NASA commissions UFO study

NASA on Thursday announced plans to create a scientific study starting this Fall to investigate "unidentified aerial phenomena," also known as UFOs.

The space agency stressed in a press release that there is no evidence showing that the aircraft are of extra-terrestrial origins.

"NASA believes that the tools of scientific discovery are powerful and apply here also," NASA associated administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said. "We have access to a broad range of observations of Earth from space – and that is the lifeblood of scientific inquiry. We have the tools and team who can help us improve our understanding of the unknown. That’s the very definition of what science is. That’s what we do."

Researchers will focus on available data, collecting data in the future and how NASA can use that information to better understand the unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), officials stated.

The study will take about nine months to complete and it is separate from the Department of Defense’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and the DOD's Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group.

"Consistent with NASA’s principles of openness, transparency, and scientific integrity, this report will be shared publicly," NASA official Daniel Evans said. "All of NASA’s data is available to the public – we take that obligation seriously – and we make it easily accessible for anyone to see or study."

At the conclusion of the press release, NASA mentioned its search for extra-terrestrial life through an unrelated astrobiology program.

"From studying water on Mars to probing promising 'oceans worlds,' such as Titan and Europa, NASA’s science missions are working together with a goal to find signs of life beyond Earth," the agency stated.