NASA Information Sheet 78-1 answers the public's UFO inquiries
On 1 February 1978 NASA's Public Services Branch, Office of External Relations, issued Information Sheet 78-1 to answer public inquiries about unidentified flying objects directed to the White House and NASA. The sheet stated that NASA was the focal point for such inquiries and that neither NASA nor any other government agency was engaged in UFO research. It quoted Administrator Robert A. Frosch's letter of 21 December 1977 declining to establish a research programme or symposium for lack of physical evidence, while offering to analyse bona fide samples from credible sources. It restated the Air Force conclusions on closing Project Blue Book and addressed astronaut reports and Jimmy Carter's 1969 sighting.
1 document·5 points
- In July 1977 Dr. Frank Press, Director of Science and Technology Policy, wrote to NASA Administrator Dr. Robert A. Frosch suggesting NASA answer UFO mail and consider an active research programme. (p. 1)
- In his letter of December 21, 1977, Frosch proposed "that NASA take no steps to establish research in this area or to convene a symposium on this subject", while standing "ready to respond to any bona fide physical evidence from credible sources." (p. 1)
- The sheet restated the Air Force conclusions after Project Blue Book ended on December 17, 1969: no UFO indicated a threat to national security, and no evidence showed "unidentified" sightings were beyond present science or extraterrestrial vehicles. (p. 4)
- It stated that in every instance of astronaut reports NASA satisfied itself that what was observed was nothing abnormal in the space environment. (p. 6)
- It recorded that Mr. Carter told NICAP in 1973 he had seen a bright, moving object over Leary, Georgia, in October 1969, and noted a suggestion that he may have seen Venus. (p. 6)
Documents
- Document NASA Information Sheet 78-1 on UFOs NASA / DoD FOIA reading room· 1978· 7 pp.