Australia did attend the May 2023 AARO UAP Five Eyes Forum

Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick 

During his presentation to the NASA public meeting on 31 May 2023, former All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, stated that he had recently held a forum on UAP for the Five Eyes partners. The Five Eyes partners are the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. A number of UAP researchers and journalists sought comment from these countries as to whether or not they attended the Five Eyes UAP Forum. In a blog dated 1 July 2023, I specifically sought evidence that a representative from the Australian government had attended.

Royal Australian Air Force

Australian researcher Grant Lavac posed a number of questions to Richard Marle M.P. Australian Minister for Defence; one of which was: 

"What was the extent of Australia's involvement in the Five Eyes Forum on UAP and who from Australia was represented?"

The response letter, dated 30 June 2023, came from B Sleeman, Acting Head of Air Force Capability. In part, it read:

"Air Force did not attend the Five Eyes Forum on UAP..."

Senator Whish-Wilson

In a July 2023 Australian Department of Defence response to question on notice number 91, of the Senate Estimates Committee, submitted on 20 June 2023, by Senator Whish-Wilson, inter alia was:

"Q: Did Australia attend the recent Five Eyes meeting held in May 2023? If so, did it attend the briefing on UAPs?"

A: Australia did not attend a United States briefing on UAPs."

However, later, Senator Whish-Wilson posed another question on notice at the 2023-2024 Supplementary Buget Estimates Committee, dated 2 November 2023.

"Did the Australian Department of Defence receive an invitation from the US All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to attend the inaugural Five Eyes Forum on UAP in May 2023 led by AARO's Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick?"

The 15 December 2023 answer was "Yes. A Defence representative at the Australian Embassy in Washington attended."

Comments:

1. Which is correct? The July 2023 negative assertion or the November 2023 positive assertion?

2. If the latter, who from the Australian Embassy attended? What agency or government Department were they from? 

3. After the briefing who did this individual inform about the contents of the UAP briefing? Was there a written report? Is this available under the FOI Act?

Currently a number of Australian UAP researchers, including myself, are searching for the answers, to these and other questions.

The frustration of UAP research

Frustration

The last few weeks have been a very frustrating time for those researching UAP, if one judges by the tide of emotive content on social media platforms such as Twitter/X; Reddit and Facebook. 

It seems that many people have been following aspects such as the Schumer amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, in minute detail, commenting on every twist and turn that has emerged. Some have been distracted by various comments by "celebrity" researchers, which may or may not be true. Yet other "celebrity" researchers have made categorical statements about other high-profile researchers, which seem to have no basis in fact. Well, you might say it's just your average day on social media. However, all this seems to have converged to a point where even seasoned researchers and experiencers are needing to take a reality check.

A reality check

Perhaps what is needed is to stop incessantly checking your social media feeds and step back. Take a breath and see if what you have been totally absorbed in, translates to those around you, such as your friends and family. Are they concerned that the full Schumer amendment didn't go through? Are comments from "celebrity" researchers causing them lack of sleep at night? I suspect that the answer to questions like these, is no.

The long and the short of it

There's the "short" game and there's the "long" game. After some 57 years of interest in the topic, I'm still in it for the "long" game. I just read a tweet from Lue Elizondo who reminded us that he and his associates have a "plan B" and a "plan C" and so they certainly fit into the "long" game scenario.

So, fellow researchers, have patience. I know there is a lot to ask of you when you want the answers "now." However, I sense that the phenomenon is operating on a much longer timescale, than the one we are used to.

In summary, an old adage goes "Only time will tell." How much time? Unfortunately, we don't know; and that's very frustrating indeed. 

More Australian UAP related documentation digitized

 Barry Greenwood

Over the last six years, Boston based researcher Barry Greenwood and others, have been quietly working away scanning the holdings of the U.S. Center for UFO Studies. Greenwood et al visited the holdings in 2017, 2018, 2019 and more recently in the last twelve months. On each occasion Barry has been on the lookout for Australian material. For example, the 2019 visit resulted in the discovery of some older Australian cases, which I reported on in a blog post, dated 1 August 2021. 

On one of the later visits, Barry located a box in a "paint cupboard." This box was simply labelled "Australia." He shipped this back to his home for later inspection. Barry has recently found the time in his busy schedule, to digitize the contents of the box and has shared these scans with Melbourne based researcher Paul Dean and myself. A total of 16.4GB of material.

Included in the material are newspaper clippings; detailed ACOS investigation reports; items from UFOIC and the AFSRS; letters from individuals detailing their individual sightings; as well as many other items. There are literally hundreds of hours of viewing.

[ACOS - The Australian Co-ordination Section for the Center for UFO Studies. UFOIC - UFO Investigation Centre (Sydney). AFSRS - Australian Flying Saucer Research Society (Adelaide.)]

Thanks go to Barry and the others for their diligent work.

Isaac Koi

U.K. researcher Isaac Koi recently advised that he has uploaded images of 3,500 Australian UAP related news clippings to the website of the Swedish Archives for the Unexplained (AFU). Using AI generated code, Isaac searched the Australian TROVE collection of digitized Australian newspapers for UAP related clippings. This AFU Australian clippings collection may be accessed here. For a fuller description by Isaac of his work on this project click here.

Well done to Isaac for his continuing work on digitizing material and making it freely available. 

Lockheed Martin and BAASS

"Inside the US Government Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations." 2023. Published by RTMA LLC. Henderson, Nevada; is a recent book by James T. Lacatski; Colm Kelleher and George Knapp. It follows their 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon." This new book is the second in a projected series of books by the three authors, about the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) The book covers the time period September 2008 through May 2009. The most commented upon section of the second book contains the following: 

Courtesy Amazon Books

Courtesy Amazon Books

"At the conclusion of a 2011 meeting in the capitol building with a U.S. Senator and an agency Under Secretary, Lacatski, the only one of this book's authors present, posed a question.

He stated that the United States was in possession of a craft of unknown origin and had successfully gained access to its interior. This craft had a streamlined configuration suitable for aerodynamic flight but no intakes, exhaust, wings, or control surfaces. In fact, it appeared not to have an engine, fuel tanks or fuel.

Lacatski asked" 'What is the purpose of this craft? Was it a life support craft useful only for atmospheric reentry or what? If it were a spacecraft, then how did it operate?"

Do we have any copies of original BAASS documents from around the year 2011, (apart from a number of the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents dated 2011) which refer to such a "craft?" A very overlooked BAASS document does exist which may cast light on this topic. 

Mark Cecotti

French researcher Marc Cecotti submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, on 8 December 2021. In it he sought:

"...a copy of all records, including but not limited to emails, reports, memorandum, presentations, mentioning : "Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program" or the acronym "AAWSAP," "Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies" or the acronym "BAASS." Date range for record search from 1/1/2008 to 12/31/2012."

The DHS response was a one-page document with the following text:

"BAASS goals 2011/2012

Area 1:

1. Advanced Technology Analysis Center - analyze recovered AAV technology in collaboration with aerospace companies. Construct extremely secure underground lab facility.

