World

Nasa names chief of UFO research; sees no alien evidence

Nasa said it has named a new director of research into what the government calls “unidentified anomalous phenomenon,” or UAP, while the US space agency’s chief said an expert panel that urged deeper fact-finding on the matter found no evidence of an extraterrestrial origin for these objects.

Administrator Bill Nelson made the announcement about the new research chief - without disclosing the person’s identity - after the independent panel of experts recommended in a new report that Nasa names chief of UFO research. UAP are better known to the public as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs.

Nelson during a news conference also gave his personal opinion that life exists beyond Earth.

“There’s a global fascination with UAP. On my travels, one of the first questions I often get is about these sightings. And much of that fascination is due to the unknown nature of it,” Nelson said.

“If you ask me do I believe there’s life in a universe that’s so vast that it’s hard for me to comprehend how big it is, my personal answer is, ‘Yes,’” Nelson added.

But Nelson said the chances that otherworldly beings have visited Earth are low.

The Nasa panel, comprising experts in fields ranging from physics to astrobiology, was formed last year and held its first public meeting in June. —Reuters