Sunday, December 12, 2021

Seeking the Spook Light


 By Corey Childs

 

It was the early 2000's and I was running my own paranormal investigation team. I had read up on countless legends around The Show Me State that I called home.

    The Joplin Spooklight was interesting, it had a rich history, and from what I had read it was our best chance at obtaining evidence. Our best chance because it was reoccurring and had been spotted for years. Reports stated that if you parked on the Oklahoma East 50 Road, near the three state junction of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma on a dark night, your chances of viewing the unexplained were better than not.

     The history of the light was filled with legend which made it hard to tell fact from fiction. It was said that in the late 1800's it became part of local Native American lore with a love story element to the lights origin. It was also said that the light was the spirit of a local woman searching nightly for her missing husband. It was also said that the light was investigated in 1946 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who deemed the light as "A mysterious light of unknown origin." The light even appeared on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries.

     Over time the light had gone by several names including The Devil's Promenade, Hornet Spook Light etc...

So yours’ truly, a young investigator, set out to solve this long mystery. We arrived approximately three hours before dusk and drove the "haunted" road and all nearby roads, something we did before all investigations. The road had a spooky look and it was easy to imagine it to be haunted. It looked like it were straight out of a  horror movie. The vegetation and trees canopied several parts of the road. Most of the road cut through wooded areas and open fields. As the summer sun sank into the sky the road looked like an old time drive-inn theater. Cars lined both sides of the road and teenagers sat on the hoods waiting to witness the mysterious light.

Upon speaking with some of the locals we got even more stories. Stories of the light passing through cars, chasing cars and people. Most of the witnesses said that when the light got close they could feel heat off of it. From these statements the light sounded more like a fireball than a UFO in the sky.

     We broke out our equipment (Night vision, Cameras, Binoculars, digital temperature gauge etc...) and were ready for anything. The teenagers that lined the road were also ready, some standing on the hoods of their car for a better view. Then in the distance we began to see lights. Low to the ground and bright green in color an orb moved around in a circle about 100 feet from us. Then another, this time white in color and about 50 feet from us. Through the night vision cameras we discovered that these were the teenagers with flashlights and glow sticks.  We were disappointed because if there were a mysterious light here the teenagers might destroy our investigation.

      We toughed it out though, and just kept our eyes in the tree line. A few hours went by and all the teenagers left. It was only the investigative team at this point and within minutes we saw an auburn light swaying back and forth in the

roadway. We looked through the night vision and binoculars and saw the dim light with nobody around. The light swayed back and forth in an area approximately three to four feet wide.

      We weren't going to chance being fooled so we drove to the location quickly in order to catch any possible hoaxers. The road was fairly straight in this area, but had had small hills that caused you to lose sight of the light when going up and down. This was a problem because the light disappeared... every time.

 At this point it was time to try something different. We drove with no headlights on to see if our lights might have affected the spooklight, (Driving without headlights is dangerous and not recommended). That changed nothing however, and the light again vanished.

     We then set out on foot and still had the same result. After about an hour we tried yet another technique where two of us set out on foot while two people stayed in our original location with eyes on the light. The two watchers who stayed behind reported that as we approached the light it raised up into the sky and stopped at the top of the tree line. Shortly after the light vanished and did not return.

      We then attempted to recreate the light by driving on the nearby roads with our headlights on regular and bright beams. We were unable to recreate the light.
   
Many others have investigated The Joplin Spooklight(s) without finding the source or sources.  Like others of its kind, the light remains a mystery to this day.

 _____________________________________________________________

Corey Childs is a paranormal investigator and police officer residing in Kansas City, Missouri.

 


 

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

NASA, SpaceX Launch DART: First Test Mission to Defend Planet Earth

November 24, 2021 
RELEASE 21-161
 

  
 
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART






 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the world’s first full-scale mission to test technology for defending Earth against potential asteroid or comet hazards, launched Wednesday at 1:21 a.m. EST on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Just one part of NASA’s larger planetary defense strategy, DART – built and managed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland – will impact a known asteroid that is not a threat to Earth. Its goal is to slightly change the asteroid’s motion in a way that can be accurately measured using ground-based telescopes.

DART will show that a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it – a method of deflection called kinetic impact. The test will provide important data to help better prepare for an asteroid that might pose an impact hazard to Earth, should one ever be discovered. LICIACube, a CubeSat riding with DART and provided by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), will be released prior to DART’s impact to capture images of the impact and the resulting cloud of ejected matter. Roughly four years after DART’s impact, ESA’s (European Space Agency) Hera project will conduct detailed surveys of both asteroids, with particular focus on the crater left by DART’s collision and a precise determination of Dimorphos’ mass.

“DART is turning science fiction into science fact and is a testament to NASA’s proactivity and innovation for the benefit of all,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “In addition to all the ways NASA studies our universe and our home planet, we’re also working to protect that home, and this test will help prove out one viable way to protect our planet from a hazardous asteroid should one ever be discovered that is headed toward Earth.”

