The Aerospace Corporation - was it the organization reverse engineering off-world craft?

 The Wilson/Davis document

Since the release of the Wilson/Davis document, UAP researchers have been trying to identify the aerospace entity referred to in the notes. Part of the notes reads:

EWD: "Who was the project contractor or USG agency that runs program?"

TW: "An aerospace technology contractor - one of the top ones in US." 

EWD: "Who?"

TW: "Core secret - can't tell."

EWD: "Defense contractor?"

TW: "Yes the best one of them."

EWD is Eric W. Davis and TW is former Admiral Thomas R. Wilson. 

There has been much speculation as to whether it was an aerospace company like Lockheed Martin. 

In a previous blog post, I presented an historical review of the interest of aerospace companies, and some of their employees, in UAP. One entity I overlooked, was the U.S. "The Aerospace Corporation." The purpose of this blog is to explore what is publicly known about this Corporation, specifically looking for clues as to whether or not it conducted, or is conducting, any work on UAP. Or even if it could be the company TW was referring to?

You will note that Wilson does not say "An aerospace company," but "An aerospace technology contractor - one of the top ones in US." An additional point made by some UAP researchers, is the fact that Dr. Davis left EarthTech in 2020, and according to the 23 July 2020 issue of the New York Times newspaper joined The Aerospace Corporation. A search of the Corporation website failed to locate any reference to him.  I checked the LinkedIn profiles of employees of the Corporation but failed to find one for Dr. Davis. 

Dr. Eric W. Davis

The Corporation history

The "Our history" section of their website tells us that "The Aerospace Corporation" was founded in 1960. In the early years it was involved with projects for the U.S.A.F. and missile technology, including the conversion of military missiles for space rockets. It helped develop the Project Mercury Pilot Safety Program, and was also included in space based reconnaissance programs.

At the end of the 1960's it developed expertise in projects other than space in the areas of transportation; energy and body armor. In the 1970's it was involved with the development and operation of the space shuttle; and the Strategic defense Initiative. Into the 1980's the Corporation saw some of its time going into the development of the global positioning System; and on the Milstar and DSCS satellite communication systems.

The 1990's saw it perform assessments for the International Space Station. More recently it "...supported planning for Space radar to provide global persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to the Department of Defense" In times just gone by, it has provided support for a number of still classified DOD operations. 

Business model

The Corporation is not a private company , as opposed to say Lockheed Martin. It's website states that it is:

"...the only Federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) committed exclusively to the space enterprise." 

It is an independent and non-profit organization. Its customers are government, civil and commercial. It operates an headquarters in El-Segundo, California; regional offices in Chantilly, Virginia and Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

Numerous other Corporation  business addresses are listed on its website including at a number of U.S.A.F. bases. One such  Corporation business address is worthy of specific note, being at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) at Wright Patterson AFB. NASIC was recently mentioned as one of the two locations, the other being the UAP Task Force, that U. S. agencies should forward UAP sightings to. 

The Corporation has around 4,000 employees. According to USA spending.gov the Corporation received $1 billion in funding in FY 2021, including 65 new awards. 89% of this funding was from the U.S, Department of Defense, and 8% from NASA. 

Focus areas

The Corporation website lists five focus areas:

1. Launch Assurance.

2. Satellite and orbits - "The Aerospace corporation remains the leading authority on the development, launch and deployment of space systems." Included in this is the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies." established in 1997. The Center maintains a database of all reentries; which might be useful for UAP researchers, in recognizing satellite reentries as IFOs.

3. Space exploration.

4. Space policy.

5. Research and development - A recently formed group within the Corporation is XLab

"...that consolidates our prototyping expertise to develop rapid solutions to the threat facing the nations' space assets." 

While there is no mention of UAP in this section, one could read into it that it should have an interest in UAP, given that the UAPTF report stated that UAP could be a threat to U.S. national security.

Area of interest - propulsion

Given that a range of aerospace companies, in the past, have taken an interest in the propulsion aspects of UAP observations, I checked what the Corporation says it is doing in terms of methods of propulsion, specifically, whether or not it had research going on "exotic" propulsion systems?

A search of the website found a section titled "State of Play: In-space Novel Propulsion Technologies," which I thought might be what I was looking for. It was released 8 June 2021. The document covers advances in nuclear, electric, chemical and solar propulsion systems. However, there is no mention of anything more exotic than those just mentioned. It is authored by one Laura Speckman with contributions from nine other Corporation employees. None of them was astrophysicist Dr. Eric W. Davis who lists work he undertook on exotic propulsion systems. 

Area of interest - retrieval of crashed space objects

Elsewhere on the Corporation's website, is a section dealing with the Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS.) In this section is the following:

"CORDS provides information on when a reentry might occur, and Aerospace collects and analyses material that survived re-entry."

It also has a section which actively seeks observations of space object reentries, via an input form.

The process by which Aerospace physically collects such material is not shown on their website. However, the mention of collection and analysis of conventional crashed space objects by the Corporation, raised a tantalizing thought in my mind.

Astute blog readers, will by now, recall that the U.S.A.F. ran programs, from the early 1960's, called MOON DUST and BLUE FLY.  These were to locate, then retrieve and transfer to the U.S., crashed objects which had returned from space, e.g. satellites, booster rockets, with a view to mining intelligence data from them. Some UAP researchers insisted that these programs also extended to the retrieval of crashed UFOs. There has been a lack of evidence of what happened to these programs post around the 1980's; and whether or not they continue to today. Perhaps The Aerospace Corporation is now the driver of the former MOON DUST and BLUE FLY programs?

A more speculative thought also occurred to me. If CORDS collects and analyses conventional crashed returned space objects, perhaps it might also be called upon to study alleged unconventional material, e.g. fragments from crashed UAP?