2. Conscious interactions with, and control of, advanced AAV technology.

3. Extend Remote Communications Programs to communicate and retrieve data across dimensional/space-time barrier. Target multiple locations.

4. Identify anomalous activity in select areas of the United States and establish field research laboratories and remote communication programs on site.

Retrieve and integrate all historical data on AAVs from retirees (oral history.)

Area 2:

1. Liaison with IC, FBI, State, Local and tribal Police, FAA, DoD (including AFOSI), National Laboratories and with US Aerospace companies.

2. Collect data, including classified data, from IC/DoD entities, e.g. cockpit flight recordings of AAV performance, communications, medical autopsy reports, weapons use, AAV trajectory records (from NORAD.)

3. Classified data collection from AAV interactions with Nuclear Weapons Storage Facilities - (Northern Tier and other AFB AAV incidents.)

Area 3:

Note: unclassified separate organization.

1. Create an open organization for collection of data on AAV performance.

2. Liaise with civilian groups for AAV data collection."

Department of Homeland Security

In the first book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" authors Lacatski et al, state that "On February 7, 2011, Lacatski gave a very in-depth briefing to colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. At this point in time, the opportunity arose for DHS to receive $10 million in FY13 funding..." for an AASWAP look alike program. Would it be reasonable to conclude that the one-page BAASS document was part of the briefing by Lacatski?

Advanced Technology Analysis Center

Notice from the BAASS document, the words:

"Advanced Technology Analysis Center - analyze recovered AAV technology in collaboration with aerospace companies. Construct extremely secure underground lab facility."

AAV was short for Advanced Aerial Vehicle, an alternative name for UAP.  

David Grusch 

It should also be noted that David Grusch in a recent interview with Joe Rogan , inter alia, of the fact that Senator Harry Reid was looking, under the AAWSAP contract, to have retrieved UAP material transferred from Lockheed Martin to BAASS for BAASS to undertake materials analysis. What material does this refer to? Is it Lacatski's "craft of unknown origin" or something else? Grusch stated:

"...the other government customer which was the Central Intelligence Agency for that specific Lockheed material...from the 50's...bits and pieces of hull structures."

So, not an intact craft but bits and pieces.  

The mystery of the "craft of unknown origin" continues.

The upcoming SOL Foundation Symposium

Academia

We seem to have reached a 'tipping point' as regards the involvement of academia in UAP studies. Over recent years, we have seen an increasing number of academics from various disciplines taking an active interest in the topic, e.g. Jeffrey Kripal (Religious Studies); Kimberley Engels (Philosophy); Kevin Knuth (Physics); Avi Loeb (Physics); Beatriz Villarroel (Astronomy); Garry Nolan (Immunology); and Diana Walsh Pasulka (Religious Studies.) 

Amazon.com.au : pasulka diana

In addition, learned bodies such as the Society for UFO Studies have emerged, as well as Foundations dedicated to researching UAP, e.g. The European Echo Foundation, and now the U.S. based The Sol Foundation. 

What is the SOL Foundation?

From the Foundation's website we learn that:

"The SOL Foundation brings together experts from academia and government to address the philosophical, policy and scientific problems caused by the likely presence on the Earth of UAP."

The Executive Director of the Foundation is Dr. Garry Nolan. 

"Dr. Nolan is the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine."

The Foundation's Director of Research is Dr. Peter Skafish, who is:

"...a sociocultural anthropologist who has held faculty and research positions in France, Canada, Germany and the United States."

Research

 "Where the science of UAP is concerned, we will support...studies of potential material components of UAP, the possible physics and engineering of their 'propulsion' and energy technology and the biological effects of human exposure to them."

"As for the humanities and social sciences we are seeking researchers in fields such as anthropology, history, philosophy, religious studies and sociology to help us understand the impacts that confirmation of the reality of UAP would have for human society, cosmologies, and political systems the world over."

Symposium

On 17 and 18 November 2023, the Foundation will hold a symposium on the grounds of Stanford University, 35 miles south of San Francisco, California, USA. It is sponsored by the Nolan Laboratory and the Stanford School of Medicine. In person attendance is by invitation only. 

Speakers

 The schedule of speakers, and the titles of their presentations are listed below:

17 November

Avi Loeb. "The New Frontier of Interstellar Objects."

Beatriz Villarroel. "Multiple Transients and the Search for ET Probes."

Kevin Knuth. "The Physics of UAP, with Some Clues about Their Detection, Monitoring and Engineering."

Garry Nolan. "The Material Science of UAP."

Jacques Vallee. "The UFO Phenomenon: A Genuine Scientific Problem."

Diana Walsh Pasulka. "Rewriting the Myth of Prometheus: Innovation Through Off-Planet Research, Data and Environments."

Peter Skafish. "Conceptualizing Nonhuman Intelligence Anthropomorphism and Ontology."

18 November

Timothy Gallaudet. "The U.S. Government's UAP Apathy is Another Case of Massively Misplaced Priorities."

Jairus Victor Grove. "Crowded Skies: Atmospheric and Orbital Threat Reduction in an Age of Uncertainty."

Karl Nell. "The Schumer Amendment and Controlled Disclosure."

Jonathan Berte. "The European Union and Disclosure: Government, Industry and UAP Research."

Christopher Mellon. No title available.

Charles McCullough III. A fireside chat.

Iya Whitley. "Observation in Data: Trusting and Learning from Pilots."

Paul Thigpen. "They Are All God's Children; Insights from Catholic Theology on UAP and Nonhuman Intelligence."

Jeff Kripal. "To Shoot Down Souls: Some Paradoxical Thoughts on the UFO Phenomenon from an Historian of Religions."

In conclusion

As will be seen from the above speakers' schedule, the Symposium promises to be an excellent mix of academics from diverse disciplines. I look forward to the availability of videos of the sessions, in order to digest the impressive range of topics being discussed.

Updated CUFOS website

Center for UFO Studies

The U.S. Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) was founded by the late Prof. J. Allen Hynek in 1973, making this year, the Center's 50th anniversary. Its purpose is to advocate for serious scientific study of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), as well as to act as an archive for material relating to UAP. The Center has just updated its website.

J. Allen Hynek - courtesy CUFOS

Scanned material

Now available are scanned issues of:

* The International UFO Reporter (IUR) - 1976-2012

* The Journal of UFO Studies (JUFOS) - series one 1979-1983 and series two 1989-2006

* CUFOS Associates Newsletter - May 1980-Jun/Jul 1985.

I am particularly delighted to see the scanned issues of both the IUR and JUFOS, as I was an occasional contributor of articles to both of them, over several years.

In addition, there are scanned copies of many of the CUFOS monographs, such as Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos' "Catalogue of 200 type-1 UFO events in Spain and Portugal" and Jennie Zeidman's "A Helicopter-UFO encounter over Ohio."

Also available, are scanned copies of all the publications of the former National Investigation Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) between 1975-1980, including:

* The UFO Investigator

* UFO Quarterly Review

* NICAP Special Bulletins.