At 2:17 a.m., DART separated from the second stage of the rocket. Minutes later, mission operators received the first spacecraft telemetry data and started the process of orienting the spacecraft to a safe position for deploying its solar arrays. About two hours later, the spacecraft completed the successful unfurling of its two, 28-foot-long, roll-out solar arrays. They will power both the spacecraft and NASA’s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster – Commercial ion engine, one of several technologies being tested on DART for future application on space missions.

“At its core, DART is a mission of preparedness, and it is also a mission of unity,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This international collaboration involves DART, ASI’s LICIACube, and ESA’s Hera investigations and science teams, which will follow up on this groundbreaking space mission.”

DART’s one-way trip is to the Didymos asteroid system, which comprises a pair of asteroids. DART’s target is the moonlet, Dimorphos, which is approximately 530 feet (160 meters) in diameter. The moonlet orbits Didymos, which is approximately 2,560 feet (780 meters) in diameter.

Since Dimorphos orbits Didymos at much a slower relative speed than the pair orbits the Sun, the result of DART’s kinetic impact within the binary system can be measured much more easily than a change in the orbit of a single asteroid around the Sun.

“We have not yet found any significant asteroid impact threat to Earth, but we continue to search for that sizable population we know is still to be found. Our goal is to find any possible impact, years to decades in advance, so it can be deflected with a capability like DART that is possible with the technology we currently have,” said Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA Headquarters. “DART is one aspect of NASA’s work to prepare Earth should we ever be faced with an asteroid hazard. In tandem with this test, we are preparing the Near-Earth Object Surveyor Mission, an space-based infrared telescope scheduled for launch later this decade and designed to expedite our ability to discover and characterize the potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit.”

The spacecraft will intercept the Didymos system between Sept. 26 and Oct. 1, 2022, intentionally slamming into Dimorphos at roughly 4 miles per second (6 kilometers per second). Scientists estimate the kinetic impact will shorten Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos by several minutes. Researchers will precisely measure that change using telescopes on Earth. Their results will validate and improve scientific computer models critical to predicting the effectiveness of the kinetic impact as a reliable method for asteroid deflection.

“It is an indescribable feeling to see something you’ve been involved with since the ‘words on paper’ stage become real and launched into space,” said Andy Cheng, one of the DART investigation leads at Johns Hopkins APL and the individual who came up with the idea of DART. “This is just the end of the first act, and the DART investigation and engineering teams have much work to do over the next year preparing for the main event ─ DART’s kinetic impact on Dimorphos. But tonight we celebrate!”

DART’s single instrument, the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation (DRACO), will turn on a week from now and provide first images from the spacecraft. DART will continue to travel just outside of Earth’s orbit around the Sun for the next 10 months until Didymos and Dimorphos will be a relatively close 6.8 million miles (11 million kilometers) from Earth.

A sophisticated guidance, navigation, and control system, working together with algorithms called Small-body Maneuvering Autonomous Real Time Navigation (SMART Nav), will enable the DART spacecraft to identify and distinguish between the two asteroids. The system will then direct the spacecraft toward Dimorphos. This process will all occur within roughly an hour of impact.

Johns Hopkins APL manages the DART mission for NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office as a project of the agency’s Planetary Missions Program Office. NASA provides support for the mission from several centers, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Johnson Space Center in Houston, Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX is the launch services provider for the DART mission.

For more information about the DART mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/dartmission

-end-

Press Contacts

Grey Hautaluoma / Josh Handal / Alana Johnson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668 / 202-358-2307 / 202-358-1501
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov / joshua.a.handal@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov

Justyna Surowiec / Michael Buckley
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
240-302-9268 / 240-228-7536
Justyna.Surowiec@jhuapl.edu / michael.buckley@jhuapl.edu

NASA news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an e-mail to hqnews-join@newsletters.nasa. gov (no subject or text in the body is required).

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Sunday, November 7, 2021

Spectacular Video of a Cube-Shaped Object Over Springfield, Missouri is Determined to be a UFO

Electrician Justin Johnson of Springfield was headed home from work on October 18, 2021 when he spotted an unusual object in the sky which he first thought was a helicopter flying southwest, then change direction to the northwest. He realized that it was not a helicopter and stopped to take video of the object, which appears to be a spinning cube-shaped UFO.

 


Justin Johnson reported his October 18 sighting of this strange object and submitted the 70-second video which was taken at approximately 5:05 pm to Missouri MUFON. State Section Director James Bair is the lead investigator on the case, with assistance from Margie Kay, Assistant State Director. Wayne Lawrence, Chief Investigator, did the video analysis of the object.

After checking with Flight Radar 24 for any plans or helicopters in the air at the time the video was taken James determined that there were none. He also checked for local balloon launches and bird migrations, but there were none reported. James stated that he does not believe this object appeared to be any type of drone, balloon or kite.

Wayne Lawrence did a careful analysis of the object and has determined that the object rotates in several different directions along its X and Y axis making 3 revolutions per second, or about 180 rpm, and at times two or three exact duplicate objects appear in the video. The sky is clear, and the sun reflects off of the object. Using Trigonometry and the known angle and likely location over the regional airport, Wayne was able to determine the size of the object to be approximately 87 feet in width (roughly the length of a regional airliner) and the altitude at 15,000 feet near the airport.




