New UAP data workshop

Academics

In a blog post dated 8 October 2024 I wrote about academics and their interest in UAP. In a rather lengthy piece, I described the work of a number of academics in the time period 2006-2024.

Recently, in August 2025 a meeting was held in Washington DC involving both academics and other individuals interested in the topic of UAP data. Thanks to the National UFO Reporting Center in the U.S. for the following information about that meeting.

Workshop

The two day workshop was held on 5-6 August 2025, sponsored by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and organized by Dr Gretchen Stahlman and Dr Tim Souck of Associated Universities Inc. The workshop was titled "2025 UAP Workshop: Narrative Data, Infrastructures, and Analysis." Stahlman had presented at the 2024 conference of the Society for UFO studies. Stahlman was also one of the organizers behind the May 2024 National Science Foundation workshop.

Attendees

The participants included:

* The Scientific Coalition for UFO Studies (SCU)

* The National Archives

* The Galileo Project

* The Society for UAP Studies

* UAPx

* National UFO Historical Record Center

* National UFO Reporting Center

* The Archives of the Impossible.

The discussions included:

* Data quality

* Data management

* Future data collection

* Improved cooperation between organizations involved in serious UAP studies.

BAASS' Project Colares/Brazil investigations

Historical perspective

In a blog article published in July 2024 I reviewed the interest of various individuals and organizations, in Brazilian UAP reports. One of these organizations was Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS.)

In trying to piece together just what BAASS' deployment to Brazil entailed, French researcher Marc Cecotti and myself contacted a number of individuals in Brazil, the USA, and other countries. Our findings were reported in a series of Blog articles:

* 7 April 2020 "BAASS team visited Brazil"

* 17 April 2020 "Further insights into BAASS in Brazil in 2009"

* 24 April 2020 "BAASS in Brazil: emails and more"

* 28 April 2020 "BAASS Program Managers held meetings in Brazil."

Overall, we were able to build up a fairly clear picture of just what occurred during the BAASS visit to Brazil, and the purpose of their deployment.

The "Ten Month Report"

Pages 393 and following of the report give a detailed view of the Colares UAP events from 1977-1978, and the BAASS visit of 2009:

"On May 25 2009 two teams, a north team and a south team, from BAASS deployed to Brazil. The purpose of the north team's trip was to meet with two Brazilian UFO organiszations and leaders, as well as follow upon recent UFO sightings reported by several news media outlets...The south team travelled to various locations in Brazil in order to establish professional relationships between BAASS and several prominent Brazilian UFO organizations and leaders. The trip involved two BAASS program managers and occurred during the period May 25, 2009 through June 3, 2009."

From the work of Marc Cecotti and myself we deduced that the south team was Douglas Kurth and James A. Johnson. The north team was Melissa Godoy, Tim Koonce, Loran Huffman and Lucas Gornichec.  

An introductory section, of the report on "Brazilian Related UAP Material/Bob Pratt's Colares Files" summarizes what was known about the 1977-1978 events on and around the Brazilian island of Colares, previously publicly available on the Brazilian Air Forces' Operation Plate, relying heavily on the comprehensive work of US reporter Bob Pratt who conducted onsite investigations.

BAASS extracted data from this wealth of material, to prepare a CAPELLA database of the events at Colares. Page 415 of the report lists the "Brazil UAP Research Materials" which BAASS collected. BAASS teams in 2009 collected their own material supplied by individuals and organizations in Brazil.

What was BAASS doing with all this material? Page 422; "BAASS' interest is to examine the relationship between advanced space technology and physiological effects."

In the future

"In the future it would be beneficial for a BAASS team to take an investigative trip to Brazil to gather more information and materials from specific witnesses and victims associated with the Colares events."

"BAASS would like to acquire the entire portfolio of the Colares area investigation, including any official assessment made by the Brazilian Air Force, Brazilian government, or potential foreign military or government evaluation and assessments."

In a section headed "Progress on BAASS outreach to South America" details are given that "BAASS began a systematic program to research the number and quality of organizations in South America that were focused on UAPs,'" and gives a list of such organizations and their contact details.

Vallee

Given that Jacques Vallee made a number of visits to Brazil to gather data I note the following comment in Vallee's "Forbidden Science: Volume 6" in entries dated 2 and 4 July 2015.