These are a much-appreciated collection of documents.

Other features

Other features of the updated website are:

* A comprehensive timeline of cases and events

* An outline, with sample cases of the Hynek classification system

* A detailed description of the 192,000 UFOCAT-2023 case database.

All in all, a very useful compilation of UAP research documentation, as well as other resources not mentioned above. 

ECHO European Congress for UAP Studies and Research

Forthcoming Congress

A further reminder that the study of UAP is a global endeavor, is the forthcoming "ECHO European Congress for UAP Studies and Research" to be held in Paris, France on the 4th and 5th November, 2023.

The ECHO Foundation

The objectives of the Foundation, as set out on their website are:

* Democratization - to contribute to the democratization of the UFO phenomenon through scientific studies and investigative report.

* Documentation - to propose documented news of the UFO phenomenon by centralizing and presenting files from all over the world and making them available on its platform in several languages.

* Communication - to allow more widespread dissemination and communication of the UFO phenomenon.

* New hypotheses - open the door to new paradigms and scientific hypotheses relating to the enigmas of the universe (multiverse/technology).

* Assemble - to bring together experts from all over the world from different backgrounds (science, history, former government and military agents, politicians, etc.) in an international Congress.

* European event - the event, presented as a series of conferences and videoconferences, will highlight recent news about the UFO phenomenon, for example:

"The measures taken by different governments that treat the phenomenon seriously. The latest advances in science which allow us to foresee new hypotheses."

Talks

Speakers at the Congress, and the title of their talks, are:

Chris Mellon - "UAP and the extraterrestrial hypothesis."

Luc Dini - France - President 3AF SIGMA2 - "Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena: references and physical observables."

Fabrice Bonvin - Switzerland - author - "From debunking to disclosure."

Phillipe Guillemant - France - research engineer CNRS- "Hypotheses on UAP technology."

Avi Loeb - "The Galileo Project in search for technological interstellar objects."

Jacques Vallee - "The UFO phenomena, a genuine scientific subject."

Eric Zurcher - Historian - "Close encounters, a form of meta language?"

Dominique Filhol - France - author and film director - 15mm screening of the film "Valensole" and debate with Jacques Vallee and the director.

Guests

Invited guests are:

Michael Vaillant (France) - UAP consultant.

Jack Krine (France) - Former French Air Force pilot.

Christian van Heijst (Netherlands) - Boeing 747 pilot.

Vinnie Adams (UK) - UAP researcher and podcast host.

Nagib Kary (France) - Co-founder Vertical Project Media.

Lacatski's new book and podcast interview

Lacatski et al

Courtesy Amazon Books

"Inside the US Government Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations." 2023. Published by RTMA LLC. Henderson, Nevada; is a new book by James T. Lacatski; Colm Kelleher and George Knapp. It follows their 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon." This new book is the second in a projected series of books by the three authors, about the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) The book covers the time period September 2008 through May 2009. The following material from the book only covers items that are new to me, about AAWSAP. 

AAWSAP work product

"...the massive holdings of the original analysts' journals, data and photographs remain in storage."

Comment: From the previous book and other sources, we are aware that the large volume of documents generated by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) the contractor, were held in two places - BAASS in Las Vegas and the DIA in Virginia. 

AAWSAP Management Plan

This was written in November 2008, showing proposed AAWSAP actions divided into "...six major projects that collectively addressed all twelve technical areas."

1. Project Database - the creation of the CAPELLA data warehouse.

2. Project Physics - the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents.

3. Project Engagement - gather cases, and document areas of UAP activity and directly observe the phenomena.

4. Project Northern Tier - cases near USAF bases, containing nuclear weapons from the 1960's onwards.

5. Project Colares - gather material on the Colares, Brazil wave.

6. Project Ranch - Studies at the Skinwalker Ranch in Utah.

There was also:

Project Consciousness - examine the connection between UAP and paranormal phenomena, and human mind/body.

Project Physics 

To examine existing UAP reports to determine characteristics of UAP lift, propulsion, spatial/temporal translation and power generation.

A retrieved craft

"At the conclusion of a 2011 meeting in the capitol building with a U.S. Senator and an agency Under Secretary, Lacatski, the only one of this book's authors present, posed a question.

He stated that the United States was in possession of a craft of unknown origin and had successfully gained access to its interior. This craft had a streamlined configuration suitable for aerodynamic flight but no intakes, exhaust, wings, or control surfaces. In fact, it appeared not to have an engine, fuel tanks or fuel.

Lacatski asked" 'What is the purpose of this craft? Was it a life support craft useful only for atmospheric reentry or what? If it were a spacecraft, then how did it operate?"

Comments:

1. Lacatski doesn't say any more about this "craft." He does not say whether or not he actually saw it himself. We do not know, if he didn't see it himself, then how did he acquire his knowledge of its existence. 

2. "...successfully gained access to its interior" suggests that the craft was originally closed, but then access was gained.

3. This statement by Lacatski that the US possesses "a craft of unknown origin" is the main takeaway from this book. 

United Kingdom case

There was an incident involving two F-15C aircraft near Royal Air Force base Lakenheath in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2007, which was investigated by AAWSAP. AAWSAP conducted phone communications with the former Commanding Officer of the 493rd Fighter Squadron, and a face-to-face interview with the lead pilot. Two F-15C aircraft tracked an object on their radar and there was intermittent ground radar detection. The object was seen visually by both pilots. It was between 17,000- and 18,000-feet altitude. The lead pilot thought the object was tracking with the wind at less than 60 knots. The object looked like a "meteor rock" and was watermelon to softball sized. The lead pilot in retrospect, thought it was a balloon.

Investigations team

BAASS "...hired a small team of ten high quality investigators with extensive intelligence and law enforcement investigator experience." A rapid deployment team for within the continental US. The book provides great details of cases which the team investigated during the period April and May 2009.

Comment: The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), screened all incoming reports to them and passed on to BAASS, ones which met specific criteria. Additional investigation and documentation was then conducted by BAASS. Thus, the details of the cases published in the book include, but also add to, the case studies published in the MUFON Journals of the time. 

Northern Tier incursions

In January 2009 one analyst/investigator was assigned to review the public information available on Northern Tier incursions - around USAF nuclear sites from the 1960's into the 1990's. AAWSAP "...initiated the creation of a database compiling the names, contact info and event details of any and all eyewitnesses to the sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena on and around Air Force Bases in the United States."

CAPELLA data warehouse

Ten people each worked on the data warehouse for 40 hours a week. On 10 November 2008 BAASS awarded a contract to Jacques Vallee to prepare an outline of such a data warehouse. French, Portuguese, and Danish translators were used to provide English translations. Details are provided of each of the eleven databases which together make up the data warehouse. The cost was multi-millions of dollars in total.

Integrated sensor package

This was developed by BAASS' engineering team, from a concept plan in January 2009 to having a prototype by August 2009. The intent was to deploy it in areas of high UAP activity. The book provides detailed operational characteristics of the sensor package.