Margie Kay discussed both of these cases with a veteran drone design and operation engineer who used to work for the military, and he stated that he knows of no drone technology capable of spinning, and that to create such a thing would be an engineering nightmare. He can think of no plausible reason to create a drone that can spin on its axis.

An interview was conducted by Margie Kay with UNX News about this case and it can be viewed at https://youtu.be/HXWk2m71_vY

A similar sighting on Tuesday, October 19 was reported by Fox 8 News in Cleveland, Ohio. Matthew Jandecka of Cleveland Heights was sitting on his porch when he spotted a spilling cube-shaped object in the sky and began recording it.

Matthew stated that “A cube that was rotating and the cube transformed from a rotating cube to a rotating sphere. It made no noise whatsoever. It appeared as though it was internal propulsion versus external propulsion. It’s not something that I would say is terrestrial.” The article can be found here: https://fox8.com/news/ufo-over-cleveland-heights-see-the-video.

In 2017 a witness in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma filmed a rotating cube in the sky. He is currently filing a report with MUFON so the video can be analyzed.

MUFON investigators continue to investigate this case and ask that anyone with video footage of this object to either file a report at www.mufon.com or contact ASD Margie Kay at 816-365-9492 or momufonasd@gmail.com. Witnesses may remain anonymous. MUFON is interested in similar cases from other states as well.

 

Friday, October 29, 2021

High Strangeness in Oklahoma

Tonight on UNX News at 6pm CST, 7pm EST I interview Mindy Tautfest, MUFON State Director of Oklahoma about some very strange things happening in OK! Giant winged creatures, tiny fairies, UFOs, and physical evidence from a UFO. 
 

Monday, September 20, 2021

Sasquatch Sighting in Sugar Creek, Missouri

By Margie Kay

My son-in-law, Rick, told me about a sighting he had in 2013 at a creek in Sugar Creek, Missouri. This site is very close to the Missouri River and a creek runs through it with woods surrounding the area. 

Rick and his two cousins went fishing at this location one late afternoon in the summer of 2013. The three had been on site for a couple of hours and were standing silently as they watched their fishing lines in the creek when suddenly, a large, hairy bi-pedal creature walked out of the treeline and over to the creek. The men were approximately 100 feet from the creature, and said that there was no mistaking what they were looking at -- a Sasquatch. 

None of them said a word and stood frozen in place. They did not want to alert the creature to their location for fear that he might harm them. 

The Sasquatch appeared to be a large male at least 8' in height with broad shoulders a conical head. It had long black hair all over except for the face. It was staring into the creek and looked back and forth, as if looking for something (fish, perhaps?). It stayed for about 10 minutes, then turned away and walked back into the woods, apparently unaware of the men's presence. 

The three men then grabbed their fishing gear and ran back to their vehicle without saying a word. They left and refuse to go back to that location again because they know what is nearby. 

Coincidentally, Valerie Hoover lives in Sugar Creek, and she and investigator Jean Walker with MUFON have heard loud, deep calls that they can only identify as Bigfoot. They listened to sounds of Bigfoot calls on the internet and determined that they are very similar to what they heard. Valerie's house is only about a mile from the Conservation Area, so one can assume that what the women heard was a Sasquatch. 

___________________________________________

Margie Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of UnX News Magazine and host of UnX News Radio/Podcast. www.unxmedia.com

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Is there a Mothman in Kansas City Again?

I have a question mark after the title of this article title because I honestly don't know what the heck I saw last night. I was meditating while sitting in my hot tub last night at 10:30 pm August 9, 2021 some very strange things occurred. There are two streetlights which sit diagonally from the corners of my house about 75 feet away. I had my eyes closed, but heard a noise which made me open my eyes. I sensed that something was nearby. Then I saw a shadow on my deck, and a very clear outline of a wing, which then closed. I immediately looked in the direction of the streetlight but there was nothing there. The shadow was about 3.5' in height so whatever made it was big, but I did not get a look at it. 

Next, I heard a car move into my gravel driveway, except there was no engine sound. I


assumed it must have been an electric vehicle. Then a car door shut. At that point, I jumped up and went to the end of my deck to see who the heck was in my driveway at that time of night - only to see nothing there. No car, no person, nothing. Since we have the only gravel driveway nearby, it had to be my driveway and no one else's.  I wondered several things then - was this a car in another dimension? And were was the person who got out of the vehicle? 

I then went inside the house and texted Jean Walker (another investigator) about this and she and I were discussing it when something flew by the second streetlight, blocking it out completely. Whatever it was had to be big. I opened the front door and looked around and saw nothing, but again, sensed that something was there. And it "felt" like a Mothman. Whatever that means. Its difficult to describe but that is what I got. 

Then Jean told me that she saw a huge winged shadow on the road in front of her as she was driving from North Kansas City to Raytown earlier the same day. At first she thought it was a plane, but she could seen no plane and nothing else. She wonders if it was a Mothman.

Its very odd but since Jean and I have been working together on UFO and cryptid cases, the same things seem to happen to both of us at or around the same time - even when we are not together. 

I've taken over 100 case reports of winged creatures to date, and placed them on Google Maps under Winged Cryptid Sightings, and many are in my book Winged Aliens. Most of the Mothman reports are from the Greater Kansas City area. 