"In the last few days my exchanges with the project have taken a new tone. In Brazil the BAASS team was composed of six investigators who travelled across the country, interviewed 17 officials, including General Uchoa, and came back with a report that led to a conference at the Brazilian embassy in DC, attended by Hal, Colm and Eric all under Air Force 'sponsorship.' A security officer determined that distribution of the report, after review by a military group, would be closed.  Since I am the only one of the group who met with Colonel Hollanda Lima and was briefed afterwards by his top security staff inside the Air Force base where the project was managed, I stand confused by all the obvious discrepancies. Many unreported details were shared with us, and we saw the original, secret data. I could have flagged errors and misquotes in later years. Now, I can't even read 'our' full report, even though my friends confess 'it doesn't reflect reality.'''

"I confess lingering concern about the way the Brazil trip was handled, a missed opportunity. Apart from a partial listing of medical cases, what I've seen rehashes Bob Pratt's data, unaware of the details Bill Calvert and had been shown in 1988. Bureaucracy at work? Or  something more nefarious that will demand that we forget what we'd uncovered about the beings? "

 

The BAASS "Project Campus"

What was Project Campus?

Of all the BAASS projects, the one which has received the least attention was Project Campus. According to the BAASS "Ten Month Report:"

"The overarching objective of Project Campus was to stimulate, motivate and encourage the senior levels of the academic community within the United States to involve themselves in study and research of very advanced aerial spacecraft that is presently considered phenomenological."

As a "test case" BAASS approached senior management of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The university responded positively. BAASS proposed ten scenarios to task the university with

"Studying consequences to the media, economy, department of defense, political groups, science, the general public, religion, public health and academia in the United States."

These scenarios ranged from multiple witness sightings, to announcements by the United States Air Force, or U.S. government officials, that UAP were real and extraterrestrial. The end result of the BAASS approach to the university 

"...was that Dr. Smith and four others have expressed strong interest in submitting a specific proposal to BAASS by August 2009."

Request for proposals

BAASS also sought other Request for Proposal (RFP) from:

* Battelle Memorial Institute

* Southwestern Research Institute

* Center for American Progress

* Sandia National Laboratories.

 The proposed budget for this research was $400,000.

The introduction of the RFP included "For the purpose of the proposed study we take the presence of such advanced exotic aerospace craft as a given."  The study would address three major issues:

1. "First, based on an-in-depth analysis of historical records, current data and political will, what is the likelihood that by 2050 there will be confirmation to the public by the U.S. government and its military authorities that aerospace craft whose technological capabilities are beyond those of our own most advanced military craft do indeed exist and traverse our air space at will? What are seen as the preconditions for such confirmation, and the probability that they would be made?"

2. "Second, under an assumption that such confirmation does occur by 2050, what would be a recommended course of action as to an optimal format for such confirmation? What realistically could be expected to be its effects, first on the military sector that is charged with defending our national airspace against intrusion by craft of unknown origin, and secondly on the U.S. body politic in the areas of commerce, religion, academia and so forth?"

3. "Third, if in the above analyses it becomes clear that, even in the timeframe approaching 2050 official (and especially military) considerations of a stance of publicly acknowledged material co-existence is almost certain to remain fraught with conflicting irresolvable viewpoints...what steps might be taken in the interim in the public sector by influential leaders and by organizations to ameliorate the potential deleterious effects of possibly unforeseen culture shock, to 'soften the societal blow' so to speak?"

As at the date of publication of the BAASS "Ten Month Report:"

"BAASS has not received a reply from CAP or SWRI regarding the RFP. Sandia National Laboratories volunteered that they did not have the expertise for the project and Battelle Memorial Institute declined the RFP."

National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS)

Questions such as the three above, were of interest to Robert Bigelow, long before BAASS was established in 2008. Prior to BAASS, Robert Bigelow had created the National Institute for Discovery Science (1996-2004.)

According to Jacques Vallee's book "Forbidden Science: Volume 4" page 324, in an entry dated 4 August 1996 making reference to a meeting of the NIDS Science Advisory Board:

"Another notion discussed at this meeting was that of 'The Day After: What would happen if the government was to announce Alien intrusions? Has there been a 50 year program of indoctrination of earthlings?"