Colares, Brazil

John Schuessler was engaged to write a report based on the time frame 1972-2003, drawing on work by Bob Pratt's field visits to Brazil, which were followed by onsite visits by Janine and Jacques Vallee; together with the work of local Brazilian researchers.

Future work

The book lists projects which they did not have time to complete, including:

1. Collect and analyze uncorrelated target data from such places as NORAD.

2. Collect and analyze radar and radar/visual cases.

3. Develop a plane for locating and monitoring "windows" and "portals."

4. Develop a plan to attract novel spacecraft.

WEAPONIZED podcast

On 16 October, 2023, the three authors were interviewed on a podcast hosted by George Knapp and Jeremy Corbell. The following are my notes of the pieces of information drawn from the podcast. L = Lacatksi; K = Kelleher; G = George Knapp, and C = Jeremy Corbell.

L - did not tell the contract bidder what to do, said this is what we want to achieve write a proposal to do that.

L - AATIP name was created for a specific purpose. Why call it AATIP? The need for a different name? The funding came with a piece of highly classified paper on which someone had written 'secret' on the program name. I wanted a different name so Lue etc. came up with AATIP. Using the name AAWSAP routed the money to the Defense Warning Office. AATIP looked at military cases. I was aware of some of the cases AATIP worked on. 

L - All material from BAASS re AAWSAP sent to the DIA was scanned electronically by the DIA. Most of the documentation is propriety, it contains people's names, contractors' names etc. Therefore, we are only extracting parts of the documents in this book.

L - One interesting revelation is that there are so many different configurations of UFOs. 

L - C asked about the "craft" story in the book. L said that at the meeting there was considerably more discussion about the craft than is in the book. We will try to cover more in future.

L - This second book took 7 months to review as opposed to 14 months for Skinwalkers book.

L - There are questions we haven't been asked such as 'why the project was started?' 'Why did it end?" The meeting with that Brazilian guy - no one ever asked us why did we have that meeting? Can't answer these without documenting them and getting cleared. 

K - There were two AAWSAP threads. What effects do UFOs have on humans? The other was the nuts and bolts re lift, propulsion etc.

L - There is information out there that is not factual. We had no choice but to pursue both aspects.

C - Can you comment on David Grusch? L - I have never met Grusch. I don't know him. Congress contacted me with a similar question. I never saw what I would consider illegal activities. 

C - R the craft. Did you see the craft yourself? L - Can't answer that. 

L - [Speaking of reference to religious forces stopping the program.] I see no darkness at all here. I saw no evidence of that being true. I'm optimistic.

L - [Back to false information.] I have seen forged documents talking about the program that are not legitimate documents.

[Re the resurrection of CAPELLA.] K - UAPTF had access to the CAPELLA database. I have no personal knowledge about it re the AIMSOG or AARO. L- AARO has not reached out to me about the CAPELLA database. A person from AARO did reach out to me on an unclassified system, but not about CAPELLA.

L - There were other individuals and agencies who wanted to add their sensors to our sensor package.

K - [Asked were UAP a threat to national security.] AAWSAP generated lots of information about UFO capabilities but nothing on UFO "intent." You can't make the case without intent that UFOs are a national security threat. They are however a threat to human health. 

K - The book contains a lot of historical cases - you can't explain 1950's cases as drones. 

C - You list 8 different things for future work One is oral history of people who have first-hand experience. L - the text you read out was in the BAASS proposal and the planning document. It was a 'desire' not 'knowledge.' In the book we tried to keep it in line with the text in the AAWSAP DIA documents. The book uses extracts from those documents.

C - Do the American people deserve to know about this craft? L - Yes, within security limits. If you're asking if I am a disclosure advocate, I'd say no.

C - I know you declined to testify to Congress. Telling Congress, the lowdown, would also tell our adversaries. L - I didn't want to get involved in what would appear to be a three-ring circus. My method is to tell it in book form.

K - [UFO as both machine and something else.] K - There is a manipulation of perception in the witness. We need to look at both the physical and the psychic. 

Summary comments:

1. This new book provides details extracted from the original source BAASS AAWSAP documentation. If we are not going to be able to see copies of the full material, then extracts by Lacatski et al are the next best thing. In that respect, there is much new detail revealed here. 

2. The scant details provided about the US possessing a craft of unknown origin, and having accessed the interior, is never going to satisfy the curiosity of researchers such as myself, who have dozens of follow up questions to those asked by Knapp and Corbell, and which Lacatski refused to answer. 

3. It was excellent to be able to read the book and then listen to the podcast, even if Lacatski was reticent to respond to many of the questions put to him. He clearly stated that he was not going to exceed the detail he had been cleared to provide in the book. However, he did indicate additional detail may be forthcoming in the next book in the series, which hopefully will cover the timeframe June 2009 to December 2010. 

Update: 22 April 2024

The AARO website recently published details from the Department of Homeland Security on their proposed project named "Kona Blue" which was to extend the work of the former AAWSAP. The first Lacatski et al book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" appendix two, had previously provided details of this proposed second version of AAWSAP, but without giving its code name "Kona Blue."

Two more BAASS AAWSAP documents emerge

Introduction

In a blog dated 30 September 2023, I reported on a number of documents which we have so far seen, which were generated by the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) contract for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) and submitted to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). These documents were all listed in appendix 1 to a 2021 book authored by James T. Lacatski; Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp.

Back in July 2022 I also reported on the emergence of a number of UAP databases which seemed to be created using many of the UAP databases contained in the BAASS AAWSAP CAPELLA data warehouse; as listed in the Lacatski et al book. 

I posed the question of where these BAASS AAWSAP documents were coming from, so many years after the closure of the AAWSAP? In addition, I wondered who had re-issued, and was now using the CAPELLA look-alike data warehouse?

Further BAASS AAWSAP documents

I have acquired two additional BAASS AAWSAP documents which are not listed in the Lacatski et al,  appendix 1. 

1. "CAPELLA Data Warehouse: Dominique Weinstein's Pilots' Database Completion Summary." Final version - July 16, 2009. Revised - April 21, 2010.

This three-page document:

"Summarizes the Dominique Weinstein Pilots' database as contained within the BAASS data warehouse...the final BAASS version of the Dominique Weinstein Pilots' database is a Microsoft Excel file named "Capella+Pilots-8.xlsm."

The document provides details on the background to the Pilots' database, and the changes made to the original for BAASS purposes; restructuring some data fields, adding additional fields and assigning all reports a Vallee classification. 

The total number of Pilots' sightings shown in the document is 483. This is the same number of cases listed in the Lacatski et al, appendix 1. There is an analysis of these 483 records by Vallee classification, AN1 to CE5; together with a pie chart showing division into Vallee classification.

Courtesy: anonymous

Interestingly, all three pages contain a footnote which reads "D. S. Kurth July 15, 2009." We know from Jacques Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume 5" that former U.S. Marine pilot Douglas S. Kurth (onsite for the 2004 Nimtz encounters) managed the work on the BAASS AAWSAP CAPELLA data warehouse.