So is there a Mothman once again flying around the Kansas City area?  Only time will tell. Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready!

--------------------------------------------------------

Margie Kay is a veteran UFO and paranormal investigator. She is the publisher of UnX News Magazine, and editor at UnX Media. She hosts UnX News Podcast. www.unxmedia.com

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Un-X News Magazine is BAAAK!

Fall 2021 issue of UnX News Mag
 UnX News Magazine quarterly will return in a print and digital version in October of 2021 with a Fall issue covering featured haunted sites, and moon anomalies along with other subjects.

The magazine will coordinate with UnX News Radio/Podcast and will cover all things unexplained such as UFOs/UAPs/USOs; Haunted sites; paranormal activity; Sasquatch; time anomalies; portals; fairies and elementals and more. The magazine will also feature alternative healing, psychics, and healers. Monthly features include a list of popular radio shows and podcasts and paranormal investigators and book reviews.

UnX News Magazine is published by UnX Media. The editor-in-chief is Margie Kay and the editor is Violet Wisdom. Margie Kay is the author of 14 books and over 250 articles. She is an national speaker and a remote viewing trainer. Violet Wisdom is an author and researcher.

Contributing writers are Maria Christine, Violet Wisdom, and Dan Terry. The magazine is available at www.magcloud.com.

The editor is seeking articles by investigators and researchers. Please see the website for writer guidelines.

More information at www.unxmedia.com

Contact email: unxnewseditor@gmail.com.

Monday, July 26, 2021

Announcing the Galileo Project for the Systematic Scientific Search for Evidence of Extraterrestrial Technological Artifacts

 ‘Daring to Look Through New Telescopes’


CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts – July 26, 2021 –

Galileo showing the Doge of Venice
how to use the telescope
(fresco by Giuseppe Bertini)
The multi-institutional, international Galileo Project founders, research team and advisory boards, in conjunction with the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, today announce the Galileo Project (website: projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo). It is a transparent scientific project to advance a systematic experimental search for cross-validated evidence of potential astro-archeological artifacts or active technical equipment made by putative existing or extinct extraterrestrial technological civilizations (ETCs).


The goal of the Galileo Project is to bring the search for extraterrestrial technological signatures from accidental or anecdotal observations and legends to the mainstream of transparent, validated and systematic scientific research.


Professor Avi Loeb, head of the Galileo Project, explainsi: “In 2017, the world for the first time observed an interstellar object, called ‘Oumuamua, that was briefly visiting our solar system. Based on astronomical observations, ‘Oumuamua turned out to have highly anomalous properties that defy well-understood natural explanations. We can only speculate whether ‘Oumuamua may be explained by never seen before natural explanations, or by stretching our imagination to ‘Oumuamua perhaps being an extraterrestrial technological object, similar to a very thin light-sail or communications dish, which would fit the astronomical data rather well.”


- confidential -
Professor Loeb continuesii: “After the recent release of the ODNI report on
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), the scientific community needs the determination to
systematically, scientifically and transparently look for potential evidence of
extraterrestrial technological equipment. The impact of any discovery of extraterrestrial
technology on science, our technology, and on our entire world view, would be enormous.”
He concludesiii: “Given the recently discovered abundance of habitable-zone
exoplanets, with potential for extraterrestrial life, the Galileo Project is dedicated to the
proposition that humans can no longer ignore the possible existence of ETCs. Science
should not reject potential extraterrestrial explanations because of social stigma or cultural
preferences that are not conducive to the scientific method of unbiased, empirical inquiry.
We now must ‘dare to look through new telescopes’, both literally and figuratively.”
Irrespective of the possibility that the Galileo Project may discover additional, or
even extraordinary evidence for ETCs, at a minimum the Galileo Project will gather rich
data sets that may foster the discovery of — or better scientific explanations for — novel
interstellar objects with anomalous properties, and for potential new natural phenomena,
or terrestrial technology explanations for many presently inexplicable UAP1.


Background on UAP and ‘Oumuamua
The ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) report, delivered to
Congress on June 25, 2021, mentions many Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), the
nature of which is unknown. The report states: “a majority of UAP were registered across
multiple sensors, to include radar, infrared, electro-optical, weapon seekers and visual
observation.”
Four years earlier, on October 19th, 2017, astronomers discovered the first interstellar
object from outside the solar system, called 'Oumuamua. The object did not resemble any
comet or asteroid observed before. It was inferred to have a flat shape and moved away
from the Sun as if it were thin enough to be pushed by sunlight. Moreover, this pancakeshaped
object tumbled every 8 hours and originated from the rare state of Local Standard
of Rest, which averages over the motions of all the stars in the vicinity of the Sun.
The existing data on UAP and ‘Oumuamua are sufficiently anomalous to motivate the
collection of additional data on UAP or ‘Oumuamua-like objects and to test whether such
objects may be astro-archeological artifacts or active technological equipment produced by
one or more putative, existing or extinct extraterrestrial civilizations (ETCs).
1 https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf


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Galileo Project Scope and Limitations
The Galileo Project research group will aim to identify the nature of UAP and ‘Oumuamua-like interstellar objects using the standard scientific method based on a transparent analysis of open scientific data to be collected using optimized instruments.
This ground-based project is complementary to traditional SETI, in that it searches for physical objects, and not electromagnetic signals associated with extraterrestrial technological civilizations.


