Blum Publishes Investigation of Secret UFO Working Group

1. In September 1990, journalist Howard Blum published 'Out There,' a book detailing a secret UFO working group. The book alleges the existence of a classified interagency UFO investigation unit established by the Defense Intelligence Agency in 1987. This unit purportedly tracked hundreds of unidentified objects entering Earth's atmosphere annually.

The Incident Blum's book, 'Out There,' revealed information regarding NORAD's detection of deep space objects entering Earth’s atmosphere. The book also touches on the experiences of an individual named Mendez, who underwent intensive interrogation by the Air Force after encountering a secret message related to these objects. This interrogation reportedly led to depression and psychological problems for Mendez.

The book also references Ronald S. Regehr, an expert on the Defense Satellite Program (DSP), who substantiated claims that "fastwalkers" (UFOs in space) are constantly being tracked. Regehr legally obtained pages from the DSP’s “Individual Target Event Data Base” (nicknamed “Ittybitty”) during the 1990s. This database contained a list of fastwalkers tracked by DSP satellites.

The database recorded 283 space-based UFOs between 1973 and 1991, averaging more than one per month. In 1982, DSP sensors tracked 15 UFOs, and in 1983, the total was 17. One notable encounter occurred on May 5, 1984, when a UFO entered Earth’s atmosphere from deep space, slowed, turned, and returned to deep space, coming within 3 kilometers of a satellite. This observation lasted for 9 minutes, and a subsequent investigation failed to explain the sensor reading. The object was also detected optically by another deep space platform.

Investigation The source text does not explicitly detail any official investigations directly triggered by the publication of Blum's book. However, it mentions an investigation into the May 5, 1984, fastwalker incident, which failed to explain the sensor reading. The text also mentions Mendez being interrogated by the Air Force.

Significance Blum's 'Out There' is significant as it brought alleged details of a classified interagency UFO investigation unit to public attention. The book's claims, supported by individuals like Regehr and the DSP database information, suggest a consistent and ongoing interest in tracking UFOs, particularly "fastwalkers," by government agencies. The details of the DSP database, including the frequency of UFO encounters and specific incidents like the May 5, 1984 event, provide potential evidence for the reality of UFOs and their interaction with Earth's atmosphere and space. The book contributes to the broader UFO context by providing alleged evidence of government interest and tracking of UFOs, adding to the ongoing debate about their nature and origin.