2. "Canada Database Information." 

This is another three-page document, although this one is not assigned an author, and is undated. 

"This database was built from cases extracted from the Canadian Release of Records on the web." Total cases 14,935 "(regularly changing with new records found, duplicate records removed.)"

There is a pie chart of these cases divided by Vallee classification. Out of the 14,935, 3,655 were described as IFO and 4,850 were labelled 'Not classified.'

Courtesy: anonymous

It is noted in the document that "BAASS will only put the Yellow cases...in CAPELLA format (608 cases)" plus 137 from the Orange category.

Checking with appendix 1 to the Lacatski et al book, I note that there the "Canadian release spreadsheet 1971-1981" has 795 cases. This suggests that this document may be an interim and not a final version.

CAPELLA data warehouse - NIDS

In looking at the appendix 1 to the Lacatski et al book, I note that there is reference to a NIDS spreadsheet containing 1,570 cases which was sent to the DIA. It was titled "CAPELLA Data Warehouse - NIDS Database Completion Summary. BAASS, 17 June 2009 (2 pages). I have not yet acquired a copy of this document. 

I welcome communications from anyone who may have copies of BAASS AAWSAP documents which I have not reported upon in my recent blog posts. 

What Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) documents have we seen ?

Lacatski 

In 2021, a book appeared authored by James T. Lacatski, Colm. A Kelleher, and George Knapp, titled "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon." It told the inside story of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) Appendix 1 to the book provided a list of the reports which Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS), provided to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in fulfillment of the AAWSAP contract. This list, headed "AAWSAP Production," shows the name and details of each document. There are 88 separate documents listed, running to a total of around 7,000 pages. How many of these documents have we seen?

Defense Intelligence Reference Documents

The DIA Freedom of Information Act reading room has copies of all 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) (click on the tab titled "Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program") generated by BAASS and listed in appendix 1 of "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon.')

Ten Month Report

Courtesy: Popular Mechanics

One of the appendix 1reports, shown as 530 pages in length, is titled "BAASS July 2009 Ten Month Report" and gives its contents as:

* BAASS Investigations

* Project Physics

* Project Engagement

* Project Cooperation

* Project Blue Book materials

* Project campus

* Project Oral History

* Project Database/ Analysis government files

* Project North Tier

* Project Colares/Brazil, outreach to South America.

In the February 2020 issue of the magazine "Popular Mechanics" German based U.S. investigator Tim McMillan reported that he had been shown a copy of a 494 pages BAASS document dated 30 July 2009, which appears to be a copy of the appendix 1 Ten Month report. McMillan, who only had a couple of hours to read and make notes, when an anonymous individual showed him a copy in Germany, says his document contained:

"strategic plans, project summaries, data tables, charts, descriptions of biological field effects, physical characteristics, methods of detection, theoretical capabilities, witness interviews, photographs and case synopses."

Despite the different page count, it certainly seems to be the appendix 1, Ten Month Report.

Skinwalker Ranch 2007-2012

Courtesy: phenomainon.com

Appendix 1 lists a document titled "Utah Ranch Events: 1 September 2007 - 2 April 2012" and is shown as 26 pages in length. In May 2022 a new website was launched at phenomainon.com. It consisted mainly of a number of databases, but in one section, "Incident database summaries" was a 26-page PDF document titled "Skinwalker Ranch Summaries." The actual document title is "Utah Ranch Events- September 2007 to Present." It is shown as version 6 - dated April 6, 2012. It appears to be the appendix 1 listed document.

Tic Tac report

Courtesy: anonymous

Appendix 1 also lists a 141-page document titled "Summary report on BAASS UAP Analysis Capabilities. Tic Tac and Sphere Assessments" dated 23 November 2010. This is a separate document to anything else produced on the 2004 Tic Tac incident. The book, in part, states that this 141-page report included a detailed advanced physics analysis of the Tic Tac's velocity and acceleration.

On a recent episode of the podcast WEAPONIZED titled "The UFO Hearing-What Happened" featuring George Knapp, Jeremy Corbell, Ross Coulthart and Bryce Zabel, there was mention of a 140-page report on the November 2004 Nimitz encounters. Knapp and Corbell had secured a copy from unnamed sources and had considered submitting it to the recent Congressional hearing but ultimately decided not to. Corbell said that their 140-page document was a detailed scientific analysis of the Tic Tac. These, and other details indicate that this Knapp/Corbell document is indeed a copy of the appendix 1 listed document.

In summary

We have seen:

*38 DIRDs

* The BAASS Ten Month Report

* The 26-page Utah/Skinwalker Ranch Summaries 2007-2012

* The 140/141-page Tic Tac analysis document.

It should also be noted that the BAASS generated CAPELLA data warehouse, conceived by Jacques Vallee has also recently seen the light of day and been made available by UPDB and phenomainon.

Comment

The question arises as to who has been 'leaking' these documents (apart from the 38 DIRDs which were officially released by the DIA)?

The Ten-Month report

McMillian in his 2020 article said about the individual who gave him a look at the report: "It's worth noting that this person is not a current government employee, nor were they ever involved with BAASS or the AAWSAP Contract."

The Utah Ranch Report

The phenomainon website and associated databases were established by Joe Schurman. It would appear that someone gave him a copy of the report and he published it. Although soon after it appeared on the website it disappeared; and has never appeared there since.

The Tic Tac Report

George Knapp, when advising who his copy of the report came from, implied it was from a source which needed to be protected from themselves. 

Basically though, it appears that only BAASS and the DIA ever had formal copies of the documents. Thus, the viewing of the Ten-Month Report; the release of the Utah Ranch document and the Tic Tac Report, indicates that the source of these was either a former BAASS employee or an employee of the DIA, although note McMillan's words re the individual who showed him the Ten-Month Report. 

To the best of my knowledge, Robert Bigelow as head of BAASS has never directly made available any AAWSAP documents. So, if they came from the BAASS end, it might have been a former BAASS employee's private copies of documents they kept for themselves. However, it is always possible they came from a DIA employee. Although I am aware of one UK researcher, who when seeking a copy of the 140-page Tic Tac Report, was informed by the DIA that they had released all their AAWSAP documents and that if the 140-page Tic Tac document wasn't on their FOIA website, that indicated that the 140-page document did not exist!

CAPELLA data warehouse

As to the question of who provided Joe Schurman with a copy of the CAPELLA AAWSAP data warehouse, we are none the wiser. Lacatski stated in his book:

"The authors are aware that the AAWSAP BAASS Data Warehouse, rather than lying fallow in a dusty warehouse or on a discarded hard drive, has been recently reactivated and is currently in use in various locations related to the government study of UAPs."

One interpretation of these words could be that it was an agency of the U.S. government itself, which had reactivated the data warehouse. 

What do we know about the early 2023 Gulf Of Mexico UAP encounter?

Incident

Information concerning an early 2023 UAP incident, involving an aircraft from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, USA, has been limited. While there has been much talk from a number of U.S. Congressional figures, about their interaction with US military personnel, on the incident; there have been few data points of actual information about the incident itself. I found three sources, which gave some information.

