The Australian Space Agency and UAP

Introduction

Of all the Australian government Departments and Agencies which might be expected to have an interest in UAP, the main ones in my opinion would be the Department of Defence (DOD), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the Australian Space Agency (ASA). 

Department of Defence

In response to any queries about the subject of UAP, the DOD has for many years consistently stated:

"Defence does not have a protocol that covers recording and reporting of UFO sightings." (June 2019.)

"Defence does not have a protocol that covers recording or reporting of unidentified aerial phenomena..." (June 2019.)

The former Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfield said "...he had not seen any reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or UAPs - in Australian airspace." (Oct 2021.)

An internal DOD briefing paper used at Senate Estimate Committee hearings included:

"...the United States nor any other nation or ally has requested or offered to collaborate on any UAP reporting or investigation." (Early 2022.)

The CSIRO

The CSIRO is Australia's national science agency. Included in a response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in August 2022, was a statement by the CSIRO used to respond to queries about UAP. Dated June 2021, in part it read:

"We're expecting to receive media inquiries into whether CSIRO has been researching UAPs...CSIRO doesn't investigate or research UAPs...CSIRO won't be commenting on the release of the report (KB- ODNI June 2021 UAP report.)

ASA

So, neither the DOD nor CSIRO have any official interest in the reporting, recording or investigation or research into UAP. What about the ASA? 

On 27 August 2022 I wrote an article titled "Two Freedom of Information requests and the Australian Space Agency." In that piece I reported on the response by the ASA to two FOIA requests. One by an unnamed individual in April 2019, and one by another unnamed individual in September 2021. I also submitted my own FOIA request to the ASA in August 2022, which failed to locate any relevant documents.

On 25 February 2024 I submitted a new FOIA request to the ASA after reading the results of Defence FOI 386/23/24 which contained a copy of an email dated 16 October 2023, from the Defence Space Command to the Royal Australian Air Force Ministerial Liaison Office, which in part read:

"I'm seeking information regarding details pertaining to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena that was mentioned in a Senate Estimate by Air Force. I'm unsure of how long ago. The Australian Space Agency is requesting this information for a brief."

As I had never seen or heard of the ASA having a briefing document on UAP, I submitted my second FOIA request seeking a copy of said brief.

On 15 April 2024, I received a response from the ASA which included two versions of their briefing paper. The response was signed by Christopher DeLuis, Genral Manager, Office of the Space Regulator and dated 9 April 2024. FOIA request number LEX74644. Two individual documents were located, titled "Briefing EC23-002464-Unidentified Aerial Phenomena-23 October 2023" and "Briefing EC24-00131-Unidentified Aerial Phenomena-1 February 2024." 

Comments:

1."The Office of the Space Regulator is responsible for regulating and oversight of Australian space and high power rocket activities for safety, security and national interests."

2. The EC in the document names, indicates they were both prepared for ASA individuals attending the Australian Parliament's Senate Estimates Committe. Thanks to the work of Melbourne based researcher Grant Lavac, we already have copies of similar briefing papers prepared for individuals from the Department of Defence attending Senate Estimate Committee hearings. 

What do the ASA briefing papers tell us?

Both papers are very similar. Firstly, from EC23. 

Enrico Palermo

"Lead Enrico Palermo, Head of Agency.

"The Department has noted recent United States Congressional inquiry into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), also known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs.) The Department has no information on this, and any queries should be directed to representatives of the United States government."

"The Department also noted that NASA recently released the final report of its independent study into UAPs. The Department or the Agency did not contribute to the study. Any inquiries should be directed to NASA."

"The Agency does not monitor UAPs, or UFOs in Australia, nor seek to resolve these issues."

 "The Agency has no records relating to UAPs or UFOs in Australia - although we have received enquiries and FOI requests relating to such."

"Military reporting on UAPs and UFOs. Questions relating to military reporting of UAPs and UFOs are a matter for the Department of Defence."

From EC24.

"The Australian Space Agency (the Agency) does not monitor Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), also known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), or seek to resolve these issues."

"The Agency has no records relating to UAPs or UFOs in Australia, nor does it support UAP research."

"The Agency has no information on the 2023 US Congressional hearings into UAPs and did not contribute to the 2023 NASA report on UAPs."

So, there you have the official positions of the Australian DOD, the CSIRO and the ASA.

Comments:

1. Despite saying that they have no interest in UAP, someone in the ASA had to make time to research the topic of UAP in preparing these briefs. The same within the DOD (Space Command?). 

2. As of April 2024, we still haven't located the individual from the Australian DOD who attended the May 2023 Five Eyes briefing on UAP, by former Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or what they did with the information that they received at said briefing. You would imagine that a report on the content of the briefing would have been reported back to the DOD in Australia. However, despite efforts to find out, Australian UAP researchers are none the wiser for certain, although a case can be made that it was an individual from the DOD's Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO). Unfortunately for us, the DIO is one of several intelligence agencies exempt from the Australian FOIA.

3. If any reader has a suggestion as to any other area of the Australian government to look into, as regards UAP, I would be delighted to hear from you.