Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
the psychological disciplines, that a "mock-up" UFO would introduce
unknown variables that would render inconclusive any results derived
from the conduct of experiments with it (see Section VI, Chapter 10).
Turning to the realm of psychiatry. we decided to refrain from
mounting Cl major effort in this area on the ground that such <l study
could not be given priority over other investigations. This decision
was buttressed by the evidence tllat we rapidly gathered, pointing to
the fact that only 8 very small proportion of sighters enn be cate-
goriz.ed as exhihiting psychopathology and that, therefore, there is no
reason to consider them any .nore sui table for study than psychotic or
psychoneurotic indiviJuals who belong to any other statistical class of
the popUlation as a whole (see Section VI, Chapter 3).
18. Instrumentation for UFO Searches
As remarked l\arlicr, the short Juration of most lJro sightings, the
delays in reporting them :'Illl the delays c:nuscu by communication and
trav01, make it essentiAlly impossible that inve~tiRators can bring
physical obsening equipment to 1I reJlurt site quickly enough to make
UFO ohgervatiol1!' in that way. There is ,Il)other way that i.~; often pro-
posed for getting better ohscTvation<11 dat,; than is now avalltlbl(;~
namel)', to set up a permnl1cntly manned network of observing stations
at variou5 places in the couJ1try to observe- such UFO' as mIght come
within the ' r range.
S\~~h ,. network of 'Hations miRht be set up solely for the purpose
of UFO stud)', or it l1li&ht be established in l:onjunction with one of
the net\\'orks of stations I~hi\:h exist for ot)\('1' ;Istrcilomical or mf't['orn·-
logical pLlrposl's. 'l'hj~ latter aJtl.'rnative, of courSl', l... r)Ldd be much
Jess cxpcnsh'C' than the fl1rmel', or couJd give:1 grl'atcr COVCf1,gc for
the same cxpC'nditurt'.
\~'t' g:l\1C CI'I1SidC'!', h)" attention to the possibi lith':' anJ difficulties
1n this dit'C'etiol1 (S\'ction 1/1, Chaptcr 9.1. I\t fir~·;t \'/(' hoped that some
Jefinite rt'sults could he obtained hy ~uch cooperatioll with existing
statiC1n~ in a \,a)' that would Illilkt' ,('sults ilvailahlc for tlds report.
the psychologica~ disciplines, that a "mock-up" UFO would introduce
unknown variables that would render inconclusive any results derived
from the conduct of experiillent.s wjth it (see Section VI, Chapter 10).
Turning to the realm of psychiatry, we decided to refrain from
mounting f\ major cffort in this area on the ground that such f.l study
could not be given priority over other inve~tigat1ons. 1bis decision
waf: buttressed by the evidenc(.) that we rapidly g<lthered, po-inting te,
the fact that only a very small propo"Jrtion of sighters CHI be cate-
gori z.ed as exhi!'i t ing psychopathology and that, therefore, there is no
reason to consider them any ,nore suitable for study than psychotic or
psychoneurot ic indi vidwlls who hclong to ally other statisti cal class of
the population as a whole (see Section VI, Chapter 3).
18. Instrumentfltion for uro Searches
As remarked ~arlicr, the short Juration of most UfO sightjngs, the
delays in reporting them ('nd the delays cnusetl by communication and
travel, make it c~sDntiAlly impossible thut invc~tigators can bring
physical obseJ'\'i:1g cquipwcnt to <l report site quickly enough to make
UFO ohservat i Oil!' in that way, Thcrf~ is ,mother way that L; often pro-
posed for getting better ohSCTvation<l1 oat,; than is now ,Jvailnblt:;
namely. to set lip a permnncntly mannerJ nctwoTk of ohsQrving stations
ilt various plact"s in the cOUl'try to observe such tJFO< as mIght come
within their ran~c,
St,-.;h " net\york of 'Hat i OilS mif:ht be set up solely for the purpose
of UFO stud)" or it might be established 1n conjunction wHh une of
the net\\'ork~ of stilt i OI1S wh i .:h ('xi st for othl'r ;Ist t'CIlOIl1 i calor mf'teor r ,-.
logical purpOSt's, 'l'h i.~ latter aJ t('rnat i vo, of courst', wc)uld be much
Jess c)(pensi,'C' than the fl11'mel' , or could ~ive ;1 grl'a1.cr c()vcr"gc for
the sam!' cXjlC'nditul'l'.
h't' g:lvc CI'11SidC'I' hl(' :lttel1tiol1 to the possihi litjl,,- and difficulties
111 this dit'('('tinl1 (S<'ctl1111 1,.'1, Chapter 9.1, I\t first \"e hopcr.l that R0111(,
.ieOnite l'('sults could he oi11.aillC'd hy ~urh c()operatioll with existing
stnticms in a \'ia)' that would lIH1k(' '('~lllts ,lv,lilahlc for this report. Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.