The Mid Bay News 

Dated 21 July 2023, Christopher Saul wrote an article titled "Members of Congress lambast Eglin general over UFO information." The article mentioned that at a press conference on 20 July 2023, members of Congress Anna Paulina Luna; and Tim Burchett described their encounter with Eglin Air Force Base Commander Brigadier General Jeffrey Geraghty.

JEFFREY T. GERAGHTY > Air Force > Biography Display (af.mil)

Burchett reportedly stated they visited Eglin Air Force Base for a briefing on the UAP incident but were actually briefed on another subject. A discussion ensued, following which only Representative Matt Gaetz was briefed. The article revealed that this visit to the base had occurred on 21 February 2023 and the Luna said it was pilots who had originally contacted Representative Gaetz.

Twitter/X

On 27 July 2023 a tweet appeared on the official account of US Congressman House of Representatives member for Florida, Matt Gaetz. It read:

"Several months ago, my office received a protected disclosure from Eglin Air force Base indicating there was a UAP incident that required my attention. I sought a briefing regarding that episode and brought @RepTimBurchett and @RepLuna with me. We were initially denied access to images, radar and conversation with all members of the flight. After demanding access, the information was exclusively shown to me, and I was able to speak with one member of the flight crew who took the photo. The image was of a UAP that I am not able to attach to any human capability, either from the United States or from any of our adversaries. The pilot said he encountered a fleet of UAPs in diamond formation over the Gulf of Mexico, which was confirmed on radar that I reviewed. He said approaching the UAPs caused video and other aircraft security features to malfunction. He saw what I can only describe as an orb - not of any human capability that I'm aware of."

Embedded in the tweet was a video extract from the 26 July 2023 Oversight and Accountability Committee's sub-committee: National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs' public hearing on UAP.

The following additional information was gleaned from this video recording:

* The incident involved at least one United States Air Force aircraft

* The aircraft was on a test mission

* The airspace was supposed to be clear

* There were four "craft" in a clear diamond formation

* One pilot checked out the formation and saw an orb

* His radar went down, and the Forward Looking Infra-Red equipment malfunctioned

* He manually took the image which Rep. Gaetz viewed

* The pilot told Gaetz explicitly that reporting UAP was being discouraged.

Liberation Times

In an issue dated 20 September 2023, journalist Christopher Sharp, advised that he had received a statement from Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough. Gough confirmed that Gaetz had been briefed on the incident and that All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) had received a report on the incident and would look to post a public report when it was cleared. 

Comments:

1. Note that it was the USAF whose aircraft was/were involved in this incident, not the US Navy or US Marines. The USAF has been almost invisible in the recent debates about UAP.

2. The Mid Bay News item cited above, reports that representative Luna said it was pilots who had contacted Gaetz. If this is correct, then a question arises in my mind as to why USAF pilots contacted Graetz? Why not report up the line within the Air Force? Could it be because the USAF, unlike the US Navy, only trialed a UAP reporting system for six months?

Other questions which occur to me include:

* If there were four objects in a diamond formation and one was observed to be an orb, what shape were the other three?

* Can we assume that because one of the objects was described as an orb; that the photographic image obtained was of an orb?

* Was the radar observation mentioned; ground radar or aircraft radar, or both?

* If the aircraft radar went down and the FLIR malfunctioned due to the nearness of UAP, at what point did the radar and FLIR come back into operation, if indeed they did?

3. The major units at Eglin Air Force Base includes the 96th Test Wing; 33rd Fighter Wing and the 919th Special Operations Wing.

Note that Gaetz on 26 July 2023 stated that the aircraft concerned were on a test mission; which might suggest they belonged to the 96th Test Wing. This Wing is Commanded by Brigadier General Jeffrey Geraghty. 

4. The incident must have taken place sometime between 1 January 2023 and no later than 21 February 2023. 

5. If the claims of interference with radar and FLIR are substantiated, and that also radar tracked the formation of UAP, then this incident is important.

6. AARO now needs time to analyse the radar and other data, such as the captured photographic image, to determine if it can assign a cause to the incident.

7. Hopefully, the reporting of this incident will lead to other military aviators coming forward with other accounts.

Update: 8 March 2024

Following FOIA requests by researcher Abbas Dharamsey, dated 22 and 23 August 2023, the Headquarters Office of Special Investigations, Department of the Air Force, released a number of pages of relevant documents, including a one-page sketch of one UAP, and a declassified summary of the event.   Most of the pages were heavily redacted. The summary read:

"DECLASSIFIED SUMMARY: On 26 Jan 23, an USAF pilot gained radar lock on four separate UAP. Upon approach, the pilot was able to make visual contact and employ sensors to obtain a screen capture of the first of these objects. The remaining three were only detected by radar. UAP-1 likened to an "Apollo spacecraft" in size and shape, with an "orange-reddish" illuminated rounded bottom and the top section "a three-dimensional cone shape" comprising "gunmetal gray segmented panels." UAP-1 operated at an altitude of about 16,000 above ground level (AGL). The second and third UAPs were noted at altitudes of 17,000 and 18,000. The fourth was lost from radar and no altitude was noted. Moreover, no airspeeds were noted for any of the UAP in this report. Of note, upon closing to within 4,000 feet of UAP-1, the radar malfunctioned and remained disabled for the remainder of the event. Post-mission investigation revealed that a circuit breaker had triggered, but that maintenance technicians were unable to conclusively diagnose the fault."

Update: 1 May 2024.

AARO published its case resolution document about the Eglin case. 

Update: 12 May 2024

On episode 52 of the Need To Know podcast, aired 10 May 2024, Ross Coulthart reported some new information. Ross stated that he had spoken to a pilot who was amongst a group of pilots going out into the same training range, subsequent to the 26th January incident. This pilot said they were informed that there had been two USAF aircraft involved in the incident, not one. Both aircraft pilots had seen four objects on their radar, and both independently saw the same single object. Both pilots thought the object was anomalous. 

NASA's UAP Independent Study Team produces its report

Establishment

UAP | Science Mission Directorate (nasa.gov)

On 9 June 2022, a NASA media release announced that an independent study team, was to be set up to examine UAP. Since then, the study team led by astrophysicist David Spergel has been looking at the broad question of:

 "...identifying available data, how to best collect future data and how NASA can use this data to move the scientific understanding of UAP's forward."

It was made clear, right from the start, that this study was not going to be examining current or past individual sightings.

NASA Media Advisory

NASA Media Advisory M23-115, dated 12 September 2023, was titled "NASA to release, discuss Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena report."

It advised that there would be a media briefing at 10 am EDT on Thursday 14th September 2023 to discuss the findings of the study team's report. An online copy of the report would be made available about a half hour prior to the briefing.

Briefing participants

* NASA Administrator Bill Nelson

* Nicola Fox, associate administrator Science Mission Directorate

* Dan Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research, Science Mission Directorate

* David Spergel, President Simons Foundation and Chair of the study team.