What then, can we conclude?

The Aerospace Corporation would fit Wilson's description, as in the Wilson/Davis notes, as well, if not better, than any traditional aerospace company. However, its public website failed to reveal any overt mention of UAP.

Update: 31 August 2021

Thanks to both Jonathan Davies, and a comment from "anonymous" on the blog, for pointing to the fact that Dr. Davis has a Facebook page. On that page it states that he is a Senior Project Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation. 

The Facebook page also has:

"Started job

9 December 2019 - Senior Project Officer at The Aerospace Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama. Work on the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Flight Demonstration Project and quantum sensors at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and advanced propulsion at the USSPACECOM/SSDP in Colorado Springs."

Which aerospace company is hiding a UAP black project?

Aerospace companies, particularly in the United States, have had a long history of interest in Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP.) It is a natural fit. UAP exhibit a number of "observables" which would be valuable to an aerospace company, in terms of understanding advanced physics; advanced propulsion systems, and in general, advanced technology.

It has also been suggested by some, that if you were looking to reverse engineer an advanced object, then why not bury such a project within a private aerospace company? The Wilson/Davis document, of course, implies that this has already been done. Recently, Twitter user Britt@inf3rence has been digging deep into just which aerospace company these documents might be referring to.

The purpose of this blog post is to bring together some of the information about the interest of aerospace companies, and some of their employees, in UAP. It is not meant to be comprehensive but to provide a broad overview of the subject.

The major players

Firstly, though some basic information about the major players:

1921 Douglas Aircraft Company established.

1926 Lockheed Corporation established.

1939 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation founded.

1961 The Martin Marietta Corporation founded.

1967 McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and Douglas Aircraft Company merge to form McDonnell Douglas.

1995 Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta merge to form Lockheed Martin. 

1997 McDonnell Douglas merges with Boeing.

1947: Lockheed statement

In an article in Volume 26, number 3 (pp3-9, 32) of the International UFO Reporter, by Joel Carpenter, titled "The Lockheed UFO Case, 1953," Carpenter mentions a 7 July 1947 official statement from Lockheed on the subject of "flying discs."

Hal Hibbard, then Lockheed's Chief Engineer, is reported to have told the Los Angeles Times:

"They're either reflections from planes flying singly or in formation, or mass hysteria and the desire of various persons to get their names in the paper. I know of no secret aviation project which would have the slightest bearing on these so-called phenomena."

1949: Lockheed employee sighting

A May 2020 post on the blog "The Saucers that time forgot" led to an image of an interdepartmental communication from Clarence L. ("Kelly") Johnson of Lockheed, to John L. Hill, dated 8 July 1949 reported a 17 June 1949 sighting by a Lockheed employee. Johnson wrote, in part:

"As you know, I have been very interested in the possibility of such things existing, and my discussions with certain people in the Air Force, as well as late newspaper reports indicate there is something to flying discs."

https://www.fold3.com/image/6314607

There is an existing Project Blue Book (PBB) case file on this sighting. Below is an image of the PBB index card and the PBB conclusion.

https://www.fold3.com/image/6314586

1951: Johnson sighting

Also in Carpenter's 2001 IUR article was mention of a sighting by Kelly Johnson himself, in "about November 1951." Below are the available details, in Johnson's own words, from 1953:

"I should also add that about two years ago Mrs. Johnson and I saw an object which i believed at the time, and still do, to be a flying saucer, flying west of Brents Junction, California on a very dark night. I did not see the object itself, but saw a clearly defined flame or emanation, as shown in the attached sketch. The object was travelling from east to west at a very high speed and with no noise. The flame or emanation was a beautiful light blue, having extremely well defined edges. My first impression was that it was an afterburning aircraft but the lack of noise and the pure speed of the plume eliminated that possibility completely."

http://www.nicap.org/docs/lockufo2.pdf

January 1953: Lockheed patent

Thanks to an article in the blog "Saucers that time forgot" we know that Lockheed employee Nathan C. Price designed and then filed a patent, for a Vertical take-off and landing "saucer" shaped aircraft, in January 1953. The machine was designed for vertical ascents and descents, and for long range flights at speeds up to Mach 4, with a ceiling around 100,000 feet. It was never built. 

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/86/8e/4b/c143e484f8dae6/US3066890.pdf

 December 1953: Johnson sighting

On 16 December 1953, Kelly Johnson and his wife observed a black silhouette, to the west of a ranch house near Agoura, California. For five minutes it was observed both by naked eye and through binoculars. It appeared stationary then dwindled in size and disappeared in 90 seconds in an apparent long, shallow climb.

http://www.nicap.org/docs/lockufo2.pdf

At the same time, a group of Lockheed employees, aboard a Lockheed test aircraft, outbound from Burbank, California also sighted a sharp-edged black silhouette in the sky, over the sea. After about five minutes, it shrank from view.

The PBB Case file, which records the cause as a lenticular cloud, may be viewed here.  

1954 - 1955: Douglas Aircraft Company study

In Jacque Vallee's book "Forbidden Science: Volume 2" page 336 there is a diary entry which reads:

"Belmont Saturday 15 May 1976

...I got an interesting call from a vice-president with Environmental Systems in Van Nuys who'd read Invisible College. As early as 1955 he belonged to a UFO group at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. He worked there with Wheaten (now at Lockheed in the submarine division) Ted Gordon, Klemperer and Dave Crook. They were asked by McDonnell management to assess cases from Blue Book, complete with photos and films. Their conclusion which they were asked to "forget" was that the objects used multi-dimensional physics. He now claims they found no less than 2,000 sites in Owen valley alone, including one where objects seem to go in and out of solid ground."