Later from page 439 of the same book, in an entry dated 9 January 1999. "Bob Bigelow is still fascinated with 'Day After' scenarios."

Comment: A 'Day After' scenario poses the question , what would be the effect on human society the day following a major event, such as what happens if a large asteroid collides with the planet? or the U.S. government announces that UAP are real and are extraterrestrial spacecraft?

I wrote an article "NIDS and the 'Day after' scenarios" back in December 2019, which includes links to historical NIDS documents on such questions.

The process of analysis of materials, by BAASS

Background

I am continuing my examination of the recently released BAASS "Ten Month Report." Prior to obtaining this copy, it was general knowledge that as part of their investigations, BAASS was looking to gather and analyse both biological and non-biological samples/materials. However, little was known, in the open literature, of the processes involved. 

It wasn't until 2018 that, in a blog post dated 6 November 2018 I reported that the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, had, in 2010, entered a contract with BAASS to provide analysis services.  The announcement was made in a Spring 2010 Newsletter titled "HRVeNews-2020, Spring." Page 3 carried a short item which read:

"The Nuclear Materials Group (lead: Dr Thomas Hartmann) has established a formal collaboration with the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS). The collaboration provides analytical assistance to BAASS for characterizing solid phases and precipitates."

French researcher Mark Cecotti, whom I worked with on several articles about BAASS, wrote to Dr Hartmann, in April 2020, and asked him about the work with BAASS. In response Dr Hartmann wrote, inter alia:

"I was looking through my data and noticed that we have indeed analyzed samples for BAASS represented by Colm Kelleher...However, this sample analysis was never framed into a formal collaboration between BAASS and UNLV by a contract administered through the UNLV office of sponsored programs. However, we performed solid phase analysis and elemental analysis of about a dozen samples including a 50-page report, as a teaser project and in hope for a formal collaboration in the future."

Dr. Hartmann was unable to locate that 50-oage report, but went on to comment:

"So he provided us with some spheres which turned out to be ion exchange beads. Or a rock sample with traces of hydraulic fluid...Further we analyzed some brown liquid in a plastic bottle which did not contain poison but was just muddy water."

Companies who might conduct analyses 

Now, thanks to pages 35-36 o the "Ten Month Report" we are aware of 10 other companies which BAASS had listed under "Identification of Laboratories for Independent Analyses" for "Chemical Analysis, Materials Characterization." Plus 3 companies listed under " Microbial Analyses."

One interesting process, of which I hadn't heard of, was titled "Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy  Analysis of Fingernails." "This is a technology whereby estimates of a radiation dose (dosimetry) received by an individual can be determined after an event."

Did BAASS utilise the analysis resources other than the University of Nevada, Las Vegas? Pages 54-82 of the "Ten Month Report" provide details of seven instances where BAASS investigators were deployed to visit the location of sightings. One of these came from a referral by a journalist; one from the DIA, and two from MUFON. The source of referral for the other three cases isn't provided. Reading through the case information reveals that in only one instance, i.e. Marathon, TX on 9 June 2009, was physical evidence gathered, namely fingernail clippings. However, no details of any analysis conducted were given. 

There was a BAASS AAWSAP administrator before Robert Bigelow

Introduction

I have been reading the recently released Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS)  Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) document "BAASS Ten Month report" dated 30 July 2009. There are a number of pieces of information, which, despite my deep interest and blogging about the BAASS AAWSAP, I was previously unaware. I will be publishing a series of blog posts about these. The first concerns the fact that before Robert Bigelow became the Administrator for the BAASS AAWSAP there was another individual who filled that role, albeit only for a short time.

The first BAASS monthly report

On page 3 of the "Ten Month report" there is reference to the first BAASS monthly report dated October 2008 discussing the time period 22 September 2008 to October 2008. It states that during that time, BAASS had only two employees, namely "Robert Bigelow and senior analyst John Schuessler (In September 2008, a BAASS administrator was hired, but shortly thereafter resigned.)" 

Who was this individual?

Who was this individual who resigned? The answer is to be found in Jacque Vallee's "Forbidden Science Volume 5" page 428. In a diary entry dated 24 August 2008, Vallee writes "A NASA manager named Al Holt has been approached to lead the BAASS project..."

