol and tangible evidence.