Image from PDF on file

 

I researched this 1955 study and ended up writing two blog posts about it, here and here.  Ultimately, I was able to locate, thanks to Boston researcher Barry Greenwood, 100 pages of documents generated by the study, a few pages of which are available on the Internet here.  The project was headed by Wolfgang Benjamin Klemperer, head of their Missile Division,  and staffed by Elmer P Wheaton; Theodore Jay Gordon; Dave Crook and A M Rochlen. Given that the names Vallee provides are all in the 1955 documents, bar that of Rochlen, I wonder if Rochlen was Vallee's informant? 

Courtesy of Barry Greenwood

In the 2012 book "UFOs and Government" by Swords, M. et al (Anomalist Books, San Antonio) there is the following:

"Douglas' Missile Engineering Department had made an analysis of the Great Falls, Montana, film of 1950 incidental to a study of publications dealing with unusual propulsion systems...The Douglas analysis was done by Dr. Robert L Baker."

Memo - Klemperer to Wheaton 1 March 1955 

 The analysis was published in March 1956 as "Photogrammatic Analysis of the 'Montana' Film Tracking Two UFOs" by Baker, R.M.L. 

Mid 1950's: Anti-gravity research

"The Hunt for Zero Point" by Nick Cook, is a 2002 book which explores research conducted into anti-gravity as a means of advanced propulsion. Cook was employed by the English Journal "Jane's Defence Weekly" and became intrigued by the concept of anti-gravity research. He came across the fact that in the mid 1950's a number of aerospace companies in the U.S. were actively researching anti-gravity. One of the most prominent was headed by George S. Trimble, head of Advanced projects and Vice President of the G-project for Martin Aircraft. To read more on Cook's work click here. 

1965: Martin Marietta

In Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume 1" in an entry dated 17 May 1965, Vallee writes:

"A curious incident recently took place during a conversation with a Martin Marietta engineer who says he is compiling a book on UFOs. The engineer circulated a black binder with material in it, and when someone turned a page the engineer leapt out of his chair like a tiger and took the binder away, tersely spitting out '...the other papers have nothing to do with that.' We were left fairly shocked at the violence of his reaction. Of course we wondered what else might be in that binder. There are rumors that major aerospace companies are conducting their own secret studies of UFOs."

1967-1968: Study undertaken on behalf of President Lyndon B. Johnson

In the period 1967-1968, Frank F. Rand Jnr., became an assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Johnson had been contacted by researcher James E. McDonald about UFOs. President Johnson himself retained a long term interest in the subject. The President asked Rand to look into the topic and report back to him; and Rand and his team spent nine months conducting a scientific investigation of the topic, and concluded by providing a report to President Johnson.

By 2001, Rand had prepared a book length manuscript, both about his career and the UFO study. It was titled "UFOs...Fact or Fiction" and U.S. researcher Michael Swords acquired a copy, which I have read. The manuscript was never published and few have seen it.

Some of Rand's team's conclusions were:

"There is no doubt that "UFOs" exist and are under control. Nor, do I doubt that there may well have been some harmless probes sent to our Earth from other civilizations beyond our solar system."

The other members of Rand's team were stated to have been Arthur Lundahl; General James T. Stewert; Dr. Brockway McMillan; Dr. "Lee Brockings" (pseudonym); a Dr. Bleakley and a Dr. Losh; plus of particular interest here, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson.  

1967-1970: The McDonnell Douglas "secret" study

In the July/August 1993 edition of the "International UFO Reporter," a McDonnell Douglas employee, Robert M. Wood revealed that his company had conducted a "secret" study of the subject of UFOs. 

Image from PDF on file

Wood recommended to management, a modest $M0.5 project to explore unpopular theories, conduct laboratory experiments and evaluate hypotheses, conduct field observations, and review the UFO literature. They agreed. At one stage the project employed four full time and three part time employees.

Image from PDF on file

A fuller description of the work undertaken, appeared much later, in an another article by Wood, this time in the October 2008 issue of the "MUFON Journal." Individuals mentioned as taking part in the project were Dr. Joseph M. Brown; Chan Thomas; Paul Wilson; Stanton Friedman; Dr. Darell Boyd Harmon; Leon A. Steinert and Harvey C. Bjornlie. I wrote a lengthy piece about the project; its paperwork and its findings in a blog post dated 22 September 2020 If you would like to read 275 pages of the project's documentation, you can go to this website. 

Robert M. Wood in the 1993 article stated:

"The Project was terminated in 1969 at my recommendation due to our inability to identify the timing of the payoff...the code name was "BITBR" - standing for "Boys in The back Room."

Wood also revealed that:

"The only contact with the government about the Project came towards the end of the spring of 1970 when there was interest expressed by one of the intelligence agencies. This resulted in a draft proposal to "mimic, imitate or duplicate the observables associated with UFOs. "We called this potential opportunity Project Skylite and prepared a good deal of technical information in anticipation of contract work. It never materialized with McDonnell Douglas to my knowledge."

Researcher Lois Taylor contacted me and provided me with a number of documents dealing with this Project which I wrote about in a blog article dated 15 October 2020.

In an internal memo dated 2 May 1968, and titled "Advanced Vehicle Concept Research" by Wood, Brown and Harmon, there appears a section headed "Competitors efforts":

"Hughes (10 men at Fullerton under Meiers); Lockheed Sunnyvale; Rand has proposed project (as have several other companies); Several companies have UFO related efforts. Raytheon has had computer project from Condon (U. of Colo.)"