A video of the full briefing may be viewed here. 

What is in the report?

The report is 34 pages in length and is divided into the following seven sections:

1. Executive summary.

2. Foreword.

3. Introduction.

4. Response to statement of task.

5. Overall conclusions and recommendations.

6. Acknowledgements.

7. Work products: discussion.

Response to statement of task

The core of the report is the section "Response to statement of task." Here we find the eight questions posed to the Independent Study Team: their "Findings" and a rationale for those findings. 

Q1. What types of scientific data currently collected and archived by NASA or other civilian government entities should be synthesized and analyzed to potentially shed light on the nature and origins of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP)?

FINDING:  NASA'S fleet of earth-observing satellites should play a powerful supporting role to determine the environmental conditions that coincide with UAP

FINDING:  It is essential to note the pivotal role that structured data curation plays in a rigorous and evidence-based framework to better understand UAP

Q2. What types of scientific data currently collected and held by non-profits and companies should be synthesized and analyzed to potentially shed light on the nature and origins of UAP?

FINDING:  The U.S. commercial remote-sensing industry offers a potent mix of Earth observing sensors that have the collective potential to directly resolve UAP events

FINDING:  The standardization of collected information via well-crafted calibration will make it possible to carry out a rigorous scientific investigation into UAP. NASA's experience in this area will be vital.

Q3. What other types of scientific data should be collected by NASA to enhance the potential for developing an understanding of the nature and origins of UAP?

FINDING:  NASA should leverage its considerable expertise in this domain to potentially utilize multispectral or hyperspectral data as part of a rigorous campaign

FINDING:  NASA’s expertise should be comprehensively leveraged as part of a robust and systematic data strategy within the whole-of-government framework

Q4. Which scientific analysis techniques currently in production could be employed to assess the nature and origins of UAP? Which types of analysis techniques should be developed?

FINDING:  AI and ML, combined with NASA's extensive expertise, should be utilized to investigate the nature and origins of UAP

FINDING:  NASA, with its expertise in data calibration, management, and advanced analysis is well-positioned to take a central role in these efforts.

Q5. In considering the factors above, what basic physical constraints can be placed on the nature and origins of UAP?

FINDING:  The panel regards placing physical constraints on UAP, together with the suite of plausible natures and origins, as being within reach

Q6. What civilian airspace data related to UAPs have been collected by government agencies and are available for analysis to a) inform efforts to better understand the nature and origins of UAPs, and b) determine the risk of UAPs to the National Air Space (NAS)?

FINDING:  With its world-leading expertise in data curation and organization, NASA is well-positioned to advise on the best methodologies for establishing repositories of civilian airspace data

Q7. What current reporting protocols and air traffic management (ATM) data acquisition systems can be modified to acquire additional data on past and future UAPs?

FINDING:  Leveraging the Aviation Safety Reporting System for commercial pilot UAP reporting would provide a critical database.

Q8. What potential enhancements to future ATM development efforts can be recommended to acquire data concerning future reported UAPs to assist in the effort to better understand the nature and origin of the UAPs

FINDING:  NASA’s strong partnership with the FAA will be pivotal to designing future air traffic management systems to acquire UAP data.

Director of UAP Research

So, what next? NASA now has to digest the findings, and recommendations of the Independent Study Team. One immediate action stated in the report advised that NASA "is appointing a Director of UAP Research." An updated NASA media release dated 14 September 2023, named the Director as Mark McInerney. The media release advised that:

"McInerney previously served as NASA’s liaison to the Department of Defense covering limited UAP activities for the agency. In the director role, he will centralize communications, resources, and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP. He also will leverage NASA’s expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and space-based observation tools to support and enhance the broader government initiative on UAP. Since 1996, he has served various positions at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the National Hurricane Center."

Comments:

1. NASA's Independent Study Team on UAP was a big step forward for the scientific study of UAP; while the report acknowledged that NASA's civilian efforts fall under the broader whole of government UAP role performed by AARO. 

2. Historically, NASA has been loath to touch the topic of UAP, despite the fact that several NASA employees have been active in UAP research over the years. Therefore, the immediate action of appointing a NASA Director of UAP Research is also recognition of the seriousness with which the agency is now taking UAP study.

3. For some, these steps of the Study Team; a production of their report; and the naming of a NASA Director of UAP Research, will not be sufficient. There is an element of the UAP community which has always felt that NASA has failed to disclose what it truly knows about UAP; namely that UAP are extraterrestrial spacecraft and have been observed in space and on the moon. 

4. In answering question 5 of the statement of task, there is a paragraph in the report which reads:

"If the whole-of-government framework to understanding UAP – with NASA playing a crucial role – were to implement the preponderance of steps prescribed above, then the panel regards placing physical constraints on UAP, together with the suite of plausible natures and origins, as being within reach." 

A very interesting statement. Give us the resources we ask for and we will give you the natures and origins of UAP. Does that include the possibility of an extraterrestrial origin? On page 25 we find:

"To date, in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, there is no conclusive evidence suggesting an extraterrestrial origin for UAP."

Again, on page 25 there is:

"That includes the question of whether UAP have an extraterrestrial origin. There is an intellectual continuum between hypothesizing that faraway extraterrestrial civilizations might produce detectable technologies, and looking for those technologies closer to home. But in the search for life beyond Earth, extraterrestrial life itself must be the hypothesis of last resort—the answer we turn to only after ruling out all other possibilities. As Sherlock Holmes said, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

 5. I look forward to seeing what the new NASA Director of UAP Research produces.

An Australian academic with an interest in UAP from the perspective of Religious studies

"American Cosmic"

In a recent article I lamented the fact that few Australian academics had written about, or spoken out about, UAP. As chance would have it, shortly after writing this article, I happened to be re-reading Diana Pasulka's book "American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology" 2019. Oxford University Press. New York. On page 4 of her book, I noticed a list of academics who had written on the topic of UAP. One of the names listed was Carole Cusack.

Professor Carole Cusack (sydney.edu.au)

Professor Carole M. Cusack is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. According to the University website: 

"Carole M. Cusack received her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Religious Studies and English Literature from the University of Sydney in 1986. She later graduated PhD in Studies in Religion in 1996 and Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in 2001. She has taught in Studies in Religions since 1989, first as a casual tutor and lecturer, and from 1996 as a full-time staff member."

"Her research interests include medieval European religion, religious conversion, medieval and modern Paganism, contemporary religious trends, alternative spiritualities and new religious movements."

Here is a link to her CV.  

Carole Cusack

Using Google Scholar, I reviewed the extensive number of articles which Carole Cusack has published, and selected a few which mentioned the keyword "UFO." I thought that this would provide a representative sampling of her UFO related works.

