NASA held its first public meeting with a group investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena (UNPs), sometimes called UFOs. And the name change is part of a growing trend to move the subject from the realm of so-called scientific conspiracy theories to the realm of active scientific research. It also expands the field from something that can fly to something obscure in the sky.

A group of 16 experts led by David Spergel (Princeton) will release a report by the end of July. Their aim is to find out what unclassified information is available on the subject and how much more is needed to understand what caused the startling events. They will hold another open committee after the report is published.

Many were surprised when it was safe to say that NASA is a highly controversial topic. However, it doesn’t seem like an unnatural move for panel member Paula Bontempi (University of Rhode Island). She states that NASA has always been “dedicated to the study and understanding of air and space.”

While the imagination can turn to aliens and flying saucers, panelists noted that only 2 to 5% of observations cannot be explained by human activities or natural phenomena. But are they aliens? “We didn’t see it to claim we saw something that points to non-human intelligence,” Spergel says. “This is important to clarify.”

Part of the problem with detecting anomalous phenomena today is the lack of a consistent system for collecting information about observations. Spergel described it as “unsystematic and fragmented”. Panelist Carlin Toner (Federal Aviation Administration) says scientists have been reluctant to address this issue in the past. “There is a negative stigma when these phenomena are reported or even investigated,” he says. This is also true for commercial airline pilots who feel that reporting a flying saucer will not be taken seriously.

Group member Mike Gold (Redwire Space) has called for a permanent office at NASA to support the effort, hoping it will help deal with the stigma. According to Jacob Haq Misra (Blue Marble Space Science Institute), who was not involved in the discussion, the discovery should help. “It was great to hear the whole discussion in one place, on public broadcasting,” he says.

Meanwhile, the YouTube live stream of the discussion was filled with troll commentary, as if to highlight the group’s challenges to be taken seriously. Daniel Evans (NASA’s Science Mission Directorate) spoke directly about this, describing it as “just the tip of the iceberg.” There is always someone who insists on hiding. At one point a member of the public asked the jury directly: “What was NASA hiding?”

This inconsistency, combined with the lack of data, means that NASA will not be able to delve deeper into earlier observations. They want to start a new life. New observations will be documented and researched with the highest scientific rigor. Physics professor Kevin Knuth (University of Albany), who was not on the panel, thinks this was a mistake. “I am disappointed that NASA has decided not to delve deeper into 80 years of data and information that has been circulating,” he says. “While it’s true that it wasn’t collected under harsh scientific conditions, that doesn’t stop us from learning from it.”

There were more fun moments. Panelist and former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly described his encounter with a UAP while he was a pilot. They flew back to investigate, only to find Bart Simpson’s balloon. Source