 1973: Sample from the 1897 Aurora, Texas "crash" analyzed

In the MUFON "Skylook" Journal, issue number 70, dated September 1973 (p.8) author Walt H. Andrus wrote a piece titled "Report on 1897 Aurora, Texas, Investigations."  Part of this reported that samples of materials found on the site of the alleged "crash" were sent to:

"John F. Schuessler, Deputy Director of MUFON and consultant in Aeronautics, on June 15. They have been submitted to laboratories of McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis for their expert analysis."

As far as I can determine, results of analyzes were never published.

1974: UFO research for the CIA?

The 10 December 1974 entry in Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume Two" includes:

"Kit reluctantly confirmed that there was a group of 15 engineers in the Midwest ( I assumed it was McDonnell in St. Louis) are secretly doing UFO research for CIA under cover of 'aeronautical research.' They're getting data through leaks from CUFOS and other amateurs."

Note: Kit refers to Christopher 'Kit' Green.

1978: McDonnell Douglas continues its studies

Two more pieces of information from Jacques Vallee.

a. Diary entry dated 5 January 1978

"Yesterday, I received a phone call from a fellow who works with McDonnell Douglas Aeronautics. He told me that 'on a private basis' he was compiling a new close encounter database. I am not stupid enough to believe that his company has no corporate interest in the matter. They have an on-going secret project well funded with the blessing and official monitoring of the CIA and they.re pretty connected with major UFO groups all of which love the secret intrigue of a link to the spooks even as they vilify the government cover up' in their public pronouncements."

b. Diary entry dated 15 October 1978

"McDonnell Douglas is continuing their quiet but well funded study with John Schuessler, also monitored by the Agency. They seem to be looking for exotic alloys. Who is kidding who? Why is the scientific community kept in the dark about these projects? Why all the secrecy? Where do the research results go?" 

1979 -1986: McDonnell and parapsychology

Between 1979 and 1986 the McDonnell Foundation funded a permanent paranormal PSI laboratory in St. Louis, Missouri. James Smith McDonnell was Chairman of the Board of McDonnell Douglas.  

1985: The ATP

The Advanced Theoretical Physics (ATP) Project was co-founded by John B. Alexander and Dr. Ronald F.  Blackburn. Blackburn was a microwave specialist, formerly at the Lockheed "Skunk Works" and according to Jacques Vallee ("Forbidden Science: Volume 3" diary entry dated 11 April 1989)  Blackburn hinted that he studied UFOs. I profiled Blackburn in a blog post in 2019.

The ATP had a number of participants, who met to discuss current and future research into the topic. For a look at a batch of ATP documents please click here.

Among ATP participants were at least five individuals who worked for aerospace companies. These were Ron Blackburn, Milton Jantzen and Don Keuble from Lockheed; and Bill Souder and Robert Wood from McDonnell Douglas.

Although Alexander briefed a number of high ranking U.S. government officials while ATP was operational, eventually no funding was forthcoming to support the ATP research agenda, and it was disbanded. 

1986: Ben Rich

Over the years, much has been made of certain statements made by Ben Rich of Lockheed. In 1986 Ben Rich was Executive V.P. and General manager, Advanced Development Projects, Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company. In a letter dated 10 July 1986 from researcher John Andrews to Rich, Andrews asked if Rich's beliefs covered both manmade and extraterrestrial UFOs? In a response dated 21 July 1986, on Lockheed letterhead, Rich replied:

"Yes, I'm a believer in both categories. I feel everything is possible. Many of our manmade UFOs are Un Funded Opportunities."

 I image the correspondence below from a PDF I have on file:

1992 - 2012: Robert Bigelow and Bigelow Aerospace

Las Vegas businessman Robert T. Bigelow has had a long-term interest in both UAP and the paranormal. He expressed this interest in a series of business entities, commencing with the Bigelow Foundation in the early 1990's; the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS -1996-2004); and finally the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) between 2008-2012. I have reviewed each of these entities and their research in a series of blog posts which can be found by using the blog search function. Much of the information published by NIDS can still be found on their now defunct website using the Wayback machine.  Bigelow Aerospace was founded in 1998 and BAASS in 2008. 

BAASS received two years of funding, $M22 in total,  from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency under a contract for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) Robert Bigelow also reached into his own pocket to add to the DIA funds. Very little detailed information has been publicly released by either the DIA or BAASS concerning the AAWSAP.

Mid 1990's: Project Greenglow

https://www.amazon.com/Greenglow-search-gravity-control-Ronald/dp/1784620238

In the mid-1990's aerospace engineer Dr. Ron Evans was working for British Aerospace (which became BAE Systems in 1999.) He asked management if he could investigate "gravity control?" They said yes; gave him an office and a small budget. He called the Project, Project Greenglow and worked on it until he retired in 2005. In 2015 he published a book called "Greenglow and the Search for Gravity Control."

2001: Donald Phillips

According to Steven M. Greer in his 2001 book "Disclosure Project Briefing Document," Donald  Phillips is said to have been in the USAF, and also to have worked with Kelly Johnson at Lockheed. In his Disclosure testimony he speaks of how ETs met with Earth's leaders in 1954; leading to the advancement of our technology. Phillips refers to Colonel Corso's work as evidence to support his own testimony. 

2014: Boyd B. Bushman

Boyd B. Bushman worked for Lockheed Martin, and held a number of patents, filed between 1989 and 2002, assigned to Lockheed. Before he passed away in August 2014 he was interviewed on video about his views on UAP. In the video he speaks of UFOs as being real; that they are extraterrestrial visitors and that bodies and craft have been recovered. He produced, and showed. photographs of UFOs and an alien, which he spoke of as if he had met them himself; and of the alien's planet. He claimed that Russia and China were both working at Area 51. He also stated that he analyzed pieces of UFOs, which had the property of reducing the weight of anything near the pieces. Critics of his video account pointed out that the alien in the photograph strongly resembles a toy alien doll available at Wal-Mart.

