UAP Independent Study Team Final Report

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To improve our understanding of UAP, NASA should contribute to a compre-
hensive approach to collecting data within the broader whole-of-government
framework to understand UAP. The importance of detecting UAP with multiple,
well-calibrated sensors is paramount, and NASA should leverage its consider-
able expertise in this domain to potentially utilize multispectral or hyperspectral
data as part of a rigorous campaign to acquire additional data on future UAP.
In addition, forthcoming large-sky surveys enabled by Federal ground-based
assets including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will collect vast quantities of
data, which can be directly used to search for anomalous objects beyond the
Earth’s atmosphere.
Data signatures are vast, and theories that predict novel signatures help guide
our searches. It is imperative to set clear evidence thresholds to avoid errors,
especially with automated methods. Furthermore, purpose-built future sensors
for UAP detection should be designed to adjust on millisecond timescales to aid
better detection. In lockstep, alert systems should detect and share transient
information quickly and uniformly.
The panel notes that, at present, gathering data on UAP is hampered by sensor
calibration challenges and a lack of sensor metadata. In short, calibration
ensures that future data gathered are reliable and accurate, while gathering
metadata – such as the time, location, and sensor observing modes – ensures
that the contextual and environmental factors of a recorded UAP event are well
Once more, however, robust data calibration is vital, and here NASA again can
play an important advisory role. The calibration process ensures that inform-
ation gathered from sensors and instruments is precise, dependable and devoid
of any systematic errors or biases. In the case of UAP studies, where data
often originates from instruments not specifically designed for detecting such
objects, proper calibration becomes even more crucial. In turn, metadata, which
provides contextual information such as sensor type, manufacturer details,
noise characteristics and time of acquisition, must simultaneously be present
for an accurate characterization of both a potential UAP as well as the sensor
itself. Indeed, several apparent UAP have been demonstrated to be sensor
artifacts once appropriate calibration and metadata scrutiny were applied.
Although a substantial investment, 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 essential.
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?
3
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.
FINDING
NASA should leverage its considerable
expertise in this domain to potentially utilize
multispectral or hyperspectral data as part
of a rigorous campaign.