Spergel: Pre-NASA UFO Paper Released via FOIA
In December 2021, The Black Vault obtained a previously unpublished paper by astrophysicist David Spergel via FOIA. The document titled "Thoughts on UFOs" was written before Spergel was selected to chair NASA's UAP study. It offers insight into his early perspectives on the phenomenon.
Background
The Black Vault published a four-page paper authored by Dr. David Spergel after obtaining it through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in December 2021. The document, titled "Thoughts on UFOs," had not circulated publicly before this disclosure. At the time of writing, Spergel served as president of the Simons Foundation and founding director of the Flatiron Institute for Computational Astrophysics. Approximately a year later, he was selected to chair NASA's independent study on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). The paper provides valuable context regarding Spergel's prior analytical approach to UFO phenomena before his official government role in investigating the subject. The release was made available as a PDF download via The Black Vault's document archive.