For the Galileo Project only ‘known physics’ explanations are in scope. ‘Alternative physics’ hypotheses, while interesting, are explicitly not part of the Galileo Project. Moreover, the Galileo Project will not engage in retroactive attempts to analyze existing images or radar data, or speculate on prior UAP, observations or anecdotal reports, as these are not conducive to cross-validated, evidence-based scientific explanations.


The Galileo Project Follows Three Major Avenues of Research:
(i) Obtain High-resolution, Multi-detector UAP Images, Discover their Nature:
A picture is worth a thousand words. For example, a megapixel image of the exterior of a human-scale UAP object at a distance of a mile will allow to distinguish: “Made in Country X” from the potential alternative “Made by ETC Y” on an exoplanet in our galaxy. This goal will be accomplished by searching for UAP with a network of mid-sized, high-resolution telescopes and detector arrays with suitable cameras and computer systems, distributed in select locations. The data will be open to the public and the scientific analysis will be transparent.
We anticipate extensive Artificial Intelligence/Deep Learning (AI/DL) and algorithmic approaches to differentiate atmospheric phenomena from birds, balloons, commercial or consumer drones, and from potential technological objects of terrestrial or other origin surveying our planet, such as satellites. For the purpose of high contrast imaging, each telescope will be part of a detector array of orthogonal and complementary capabilities from radar, Doppler radar and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar to high-resolution, large camera visible range and infrared band telescopes. If an ETC is discovered to be surveying Earth using UAP, then we have to assume that the ETC has mastered passive radar, optical and infrared technologies. In such a case, our systematic study of detected UAP will be enhanced by means of high-performance, integrated multi-wavelength detector arrays.


- confidential -
(ii) Search for and In-Depth Research on ‘Oumuamua-like Interstellar Objects:
The Galileo Project research group also will utilize existing and future astronomical surveys, such as the future Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)2 at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (VRO), to discover and monitor the properties of interstellar visitors to the Solar system.
We will conceptualize and design, potentially in collaboration with interested space agencies or space ventures, a launch-ready space mission to image unusual interstellar objects such as ‘Oumuamua by intercepting their trajectories on their approach to the Sun or by using ground-based survey telescopes to discover interstellar meteors.
(iii) Search for Potential ETC Satellites:
Discovering potential 1 meter-scale or smaller ETC satellites that may be exploring Earth, e.g., in polar orbits a few hundred km above Earth, may become feasible with VRO in 2023 and later. If radar, optical and infrared detection avoidance technologies have been mastered by an ETC, then very sophisticated large telescopes on Earth will be required. We will design advanced algorithmic and AI/DL object recognition and fast filtering methods that the Galileo Project intends to deploy, initially on non-orbiting telescopes.
Historical Perspective and Naming
The reference to Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei3 (1564-1642) was chosen in view of the possibility that the Galileo Project may make novel discoveries regarding ETCs. The importance of the potential discoveries of rigorously validated scientific evidence of extraterrestrial technology may be similar in impact on astronomy and our world view as Galileo's pioneering use of telescopes for astronomical observations were in history.
Galileo’s improved design of an optical telescope allowed him to discover the four largest moons of Jupiter in 1609-1610. These Galilean moons were the first satellites found to orbit a planet other than Earth. Galileo also discovered Saturn's rings in 1610.
Both discoveries provided key evidence in favor of the model of heliocentrism4, developed by Nicolaus Copernicus and published in 1543, which gradually displaced the
2 https://www.lsst.org/
3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernican_heliocentrism



- confidential -
previous, dogmatic and incorrect geocentric model
5 of the universe. According to popular legend, after recanting under persecution his theory that the Earth moved around the Sun, Galileo allegedly muttered the rebellious phrase, "And yet it moves." Moreover, Galileo complained that some of the philosophers who opposed his discoveries had even refused to look through his telescope, e.g., to see the mountains on the Moon, or the four largest moons of Jupiter. Let us not repeat their mistake.


The Galileo Project Research Team and Advisory Boards

 
A) Galileo Project Research Team
The Galileo Project Research Team is chaired by Professor Avi Loeb of Harvard
University’s Department of Astronomy. The research team members are listed at the link: Research Team | The Galileo Project: "Daring to Look Through New Telescopes"
The Galileo Project Research Team is actively involved in the strategy development, technology selection and evaluation/testing, pilot project implementation, Phase I limited roll-out to selected sites, and Phase II medium-scale, international deployment.
Selected members of the Galileo Project Research Team will be available during the press conference. The Galileo Project has been co-founded by Avi Loeb and Frank Laukien, and it is a transparent, non-profit, multi-institutional and international project.


B) Galileo Project Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and
Galileo Project Philanthropic Advisory Board and Affiliates
See: Advisory Boards | The Galileo Project: "Daring to Look Through New Telescopes"
The Galileo Project has initial funding from generous donations and pledges by individuals and foundations listed on the Galileo Project website. Additional philanthropic, foundation or governmental funders are encouraged to join the Galileo Project.
The Galileo Project Affiliates category is open to supporters, interested observers, as well as to members of the media that wish to report on progress of the Galileo Project.


