UAP Science:
From classified to open
Although UAP research has been carried out since World War 2, a large part of these investigations has been carried out by citizens. Research quality has varied significantly due to the lack of funding, prospective studies, systematic and transparent data collection methods, state-of-the-art data collection platforms, analytical frameworks, peer-review processes etc.
(A paper by Knuth et al. (2025) provides a detailed
exposition of previous and concurrent efforts to scientifically
study UAP – Go to journal – Download preprint.)
Interestingly, the now famous 2017-article in the New York Times revealed that the US government has funded at least one scientific UAP research project since its alleged termination of Project Blue Book in 1969, i.e. the Advanced Aerospace Weapon Systems Applications Program (AAWSAP) (2008-2010) (Erroneously reported as AATIP in the New York Times article).
The 27 months AAWSAP was funded with USD 22 million by Senators Harry Reid, Daniel Inouye, and Ted Stevens. It was directed by Dr. James Lacatski at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and managed by Dr. Colm Kelleher at BAASS at Bigelow Aerospace, which was the main contractor. At one point AAWSAP employed approx. 50 full time investigators and produced more than 100 detailed research papers. The team compiled a data warehouse with more than 200.000 UAP cases.
Although some governments have funded UAP research projects through the past decades (e.g. GEIPAN in France), major universities and research institutions in the west have to a large extent not conducted UAP research.
Nonetheless, since the publication of the aforementioned article in The New York Times (and the 3 videos by the Pentagon), there has been a growing consensus in mainstream academia that UAP deserve serious investigations.
In addition, scholars within the social sciences and the humanities have come to realize that there is a need for research, which elucidates the impact of the UAP reality on society.
There is an awareness that the UAP topic is extremely complex and that a cross-disciplinary approach is much needed.
Selected current scientific UAP projects.