2016: William Tompkins

https://www.amazon.com.au/Selected-Extraterrestrials-secret-think-tanks-secretaries/dp/1515217469

A book titled "Selected by Extraterrestrials" authored by William Mills Tompkins, was published in 2016. The book is reportedly an autobiography, although reads like a B grade novel, by Tompkins who stated that he was a long-term employee of the Douglas Aircraft Company, back to 1953. He makes statements such as:

"After extensive study in 1953, Advanced Design concluded that UFOs were actually interplanetary spacecraft, piloted by extremely advanced extraterrestrial beings." 

For further information, please see my blog post dated 28 April 2016.  

What of the now?

The demonstrated long-term interest in the topic by aerospace companies, would indicate to me that there is most probably some aerospace company, right now, conducting current research into UAP. With all the interest in the 2004 Nimitz encounters; the 2014/2015 off the East coast of the U.S. training area incursions; and other cases since, I would suggest that one or more of the major aerospace company players has its own UAP research program on the go. This is separate from the official U.S. government UAP Task Force.

There are undocumented claims by a number of UAP researchers, that they are aware of four other U.S. research programs dealing with UAP. However, there is no indication that these are lodged within private aerospace companies. Have any blog readers any insight into such a current aerospace company program?

Learned Aerospace professionals are taking an interest

The German Aerospace Society recently held a meeting where they discussed SETI and UAP. Click here for the link.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics held a panel discussion on UAP on 6 August 2021. Click here for the link. 

Operation "Lost-Ball" - what was it about?

 Background

In a blog post dated 27 April 2013, I wrote that I had found a reference to an Operation "Lost-Ball" on National Archives of Australia file series A 703, control symbol 580/1/1/Part 7, digital page 236. Among the 371 pages on the file, one page mentioned Operation "Lost-Ball." There was  man who had found an unusual item in his paddock in Western Australia. The file note states that this material was described as similar to a H.F. aerial. Copper cable 1/2 inch in thickness, some 45 feet long. The note went on to say that  the material was handed to "...a Mr. Mills at the Department of Supply who was nominated by NASA as the W.A. handling authority for Operation Lost-Ball." Despite searches on the Internet I failed to discover what Operation "Lost-Ball" was about. 

2021

Skip forward 8 years and I was searching the Internet when I came across a Google book tiled "NASA Historical Data Books: Programs and Projects 1958-1968." There was a mention on page 343 of Operation "Lost-Ball." It was about the search for Biosatellite 1 which had deorbited unexpectedly. I quote from that book:

"The launch and orbital phases of the Biosatellite 1 mission were successful but the retrorocket system failed, and the capsule did not reenter as planned. Although teams searched the area of Australia and the Tasman Sea where the spacecraft should have reentered when its orbit decayed in January 1967 (Operation Lost-Ball) nothing was found and no data was returned from the flight."

Credit: NASA

 Later, I found a 15 February 2021 article on a newspaper website. It was a "From the archives" piece titled "1967: U.S. Spacecraft missing in the Australian outback."  I quote it in full:

"Charter planes in satellite search.

Light aircraft are being chartered to search an area in Western Australia for the missing U.S. spacecraft Biosatellite 1. The Department of Supply is chartering the aircraft at the request of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Minister for Supply (Senator Henty) said yesterday the search area was about 300 miles north-east of Perth. The area is sparsely populated and consisted mainly of low brush, swamps and dry lakes. Two or three light planes are expected to start the search today. Centre of the search area is a 40 by 100 mile area between lake Barlee and lake Moore.

The  biosatellite was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida on December 14 last year. It was designed to come down after three days in orbit. However, its retrorocket system failed and the craft stayed aloft until it fell naturally out of orbit on Wednesday.

The satellite carried thousands of organisms, plants and other specimens to test the effects of weightlessness on them. Mr. Henty said the capsule had descended on a 34 inch bright orange and white parachute which would probably lie bunched to one side. If the capsule were found, it would be left intact to preserve the maximum experiment and emergency value. NASA had assured the government that the contents of the satellite, mainly insects and reeds were completely harmless and almost certainly dead.

There was no hazard to the finder unless he forced the capsule open, broke the small compressed air bottle or its fittings or opened the steel sphere, which contained a minor radiation source.  

An initial search on Wednesday was called off after U.S. Air Force planes had fruitlessly crisscrossed thousands of square mile of the Australian continent and the Pacific and Indian oceans. The decision to resume the search was made after scientists had made further analysis of signals from a radio beacon picked up by a U.S. aircraft flying over Australia, about the time the capsule should have been making the final stag of its descent by parachute. NASA at first discounted the possibility that the signal came from the capsule because it had the wrong modulation or "signature" and was being transmitted on a slightly lower frequency than expected. On reconsideration, however, it was decided that the difference could be accounted for by deteoration of the capsule transmitter during it two month spaceflight. 

'At least we hope that is the case' a NASA spokesman said."

What has this to do with UAP?

Over the years, there have been several instances of the finding of what were termed "mystery spheres" on the ground in various Australian states. Some have involved retrieval by teams from the Department of Defence, particularly the RAAF. There is always the possibility that these sorts of retrievals might spark off talk of "a crashed UFO was retrieved" story.

Back in January 2013, I wrote a piece about these "mystery spheres" I noted that from around 1961 the U.S.A.F. had a global reaching program (Moon Dust) to retrieve descended foreign space vehicles or part thereof. Australia participated in this program. The article I wrote provided a table detailing several such "spheres" which had been found in Australia and their likely origins. In a 2013 search for relevant National Archives of Australia files I found two Department of Supply files which described the recovery and analysis of a number of these "balls."

