NASA UAP Study Team Public Briefing

Event Overview On May 31, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., NASA's independent study team conducted a public briefing to address categorization and assessment of UAP-related data. Officials from the Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration participated. The session highlighted efforts to improve scientific approaches to unexplained aerial phenomena.

Key Statements Daniel Evans, from NASA's Science Mission Directorate, noted that team members faced online harassment for their involvement. Sean Kirkpatrick, AARO director, reported similar experiences and updated on roughly 800 cases, including recent FAA data, with only 2-5% showing unusual traits. He recommended NASA initiatives and disclosed development of specialized sensors for UAP hotspots. David Spergel, team leader, stressed limitations of uncalibrated data and unreliable eyewitness reports. Michael Freie from FAA described surveillance systems handling 3-5 UAP reports monthly. Paula Bontempi emphasized NASA's transparency and long-term mission expertise. David Grinspoon linked existing NASA projects to UAP research potential.

Significance This briefing underscored the push for rigorous, instrument-based data collection amid stigma and poor-quality reports, advancing government-wide UAP studies without reviewing past incidents.