Follow further progress of the Galileo Project at:
Twitter: twitter.com/GalileoProject1
Instagram: www.instagram.com/galileoproject1/
i https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Extraterrestrial/9780358274551
ii https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/Igno.pdf
iii https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/hires.pdf


Saturday, June 26, 2021

Pentagon Press Secretary Kirby Releases Statement

Following is the press release in its entirety:

Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Assessment

June 25, 2021

Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Assessment:

Today the Director of National Intelligence delivered to Congress a preliminary assessment on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and the progress that the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense UAP Task Force has made in understanding this threat.

Analyzing UAP is a collaborative effort involving many departments and agencies, and the Department thanks the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for leading a collaborative effort to produce this assessment, as well as the other contributing departments and agencies.

Incursions into our training ranges and designated airspace pose safety of flight and operations security concerns, and may pose national security challenges.  DOD takes reports of incursions – by any aerial object, identified or unidentified – very seriously, and investigates each one.

The report submitted today highlights the challenges associated with assessing UAP occurring on or near DOD training ranges and installations.  The report also identified the need to make improvements in processes, policies, technologies, and training to improve our ability to understand UAP.

To that end, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks today directed the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to develop a plan to formalize the mission currently performed by the UAPTF. 

This plan will be developed in coordination with various DOD components, including the military departments and the combatant commands, and with ODNI and other interagency partners.  The plan will establish procedures for synchronizing collection, reporting and analysis of UAP; provide recommendations for securing military test and training ranges; and identify requirements for the establishment and operation of a new follow-on DOD activity to lead the effort, including its alignment, resources, staffing, authorities, and a timeline for implementation. 

You can find the ODNI UAP assessment report on dni.gov or view it below:

