NASA Director of UAP Research

Director of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Research
Incumbent Mark McInerney
NASA
Formation	September 14, 2023 (2023-09-14)

The Director of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) oversees investigation of unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

Background

The Administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson, announced the creation of the position on September 14, 2023.^[1] It was created upon the recommendation of NASA's UAP independent study team.^[2] Nelson stated that the identity of the person who holds this position would be kept secret to prevent harassment.^[1] However, hours later, NASA announced that the position would be held by Mark McInerney.^[2]

The need for research into unidentified anomalous phenomena originates from national security concerns post-WWII, the expansion of adversarial technology as a consequence of the Space Race, and growing interests from the international community.^[3][4][5][6]

See also

• All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
• NASA's UAP independent study team
• UFO Report (U.S. Intelligence)

References

1. Wilson, Christopher; Stableford, Dylan (September 14, 2023). "NASA says it will appoint secret UFO chief". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
2. Chang, Kenneth (September 14, 2023). "NASA Introduces New U.F.O. Research Director". The New York Times. p. A.18. Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
3. "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency". U.S. Congress. July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
4. "Close Encounters of the National Security Kind". Council on Foreign Relations. March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
5. "UAPs Present a Clear Threat to U.S. National Security, Former Military Pilots, Intelligence Officials Say". U.S. News & World Report. July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
6. "Joey Florez, author of 'The Psychology of UAP,' explains historical sightings in the Baltic states". The Baltic Times (print). July 6, 2024. ISSN 2592-8988. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.