In summary, Operation "Lost-Ball" was a search for the remains of Biosatellite 1. The search was ultimately unsuccessful.

Update: 16 August 2021

I found a file in the National Archives of Australia file series A 463, control symbol 1967/891 titled "US [United States] Bio satellite 1 - search in Australia." The date range was 21 February 1967 - 29 March 1967. File status is "not yet examined." Held in NAA Canberra office. Creating office was the Prime Minister's Department. 

There are also several documents about the Bio satellite series held on Scribd.com, e.g. click here. 

U.S.A.F's National Air and Space Intelligence Center to receive UAP data

Bill S.2610

Thanks to the efforts of Twitter user UAP36665648 and the Silva Record blog,  we find out that S.2610, a bill before the Unites States Congress, mentions UAP. Note, that it is currently a "Bill" and not an "Act." Thus the wording of the final version of the "Act" may be somewhat different. 

S.2610 is a bill "To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for intelligence and intelligence-related activity of the United State Government, the Intelligence Community Management Account, and the Central intelligence Agency retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes."

UAP mentioned in the bill

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2610/text#toc-id627E022ABE1340C99913763DC904F68C

Section 345 of the bill is titled "Support for and oversight of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force" and reads as follows:

(a) Definitions- In this section:

(1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS - The term "appropriate committees of Congress" includes:

(A) The Congressional intelligence Committee.

\(B) The Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.

(C) The Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

(2) UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA TASK FORCE - The term "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force" means the task force established by the Department of Defense on August 4, 2020, to be led by the Department of the Navy, under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.

(b) AVAILABLITY OF DATA ON UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA - The Director of National intelligence and the Secretary of Defense shall each, in coordination with each other require each element of the Intelligence Community and the Department of defense with data relating to unidentified aerial phenomena, to make such data available immediately to the Unidentified Aerial phenomena Task Force and to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

(C) QUATERLY REPORTS TO CONGRESS

(1) IN GENERAL - Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than quarterly thereafter, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, or such other entity as the Deputy Secretary of Defense may designate to be responsible for matters relating to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress quarterly reports on the  findings of the Unidentified Aerial phenomena task Force or such other designated entity as the case may be.

(2) CONTENTS - Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall indicate, at a minimum, the following:

(A) All reported unidentified aerial phenomena-related events that occurred during the previous 90 days.

(B) All reported unidentified aerial phenomena-related events that occurred during a time period other than the previous 90 days but were not reported in an earlier report.

(3) FORM - Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in classified form."

What is the National Air and Space Intelligence Center?

According to its website, NASIC (for short) is "...the Department of Defense' s primary source for foreign air and space threat analysis. NASIC is the Air Force's service intelligence center, the nation's air and space intelligence center, and an operational wing in the Air Force's ISR enterprise."

NASIC is based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio. It reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Staff, for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects operations.

For a comprehensive article on NASIC in the context of UAP, please take a look at a blog, dated 17 February 2019, by Melbourne based researcher Paul Dean. 

Project Blue Book

The U.S.A.F. previously ran a UFO Project, Project Blue Book, between 1952 and 1969, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It had two goals, to see if UFOs were a threat to national security and to analyze UFO data. 

Comment:

This is the first time I can recall, that NASIC has been mentioned, in a Congressional document, as a recipient for UAP related data. It will be interesting to see which area of NASIC will actually process the data. 

Update: 10 August 2021

In an article dated 9 August 2021, POLITICO journalist Bryan Bender wrote about the above topic. In the article there were some additional information:

1. "The Pentagon is considering giving the Space Force a greater role in a stepped up effort to track and investigate reports of UFOs. But the newest military branch isn't over the moon about the idea."

2. "A congressional staffer also told POLITICO the classified portion of the bill includes a provision outlining more parameters for tackling the subject over the longer term, including recommending additional funding to finance the effort."

3. "A former Pentagon official also said he expects there will also be legislative guidance on UAPs in a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act."

4. "But in addition to the Space Force, which works in tandem with the newly re-established U.S. Space Command, officials are considering a number of military and intelligence organizations at this early stage that could take the lead or combine their efforts in a new organization.

One is the secretive Space Security and Defense Program, which reports to both the Pentagon and the director of national intelligence, which oversees all, spy agencies.

The outfit had a broad writ to assess potential space threats and also has authority to award contracts to develop new collection capabilities.  Other candidates for a greater role in overseeing UFO issues are the Defense Intelligence Agency, which studies foreign weapons systems and has a history of researching such sightings, as well as the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado, which is responsible for defending the nation's airspace."

Update: 19 August 2021

Thanks to D. Dean Johnson (Twitter 19 August 2021) we find out that on 28 July 2021  the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence met to consider the Intelligence Authorization Bill FY 2022. "Among the amendments adopted en bloc, by voice vote, was an amendment moved by SSCI Chairman Senator Mark Warner." 

"Ranking SSCI Republican Marco Rubio (R-FL) and SSCI members Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Marttin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ray Blunt (R-MO), 'to require support for and oversight of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force ' to quote the SSCI explanatory report released August, 10, 2021."

Update: 10 March 2022

Once again thanks to Douglas Dean Johnson (Twitter 9 March 2022) who informs us that a bill containing the Intelligence Authorization  Act (IAA) FY 2022, is on its way to enactment. The UAP portion of the IAA"...imposes two new requirements on the Dept. of Defense and Director of National Intelligence. " One of these is that all components of the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense, must in addition to sending UAP reports to the Airborne Object Identification and Management Sychronization Group (AOIMSG,) also send them to the USAF's National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC.) For a comprehensive look at NASIC in relation to the UAP topic I refer you to a blog article by Melbourne research Paul Dean. 