In another diary entry dated 25 August 2008, page 429, Vallee writes "I hand-delivered to Bob two documents from Hal...as well as signed NDAs from all of us, including Al Holt."

Al Holt gets three mentions in FS5, page 76, where he attended an "inner circle" meeting, with Joe Firmage, Vallee and others. Plus pages 428 and 429, described above. 

Al Holt's name is missing from the list of permanent full time and significant part time employees found in the "Ten Month report." Holt's name isn't mentioned anywhere else, I can see, in respect of being The initial BAASS Administrator. Indeed, in FS6, Holt's name appears only once on page 64, in an entry dated 26 January 2011, recollecting a 2000 meeting at Firmage's home.

Holt's UAP interests

Holt's interest in UAP goes back many years. In 1980, he was involved with John Schuessler, in the detailed investigation of the 1980 Cash/Landrum UAP case. According to U.S. UAP researcher Curt Collins, Holt lectured at the second CUFOS Conference held Sep 25-27 1981 on "UFO Maneuvers and Radiation." (Later printed in The Spectrum of UFO Research (1988)..."

In June 1999, Holt co-authored a paper with Eric W. Davis and Hal Puthoff, titled "Space testing of electromagnetically sensitive materials for breakthrough propulsion physics." 

A 2002 blurb for an appearance on "The Space Show" read:

Mr. Holt has had a lifelong interest in astronomy, astrophysics, space travel (advanced physics and technology), and the destiny paths of humans and other civilizations. He recently retired from NASA after 50+ years of service, which included supporting the Apollo lunar missions, Skylab, Space Shuttle, Spacelab and the International Space Station. Mr. Holt has ben actively involved in research relating to encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena and in metaphysical studies for the past 49 years. He has a B.S. in Physics, Iowa State University (1967) and a M.S. In Physical Sciences (astrophysics), University of Houston/CLC (1979). He retired from NASA JSC."

As recently as 12 October 2023, a video titled "The Field Resonance Propulsion Concept, authored by Alan C. Holt from the Johnson Space Center," from 1979, was uploaded to Youtube 

I therefore conclude, that the mystery first Administrator of BAASS AAWSAP, was Alan C. Holt. I found no reason why his stay with BAASS was so short. If any reader knows why, I would appreciate hearing from them. 

European webinar on UAP

Summit

Following on from a recent (24 April 2025) one day UAP Symposium held by The Law Department of the United Kingdom's Durham University, another European UAP related event was held recently. An event billed as the "European UAP/NHI Disclosure Summit 2025: Breaking Stigma Building Strategy" was held on Sunday 15 June 2025. The event was hosted by the German based Ubiquity University.

According to their website, the summit "...addresses the emerging role of European advocates in the global initiative toward transparency and disclosure concerning Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and Non-Human Intelligence (NHI). It explores the specific contribution Europe could and should make with the rapidly evolving international context."

Speakers

The speakers' list featured a diverse range of individuals from Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, and France. Professions included a journalist, a psychologist, an aerospace engineer, various academics and a number of laypeople. Many of the speakers, excluding the UAP researchers attending, are unknown to me, but it is gratifying to see that they are taking a serious interest in UAP studies. The scheduled speakers were:

Roberto Pinotti (Italian UAP researcher)

Francisco Correa (ICER Portugal)

Dr. Egbert Edelbroek (CEO Spaceborn, Netherlands)

Dr. Jim Garrison (Ubiquity University)

Dr. Felix Hoch (Ubiquity University)

Dr. Andrea Lani (Aerospace engineer, Belgium)

Massimo Tampieri (President, Luna Nova, Italy)

Sabrina Pieragostini ((Vice President Luna nova, Italy)

Gary Heseltine (UAP researcher UK)

Robert Fleischer (ExoMagazine Germany)

Francisco Guerreiro (European Parliament member, Portugal)

Dr. Annahita Nezami (Psychologist, University of London)

Franck Maurin (UAP researcher France)

Georg Boch (Ubiquity University).

A recording of the webinar may be watched here. 

