Washington D.C: NASA chief Bill Nelson said he believes in the existence of aliens as he presented the first findings of a report on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), or UFOs, on Thursday.
The report, based on an independent review by 16 researchers, said that UAP poses a clear risk to US airspace safety, according to Skynews.
NASA launched the investigation last year to examine the evidence and data related to UAPs, which are now the official term for UFOs.
The researchers shared their initial observations in May, saying that the current data and eyewitness reports are not enough to draw definitive conclusions, and calling for more systematic and high-quality data collection.
The report, which is separate from a Pentagon inquiry but coordinates with it on scientific methods and tools, is unlikely to change that assessment — but it could pave the way for a new mission for the agency.
While NASA explores the solar system and beyond for signs of ancient life or intelligent civilizations, it has historically dismissed sightings of UAPs on Earth.
However, the US government has started to take the issue more seriously in recent years, partly due to concerns that they are related to foreign espionage.
The report said that there have been more than 800 “events” involving UAPs over 27 years, of which two to five percent are considered potentially anomalous.
These are defined as “anything that is not readily understandable by the operator or the sensor,” or “something that is doing something weird,” said team member Nadia Drake.
In July, a former US intelligence officer claimed that he “absolutely” believes that the government has UAPs — and even alien bodies — in its possession.
He said he based his testimony on information from credible sources who also provided him with photos, official documents, and classified oral testimony, David Grusch told lawmakers.
Earlier this week, two alleged “non-human” mummies were shown at a congressional hearing in Mexico, sparking a range of reactions from surprise to disbelief to ridicule on social media.
The supposed remains, which had a grayish color and a human-like shape, were brought by Jaime Maussan, a controversial Mexican journalist and researcher who reported finding them in Peru in 2017.