Project Galileo

Project Galileo

Or to give it its full name, "The Galileo project for the Systematic Scientific Search for Evidence of Extraterrestrial Technological Artifacts."

Background

In 2017, an object which originated in interstellar space, which we named Oumuamua, Hawaiian for "a messenger from afar arriving first," made a brief passage through our solar system. As at 2021 it is currently crossing the orbit of the planet Neptune. It had been estimated that such an interstellar object would pass through the solar system around once a year. Based on astronomical observations there were some suggestions that it may not have been a natural object. 

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/oumuamua/in-depth/

Referring to the release of the UAP Task Force report on UAP, the Galileo website states:

"...the  scientific community now needs the determination to systematically, scientifically and transparently look to potential evidence of extraterrestrial technological equipment."

Aim

"The Galileo Project research group will aim to identify the nature of UAP and Oumuamua-like interstellar objects..."

Avenues of research

1. Obtain high-resolution, multi-detector UAP images. Discover their nature.

2. Search for an in-depth research on Oumuamua-like interstellar objects.

3. Search for potential Extraterrestrial Technological Civilization Satellites.

Further details 

1. "A search will be made for UAP using a network of mid-sized, high-resolution telescopes and detector arrays. Data will be open to the public. Extensive Artificial Intelligence analysis. Each scope will be part of an array of 'orthogonal and complimentary capabilities from radar, Doppler radar and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar to high-resolution large camera visible range and infrared band telescopes."

2. "Existing and future astronomical surveys will be utilized to discover and monitor interstellar visitors."

3. "Initially, AI object recognition and fast filtering methods will be applied to non-orbital telescopes."

Ave Loeb

Funding of US$1.755  million was behind the project. The lead scientist, Avi Loeb. is Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science, Harvard Astronomy Department. Director, Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Founding Director, Black Hole Imitative (BHI), Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/astronomer-avi-loeb-says-aliens-have-visited-and-hes-not-kidding1/

In 2021, Loeb published a book titled "Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth." In the book he outlines an hypothesis that the object was perhaps a piece of alien technology. 

Image courtesy of Amazon books

In an opinion piece in the "Scientific American" dated 22 June 2021, Loeb set forth his views on a possible link between UAP and Oumuamua.

Scientific American

In a 27 July 2021 article by Adam Mann in the "Scientific American," Mann stated:

"...Loeb says he was contacted by many people interested in UFOs...several of those people turned out to be both wealthy and generous, gifting him with large sums of money to use for further, more formal, investigations."

"The project has assembled a wide array of technicians, instrumentalists and other scientists as part of it research team. It is currently backed by four affluent individuals who mainly made their money developing individual equipment for chemistry applications, among them chemist and entrepreneur Frank H. Laukien."

Team and associates

The Galileo website lists:

1. The names and brief bio of members of its research team. 

As might be expected the research team is composed of individuals with backgrounds in engineering, astrophysics, astronomy, computing, chemistry, 

2. The names and a brief bio of the project's Science Advisory Board.

This board is composed of individuals with backgrounds in astronomy, instrumentation, physics, SETI, venture capitalism, and mathematics. 

3. The names of the Philanthropic Advisory Board.

4.  The names of Research Affiliates.

This list features individuals with backgrounds in law, public and international affairs, film making, cyber security, mechanical engineering, data engineering, and other fields. 

For those of us interested in UAP there are a number of names which UAP researchers will recognize, these are:

Christopher Altman listed as "Vice President of Science and Technology (Space) and Director of Special Projects for UAPx. The UAPx website says that it is "Searching for unidentified aerial phenomena through technosignatures in our skies."

Chris Cogswell, "Chair, Scientific Advisory Board of Skyhub: PhD, Chemical Engineering, Northeastern university.

Jeremy McGowan, "Team member UAPx."

Robert Powell, "Executive Board member, Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies."

Massimo Teodorani.  

Gary Voorhis. President/Co-founder of UAPx. 

Some old Australian cases located in CUFOS files

Barry Greenwood

Over the last few years, U.S. Boston based researcher and historian Barry Greenwood, and others, have been undertaking the large task of scanning files held by the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS.) Barry last visited CUFOS in Chicago in 2019; and, from this visit,  has just assembled 1.32 Gb of data on 980 separate PDF files. In order to ensure several copies of this data exist in diverse locations, Barry has kindly shared these with a number of individuals including Melbourne based researcher Paul Dean and myself. 

Paul and I have just started the task of looking through the 980 PDFs. Naturally, living here in Australia, we were initially interested in Australian material. As with any batch of sightings, some are more interesting than others. For the sake of posterity I will list details of cases found. 

February or March 1951, Flinders Naval Depot, Melbourne, Victoria.

This file consists of two pages of hand written letter, dated 22 May 1971, sent to Peter Norris of the Victorian UFO Research Society, by a man, Geoffrey A G Wagstaff,  identifying himself as a former member of the Royal Australia Navy.

At around 1630hrs local time the witness stopped his car at the West gate of the Depot, and then observed a cylindrical object in the sky, travelling at high speed in a North-Westerly direction. The witness and a sentry watched for 5-6 seconds. There was 30% cloud cover at the time, 3,000 feet altitude. The cylinder was climbing at an angle of about 20 degrees, It seemed to accelerate, then disappear from view in the distance. There was no noise and no vapor trail.