 ____________________________ 

UNCLASSIFIED
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Preliminary Assessment:
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
25 June 2021
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SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS
Scope
This preliminary report is provided by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in response to the provision in Senate Report 116-233, accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, that the DNI, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), is to submit an intelligence assessment of the threat posed by unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and the progress the Department of Defense Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) has made in understanding this threat.
This report provides an overview for policymakers of the challenges associated with characterizing the potential threat posed by UAP while also providing a means to develop relevant processes, policies, technologies, and training for the U.S. military and other U.S. Government (USG) personnel if and when they encounter UAP, so as to enhance the Intelligence Community’s (IC) ability to understand the threat. The Director, UAPTF, is the accountable official for ensuring the timely collection and consolidation of data on UAP. The dataset described in this report is currently limited primarily to U.S. Government reporting of incidents occurring from November 2004 to March 2021. Data continues to be collected and analyzed.
ODNI prepared this report for the Congressional Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. UAPTF and the ODNI National Intelligence Manager for Aviation drafted this report, with input from USD(I&S), DIA, FBI, NRO, NGA, NSA, Air Force, Army, Navy, Navy/ONI, DARPA, FAA, NOAA, NGA, ODNI/NIM-Emerging and Disruptive Technology, ODNI/National Counterintelligence and Security Center, and ODNI/National Intelligence Council.
Assumptions
Various forms of sensors that register UAP generally operate correctly and capture enough real data to allow initial assessments, but some UAP may be attributable to sensor anomalies.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The limited amount of high-quality reporting on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of UAP. The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) considered a range of information on UAP described in U.S. military and IC (Intelligence Community) reporting, but because the reporting lacked sufficient specificity, ultimately recognized that a unique, tailored reporting process was required to provide sufficient data for analysis of UAP events.
• As a result, the UAPTF concentrated its review on reports that occurred between 2004 and 2021, the majority of which are a result of this new tailored process to better capture UAP events through formalized reporting.
• Most of the UAP reported probably do represent physical objects given that a majority of UAP were registered across multiple sensors, to include radar, infrared, electro-optical, weapon seekers, and visual observation.
In a limited number of incidents, UAP reportedly appeared to exhibit unusual flight characteristics. These observations could be the result of sensor errors, spoofing, or observer misperception and require additional rigorous analysis.
There are probably multiple types of UAP requiring different explanations based on the range of appearances and behaviors described in the available reporting. Our analysis of the data supports the construct that if and when individual UAP incidents are resolved they will fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG or U.S. industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catchall “other” bin.
UAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security. Safety concerns primarily center on aviators contending with an increasingly cluttered air domain. UAP would also represent a national security challenge if they are foreign adversary collection platforms or provide evidence a potential adversary has developed either a breakthrough or disruptive technology.
Consistent consolidation of reports from across the federal government, standardized reporting, increased collection and analysis, and a streamlined process for screening all such reports against a broad range of relevant USG data will allow for a more sophisticated analysis of UAP that is likely to deepen our understanding. Some of these steps are resource-intensive and would require additional investment.
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AVAILABLE REPORTING LARGELY INCONCLUSIVE
Limited Data Leaves Most UAP Unexplained…
Limited data and inconsistency in reporting are key challenges to evaluating UAP. No standardized reporting mechanism existed until the Navy established one in March 2019. The Air Force subsequently adopted that mechanism in November 2020, but it remains limited to USG reporting. The UAPTF regularly heard anecdotally during its research about other observations that occurred but which were never captured in formal or informal reporting by those observers.
After carefully considering this information, the UAPTF focused on reports that involved UAP largely witnessed firsthand by military aviators and that were collected from systems we considered to be reliable. These reports describe incidents that occurred between 2004 and 2021, with the majority coming in the last two years as the new reporting mechanism became better known to the military aviation community. We were able to identify one reported UAP with high confidence. In that case, we identified the object as a large, deflating balloon. The others remain unexplained.
• 144 reports originated from USG sources. Of these, 80 reports involved observation with multiple sensors.
o Most reports described UAP as objects that interrupted pre-planned training or other military activity.
UAP Collection Challenges
Sociocultural stigmas and sensor limitations remain obstacles to collecting data on UAP. Although some technical challenges—such as how to appropriately filter out radar clutter to ensure safety of flight for military and civilian aircraft—are longstanding in the aviation community, while others are unique to the UAP problem set.
• Narratives from aviators in the operational community and analysts from the military and IC describe disparagement associated with observing UAP, reporting it, or attempting to discuss it with colleagues. Although the effects of these stigmas have lessened as senior members of the scientific, policy, military, and intelligence communities engage on the topic seriously in public, reputational risk may keep many observers silent, complicating scientific pursuit of the topic.
• The sensors mounted on U.S. military platforms are typically designed to fulfill specific missions. As a result, those sensors are not generally suited for identifying UAP.
• Sensor vantage points and the numbers of sensors concurrently observing an object play substantial roles in distinguishing UAP from known objects and determining whether a UAP demonstrates breakthrough aerospace capabilities. Optical sensors have the benefit of providing some insight into relative size, shape, and structure. Radiofrequency sensors provide more accurate velocity and range information.
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But Some Potential Patterns Do Emerge
Although there was wide variability in the reports and the dataset is currently too limited to allow for detailed trend or pattern analysis, there was some clustering of UAP observations regarding shape, size, and, particularly, propulsion. UAP sightings also tended to cluster around U.S. training and testing grounds, but we assess that this may result from a collection bias as a result of focused attention, greater numbers of latest-generation sensors operating in those areas, unit expectations, and guidance to report anomalies.
And a Handful of UAP Appear to Demonstrate Advanced Technology
In 18 incidents, described in 21 reports, observers reported unusual UAP movement patterns or flight characteristics.
Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernable means of propulsion. In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings.
The UAPTF holds a small amount of data that appear to show UAP demonstrating acceleration or a degree of signature management. Additional rigorous analysis are necessary by multiple teams or groups of technical experts to determine the nature and validity of these data. We are conducting further analysis to determine if breakthrough technologies were demonstrated.
UAP PROBABLY LACK A SINGLE EXPLANATION
The UAP documented in this limited dataset demonstrate an array of aerial behaviors, reinforcing the possibility there are multiple types of UAP requiring different explanations. Our analysis of the data supports the construct that if and when individual UAP incidents are resolved they will fall into one of five potential explanatory categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catchall “other” bin. With the exception of the one instance where we determined with high confidence that the reported UAP was airborne clutter, specifically a deflating balloon, we currently lack sufficient information in our dataset to attribute incidents to specific explanations.
