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This Ministry of Defence file, released through The National Archives and published by The Black Vault, holds the MOD's 2002 handling of Dr David Clarke's requests for UFO documents under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. It includes the MOD's 9 December 2002 reply, which covered reports from 1976, 1980, 1993 and 1996 and charged £260. It also contains internal emails and file requisitions, plus Foreign Office and United Nations papers from 1978 on Grenada's proposal for UFO research.
“Scientific American”7 pages
e4. Let us first consider··the phenomena. There have a~ways been strange things to see in the sky, and strange explanations 'have been given. Since World War II we have seen development of powerful rockets, and voyages to the Moon and planets. We have also seen the development of science fiction, where space ships can be switched to 'inter-stellar drive' and our hero can CA-f'i.4 eeme the 2M light years to Andromeda Galaxy in a flash. We have also seen the development of ufology and the UFO industryJwhich accepts the delightful fantasies of science fiction a~ proven fact and interpret~ the phenomena in our skies as alien space craft. I•1ost of the phenomena are seen unexpectedly and very briefly, and are gone before the eye has focussed. The words 'UFO' and 'space craft' have been firmly implanted and too readily spring to mind. 6. But what are the real causes of the phenomena? a. Some have always occurred: tricks of light on cloud; comets, meteors or showers of meteors; meteorites, bright planets 1 or even the moon or stars iL unusual atmospheric conditions. Venus is popular: there are recorded cases of pilots reporting Venus as an 'unidentified flying object following them'. b. Meteorological balloons. The Met Office alone release 50 a day, which expand to 40 foot diameter and rise to 100;000 feet and can be lit by the sun we 11 after dark. ~!any other organisations use balloons, some are much larger, and tb9re are recorded casen of balloons being reported as UFOs by airline pilots. - ? - I
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