3 May 1964, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

The two page CUFOS file consists of a NICAP summary report form, with a typed set of notes at the end which stated that the sighting was reported to the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, and investigated by Donald Lamm, First Secretary (acting duty officer,) Dr. Paul Siple, Scientific Attaché, and Meredith Glenn and Hugh Fletcher of NASA. The source of this information is cited as Arthur L Label, Advisor on Telecommunications Negotiator, Telecommunications Division, State Department, Rm. 4826. 

Mr. and Mrs. Noel Hayden, at 0605hrs local time sighted two objects. One large, soft white light and one smaller pink or orange light. The first moved in a wobbly manner from WSW to ENE, turned NW and colided with a second, bounced and moved out of sight to the NNE. The second was stationary.

Comment: I have rarely seen any mention of UAP investigations by any embassy in Australia, so this is unusual. I found mentions of Donald Lamm, Paul Siple, and Hugh Fletcher on the Internet. Fletcher worked for NASA at the Honeysuckle Creek, A.C.T. Apollo telecommunications facility. 

I also located a multi-page Project Blue Book file on this event, which details the investigation by Embassy staff.

1964. Australia.

The file is two pages in length and consists of a sightings report work sheet and a handwritten letter from a Phil Savage of Newcastle, New South Wales dated 27 November 1969.

The letter recounts a sighting of strange lights when Savage was aged ten. It was a fair sized light which illuminated the surroundings and the road he was on. "The object swooped down from the sky in front of us and passed close overhead of our car(100 feet in the air) and must have going at one hell of a speed for when we looked out the back window it wa gone (after about a second) from our sight. The object seemed to be a fiery ball emitting a very bright white light (rather like magnesium.) Also it made no noise."

12 June 1964 . Near Melbourne, Victoria.

This is a three page file consisting of a sighting cover sheet and a newspaper articled dated 17 June 1964, from the "Mountain District and Knox Free Press."

At 1758hrs local time, people in two separate cars reported seeing an object over Hallam, visible for 4-5 minutes. Initially stationary it took off after a while. It had a red light in the front and a dim white light at the rear. Neither were flashing., it travelled west to east before curving south.

1965? Normanton, Queensland. 

This 3 page file consists of a letter, dated 18 August 1965, from a Mrs. D. Ringland of Gladstone, and a reply to her. There is a reference to a previous letter which is not on this file.

Craft seen standing on four legs with wheels and an occupant (midget.) Night.

July 1965 Gelorup, Western Australia.

This file is 10 pages in length, a report by Unexplained Phenomena Investigations Bureau of Western Australia, dated July 1977.

Noel Jones, 32, of Eaton, at 2100hrs local time, for 15-20 minutes, and another witness reported seeing, on the ground, 400 yards away, which then rose to about 50 feet altitude. It made no noise. The nearest they got to the object was 150 yards to the west of their house. It disappeared over the horizon. It lit up the tree tops and ground as it went away.

15 July 1965. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

This file is 62 pages long and consists almost exclusively of newspaper articles about this classic sighting, which by all data appears to be a daylight observation of the planet Venus. The sighting made news around the world.

At 1100hrs local time a metallic looking, silvery light was seen "hovering" over the Canberra airport to the North East at an angle of 20-30 degrees elevation. Air Traffic Control staff saw it. After 40 minutes it was lost to view.

18 August 1969. Balcomba Station, near Rockhampton, Queensland.

Three page undated letter sent to the Queensland Flying Saucer Research Bureau. At 0615hrs local time before sunrise,  on a fine day with scattered clouds, a man was driving when he saw, at 40 degrees elevation, travelling to the SSE for 8.5 minutes a small light with a bright red trail. It dipped down, hovered, then took off again.

12 February 1976. to 14 April 1976. Maydena, Tasmania.

Between February and April 1976 there were at least nine separate occasions of sightings in a small Tasmanian locality reported to the Tasmanian UFO Investigation Centre. Newspaper reports spoke of hundreds of people who had observed lights in the sky. On all  but one  occasion there were two lights reported, red to orange in colour. Various reporters said they heard an associated humming sound. Investigation by TUFOIC personnel failed  to determine a conventional explanation. 

This 56 pages of documents provides report forms; investigation notes and newsclippings.

17 February 1976. Tarraleah to Berriedale, Tasmania.

At 0300hrs local time two witnesses were in a truck and were followed for 3.5 hours by a bright white domes shape with orange lights It appeared to come close to the truck at one stage. No noise. It was a fine moonlit night. Nine pages of papers. 

23 March 1976. Australind, Western Australia.

At 1855hrs two witnesses reported observing an object in the western sky. As they watched it seemed to develop an upright central section that looked like the distant mast of a sailing ship. It approached them. Estimated as 6 km away over the Indian Ocean. There was no noise. It receded at speed till it disappeared. Two pages of documents.

29 April 1976. Eaton, Western Australia.

At 0045hrs local  time one witness reported seeing a pale green fluorescent light in the sky which sped noiselessly away. Two pages of papers. 

30 March 1976. No location mentioned.

At 2220hrs two witnesses reported seeing lights. Large star-like red lights. Pulsing. Viewed through binoculars Moved off in southerly direction. Lost to view. Four pages of papers. 

30 April 1976. Between Douglas Park and Maldon,  New South Wales.

A man stopped his car and watched an initially stationary object which he described as triangular with two apex lights. It seemed only 200 feet above the ground and skimmed the top of trees but lost to sight after 1.5 minutes. The file has five pages. 

12 July 1976. Between Campbelltown and Narellan NSW.

At 0550hrs local time a bright white light was seen in a paddock by a witness while driving, They shone their car lights onto the object which vanished, then reappeared/ The object seemed to emit a beam of light. At one point the object crossed the road only some 50 yards in front of the witness, at 200 feet up. It left to the west. Five pages of papers.