Airborne Clutter: These objects include birds, balloons, recreational unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or airborne debris like plastic bags that muddle a scene and affect an operator’s ability to identify true targets, such as enemy aircraft.
Natural Atmospheric Phenomena: Natural atmospheric phenomena includes ice crystals, moisture, and thermal fluctuations that may register on some infrared and radar systems.
USG or Industry Developmental Programs: Some UAP observations could be attributable to developments and classified programs by U.S. entities. We were unable to confirm, however, that these systems accounted for any of the UAP reports we collected.
Foreign Adversary Systems: Some UAP may be technologies deployed by China, Russia, another nation, or a non-governmental entity.
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Other: Although most of the UAP described in our dataset probably remain unidentified due to limited data or challenges to collection processing or analysis, we may require additional scientific knowledge to successfully collect on, analyze and characterize some of them. We would group such objects in this category pending scientific advances that allowed us to better understand them. The UAPTF intends to focus additional analysis on the small number of cases where a UAP appeared to display unusual flight characteristics or signature management.
UAP THREATEN FLIGHT SAFETY AND, POSSIBLY, NATIONAL SECURITY
UAP pose a hazard to safety of flight and could pose a broader danger if some instances represent sophisticated collection against U.S. military activities by a foreign government or demonstrate a breakthrough aerospace technology by a potential adversary.
Ongoing Airspace Concerns
When aviators encounter safety hazards, they are required to report these concerns. Depending on the location, volume, and behavior of hazards during incursions on ranges, pilots may cease their tests and/or training and land their aircraft, which has a deterrent effect on reporting.
• The UAPTF has 11 reports of documented instances in which pilots reported near misses with a UAP.
Potential National Security Challenges
We currently lack data to indicate any UAP are part of a foreign collection program or indicative of a major technological advancement by a potential adversary. We continue to monitor for evidence of such programs given the counter intelligence challenge they would pose, particularly as some UAP have been detected near military facilities or by aircraft carrying the USG’s most advanced sensor systems.
EXPLAINING UAP WILL REQUIRE ANALYTIC, COLLECTION AND RESOURCE INVESTMENT
Standardize the Reporting, Consolidate the Data, and Deepen the Analysis
In line with the provisions of Senate Report 116-233, accompanying the IAA for FY 2021, the UAPTF’s long-term goal is to widen the scope of its work to include additional UAP events documented by a broader swath of USG personnel and technical systems in its analysis. As the dataset increases, the UAPTF’s ability to employ data analytics to detect trends will also improve. The initial focus will be to employ artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms to cluster and recognize similarities and patterns in features of the data points. As the database accumulates information from known aerial objects such as weather balloons, high-altitude or super-pressure balloons, and wildlife, machine learning can add efficiency by pre-assessing UAP reports to see if those records match similar events already in the database.
• The UAPTF has begun to develop interagency analytical and processing workflows to ensure both collection and analysis will be well informed and coordinated.
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The majority of UAP data is from U.S. Navy reporting, but efforts are underway to standardize incident reporting across U.S. military services and other government agencies to ensure all relevant data is captured with respect to particular incidents and any U.S. activities that might be relevant. The UAPTF is currently working to acquire additional reporting, including from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), and has begun receiving data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• Although USAF data collection has been limited historically the USAF began a six-month pilot program in November 2020 to collect in the most likely areas to encounter UAP and is evaluating how to normalize future collection, reporting, and analysis across the entire Air Force.
• The FAA captures data related to UAP during the normal course of managing air traffic operations. The FAA generally ingests this data when pilots and other airspace users report unusual or unexpected events to the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization.
• In addition, the FAA continuously monitors its systems for anomalies, generating additional information that may be of use to the UAPTF. The FAA is able to isolate data of interest to the UAPTF and make it available. The FAA has a robust and effective outreach program that can help the UAPTF reach members of the aviation community to highlight the importance of reporting UAP.
Expand Collection
The UAPTF is looking for novel ways to increase collection of UAP cluster areas when U.S. forces are not present as a way to baseline “standard” UAP activity and mitigate the collection bias in the dataset. One proposal is to use advanced algorithms to search historical data captured and stored by radars. The UAPTF also plans to update its current interagency UAP collection strategy in order bring to bear relevant collection platforms and methods from the DoD and the IC.
Increase Investment in Research and Development
The UAPTF has indicated that additional funding for research and development could further the future study of the topics laid out in this report. Such investments should be guided by a UAP Collection Strategy, UAP R&D Technical Roadmap, and a UAP Program Plan.
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APPENDIX A - Definition of Key Terms
This report and UAPTF databases use the following defining terms:
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP): Airborne objects not immediately identifiable. The acronym UAP represents the broadest category of airborne objects reviewed for analysis.
UAP Event: A holistic description of an occurrence during which a pilot or aircrew witnessed (or detected) a UAP.
UAP Incident: A specific part of the event.
UAP Report: Documentation of a UAP event, to include verified chains of custody and basic information such as the time, date, location, and description of the UAP. UAP reports include Range Fouler1 reports and other reporting.
1 U.S. Navy aviators define a “range fouler” as an activity or object that interrupts pre-planned training or other military activity in a military operating area or restricted airspace.
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APPENDIX B – Senate Report Accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
Senate Report 116-233, accompanying the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, provides that the DNI, in consultation with the SECDEF and other relevant heads of USG Agencies, is to submit an intelligence assessment of the threat posed by UAP and the progress the UAPTF has made to understand this threat.
The Senate Report specifically requested that the report include:
1. A detailed analysis of UAP data and intelligence reporting collected or held by the Office of Naval Intelligence, including data and intelligence reporting held by the UAPTF;
2. A detailed analysis of unidentified phenomena data collected by:
a. Geospatial Intelligence;
b. Signals Intelligence;
c. Human Intelligence; and
d. Measurement and Signatures Intelligence
3. A detailed analysis of data of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was derived from investigations of intrusions of UAP data over restricted U.S. airspace;
4. A detailed description of an interagency process for ensuring timely data collection and centralized analysis of all UAP reporting for the Federal Government, regardless of which service or agency acquired the information;
5. Identification of an official accountable for the process described in paragraph 4;
6. Identification of potential aerospace or other threats posed by the UAP to national security, and an assessment of whether this UAP activity may be attributed to one or more foreign adversaries;
7. Identification of any incidents or patterns that indicate a potential adversary, have achieved breakthrough aerospace capabilities that could put U.S. strategic or conventional forces at risk; and
8. Recommendations regarding increased collection of data, enhanced research and development, additional funding, and other resources. 

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What does this mean to serious UFO/UAP investigators and the public? This release does show that the Pentagon admits that there are objects in our skies that they cannot explain. It just goes one step further than what has already been released after leaks from the U.S. Navy pilots showing unidentified flying craft over the Ocean. It is not, however, an admission that these craft are alien in nature. 

 

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Margie Kay is a UAP investigator and author, and serves as the Assistant State Director for Missouri MUFON.