More BAASS AAWSAP documents emerge

Introduction

Recently, there has been a surge of documents appearing on the Internet relating to UAP, which fall into the classification of "leaked," meaning that someone has access to them and has decided to release them to the general UAP research community without the permission of the originating source. In the following article I have chosen not to use any images from these documents or provide links to them on the Internet. Individuals can easily locate the documents for themselves. 

Documentation set 1

Welsh researcher Jonathan Davies, amongst others, received an email notice on 30 May 2025, from the Phenomainon website advising that a new function, namely PhenomGPT was available. Upon examining this function, Davies came across reference to a number of files including two related to the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP.) He found that the AI interface could be tasked with retrieving copies of the two files and make them available for download. He downloaded them, and after a cursory glance, provided a link to the two documents via TransferNow. This is how they became available to the wider UAP research community. What were the documents?

1. A 530 page document with a coversheet title of "BAASS Ten Month Report," dated July 30, 2009. This extensive document provides details of various project and research areas; the BAASS organization and infrastructure; and a strategic plan for the project for the year 2010. I will more fully explore this document in another blog.

Comment:

Appendix 1 to the 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" by Lacatski et al, detailed a complete inventory of official BAASS AAWSAP documents lodged with the program sponsor, the  Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA.) One of which was titled "BAASS July 2009 Ten Month report" (530 pages.) 

2. A 141 page document with a coversheet title of "BAASS Summary Report on BAASS' UAP Analysis Capabilities," dated November 23, 2010. This covers, inter alia, BAASS' 12 technology study areas; BAASS personnel and equipment; The 2004 Tic Tac incident; examination of calculated velocities and accelerations of the Tic Tac; and analysis of spherical shaped UAP. 

Comment:

Appendix 1 to the 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" by Lacatski et al, detailed a complete inventory of official BAASS AAWSAP documents lodged with the DIA. One of which was titled "Summary Report on BAASS UAP Analysis Capabilities" 23 November 2010 (141 pages.)

The Phenomainon website also originally included access to a number of other documents, which later also appeared on limewire.com 

Documentation set 2

These were first published by a user of "x" named @Teg_OM on 5 June 2025 who found them on the limewire website. 

1. A 22 page document titled "Special Program Briefing (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program - AATIP) Origination of the Program and reasons for Sponsor Interests," by H. E. Puthoff.

Comment:

A general briefing paper on the AAWSAP, here referred to by its "nickname" AATIP, by one of the BAASS AAWSAP consultants.

2. A 26 page document titled "MUFON Reports Prepared for BAASS," dated November 2008. Papers on lift, power generation,, control, human interface, and propulsion.

Prior to the creation of the DIRD's series, BAASS commissioned the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) to prepare position papers on various aspects of the 12 technology areas to be studied by AAWSAP. Several of these papers have previously appeared on the Internet. 

3. A 79 page report titled "BAASS Quality Review 2009" dated 30 October 2009, subject DIA review of Advanced Aerospace contract deliverables. Discusses the quality of DIRD's produced till then.

4. A 101 page BAASS coversheet report titled "Utah Ranch Database Analysis," dated June 21, 2010 Deliverable #11 of 12 Project Management Addendum Reports. This report explores various aspects of the incidents recorded in a CAPELLA database of events at the Skinwalker ranch up till June 2010.

Comment:

Appendix 1 to the 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" by Lacatski et al, detailed a complete inventory of official BAASS AAWSAP documents lodged with the DIA. One of which was titled "#11 BAASS Project Management Plan Addendum Report: Utah Ranch Database Analysis" 21 June 2010 (101 pages.)

5. A 29 page  BAASS coversheet document titled "Dominique Weinstein's Pilot Database analysis," dated June 21, 2010. A detailed examination of another CAPELLA database. 

Comment:

Appendix 1 to the 2021 book "Skinwalkers at the Pentagon" by Lacatski et al, detailed a complete inventory of official BAASS AAWSAP documents lodged with the DIA. One of which was titled "#9 Project Management Plan Addendum Report: Dominique Weinstein's Pilot Database Analysis" 21 June 2010, (29 pages.)

In summary

An anonymous person or persons, is uploading documents generated by the BAASS AAWSAP to the Internet. Why and under what motivation, remains to be determined.