2014

"Individual Suicide and the End of the World: Destruction and Transformation in UFO and Alien-Based Religions." In James R. Lewis and Carole M. Cusack (Eds.) Sacred Suicide (pp91-108). Farnham, United Kingdom, Ashgate Publications appeared in 2014. In the introduction, Cusack stated:

"UFO and alien-based religions emerged in the wake of World War II, drawing upon both the ‘materialist’ sightings of flying saucers by Kenneth Arnold and the Roswell Incident, both in 1947 (Partridge 2005, 170-171), and the ‘spiritual’ concept of the Ascended Masters from the Theosophical Society (founded 1875) tradition, which was extended to include extra-terrestrials, in addition to the dead, Tibetan lamas, and other posited sources of wisdom that transcended the knowledge base of living humans (Chryssides 2011, 7-8). This syncretistic blend of conspiracist, political, and religious beliefs permeated mainstream society via the popular cultural narratives of science fiction, both in novel and filmic forms."

Cusack mentions that the most relevant group was Heaven's Gate:

"From the vantage point of the twenty-first century, the most notorious movement is Heaven’s Gate (formerly Human Individual Metamorphosis), a religious group led by Marshall Herff Applewhite (1931-1997) and Bonnie Lu Nettles (nee Trusdale, 1927- 1985) from the mid-1970s. It attracted media attention when thirty-nine members committed suicide in March 1997 in Rancho Santa Fe, an affluent neighbourhood in San Diego County."

She describes in some detail, the backgrounds of the Church Universal and Triumphant; Heaven's gate and the Aetherius Society, and their belief systems, which make riveting reading.

2015

In 2015 Cusack wrote a chapter titled "Apocalypse in Early UFO and Alien-Based Religions: Christian and Theosophical Themes." In Erik Tonning, Matthew Feldman, David Addyman (Eds.) "Modernism, Christianity and Apocalypse." pp339-353. Leiden. Brill. As to what it was about, Cusack wrote:

"This chapter examined the apocalyptic expectations of several UFO and alien-based religions and identifies both their sources and the religious currents of the early twentieth century, and their imbrication with post-war political discourses."

In this work, Cusack states that:

"UFO and alien-based religions crystallised as contemporary Western spiritual phenomena in the post-World-War-II era, and reflected both historico-political and moral anxieties about the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, and the atmosphere of paranoia and expectation of the “end of the world” that emerged as a result of the arms race between the United States of America and the Soviet Union."

The groups she refers to include the Church Universal and Triumphant; the Aetherius Society; the Raelians; and Heaven's gate.

As to her thoughts on the subject of UAP Cusack notes:

There is as yet no scientifically valid evidence for the existence of alien life, and speculation about UFO visits to Earth is dependent on unscholarly interpretations of archaeological sites, esoteric phenomena, religious texts, and a range of other “evidence.” It is thus necessary to analyse the appeal of UFOlogical narratives in the modern West."

2017

"Virtual Religions and Real Lives." In Michael Bess and Diana Walsh Pasulka (Eds.) Posthumanism: The Future of Homo Sapiens. pp167-177. Farmington Hills, MI. Mcmillan Reference USA.

What are virtual religions? Cusack writes:

"There is a palpable tension evident in the juxtaposition of “virtual religions” with “real lives.” What might a virtual religion look like? In the twenty-first century the phrase “virtual reality” is understood to refer to simulated environments created by software in which people using special equipment interact with other people and computer-generated entities, both in game situations and in more open-ended “virtual worlds.” It is undeniable that there are religions operating in cyberspace, examples of which are the Amaterasu Omikami Grand Shinto Shrine and the Mormon Meeting Hall found in the online virtual world Second Life (Stagg and Farley 2011)." 

Virtual religions are contrasted to "real lives" and in this chapter we find there are references to the Raelians; Heaven's Gate, and other groups. Here is noted that the Raelians:

"...founded in France by Claude Vorilhon (1946–) in 1973, posit aliens who visit Earth regularly and assert that great religious leaders such as Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius, and Rael (as Vorilhon is known) are alien-human hybrids, born of human mothers and extraterrestrial fathers. Rael interprets the Bible as chronicling the visits of the aliens to Earth; ignorant humans thought these were divine interventions (Cusack 2015a). In these new religions the preeminent value accorded to the human in Enlightenment thought is rejected; Heaven’s Gate and the Raelians view humanity as limited and inferior to the aliens, as humanity is inferior to God in Christianity."

 2018

"Celebrating with the Church of the Sub Genius: X-Day rituals of Bad Taste, Burning 'Bob', and the End of the World (Not.)" In Frans Jespers. Karin Van Nieuwkerk and Paul van der Velde (Eds.) Enjoying Religion: Pleasure and Fun in Established and New Religious Movements. pp147-164. Rowman and Littlefield, is summed up by Cusack:

"The festival of X-Day was first celebrated on 5 July 1998, when members of the Church of the SubGenius (COSG) gathered to witness the appearance of the aliens from Planet X, as predicted by Reverend Ivan Stang, one of the founders of the COSG. This event, the “Rupture” (a pun on the Christian Rapture), was supposed to be the rescue of the part-Yeti SubGenii by the Xists, before the destruction of Earth and the “Pinks” or “Normals” (ordinary human beings). No aliens arrived,..." 

2019

In her complete list of her publications, it is noted that Cusack often wrote book reviews. One of these in 2019 was about Pasulka's "American Cosmic." This review appeared in Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review, 10(2):258-259.  In his review was:

"This book comes highly recommended and delivers an unconventional 'take' on the relationship between religious studies, religion, UFOs and UFOlogy."

2021

"Norman Paulsen and the Brotherhood of the Sun/Sunburst." In Benjamin E. Zeller. (Ed.) Handbook of UFO Religions." pp 354-368. Leiden. Brill.  

Norman Paulsen in 1969 founded the Brotherhood of the Sun in California, and "...taught a melange of alternative spiritual beliefs drawing upon ufology."

Noting that there is limited academic work on Paulsen, Cusack writes:

As has been noted, there is limited academic work on Paulsen and the Brotherhood of the Sun. The limited academic publications on the Brotherhood of the Sun can be supplemented by various media articles, websites, and some anti-cult literature. None of this material is well-researched or particularly accurate. For example, Steve Omar and Cecelia Frances Page’s The Future Age Beyond the New Age Movement is a gazetteer of communities and groups, and the listing for the Brotherhood of the Sun, though it contains several inaccuracies, such as claiming that Paulsen first organised communal living in Lompoc (where he grew up), is broadly positive (Omar and Page 2009: n.p.). This favourable popular account is counter-balanced by Geoffrey D. Falk’s Stripping the Gurus: Sex, Violence, Abuse and Enlightenment, in which Norman Paulsen is situated in the lineage of Yogananda and ridiculed for his claim “to have been abducted by a UFO piloted by Builders from Jupiter” (Falk 2009: 262). Interestingly Falk claims that UFOs were a preoccupation of Yogananda’s and quotes an alleged saying of the yogi reported to him by a “respected and loyal” disciple: “if America were ever at war and losing, space aliens from UFOs would intervene” (Falk 2009: 263).

End notes

As can be seen from the sample above, there are areas of the UAP topic which are little explored by UAP researchers. Here lies the value of academics such as Cusack, Pasulka and others.