Congressional, White House, UFO-related Constituent Correspondence, 1998

This 1998 NASA file holds UFO-related letters from constituents that were forwarded by members of Congress, together with NASA's handling records. Senator Olympia Snowe forwarded letters from Maine residents, including a 12-year-old who asked for Roswell documents and listed a number of reported sightings. Senator Charles Grassley forwarded a question about astronaut UFO sightings. NASA's reply says it has no UFO program and has not withheld anything. The reply enclosed a NASA fact sheet and James Oberg's article, which explains the Gemini-4 McDivitt object as the spacecraft's own booster.

From the source: Release of 2026-06-12 Released with redactions. This collection of documents, primarily from 1998, contains draft and final correspondence from the White House and the offices of members of Congress responding to constituent inquiries about Unidentified Flying Objects, or “UFOs.” These inquiries cover a diverse range of topics, including alleged UFO sightings by NASA astronauts, questions regarding the authenticity of photos collected during U.S. missions to Mars, alleged improper withholding of information by the U.S. Government, questions regarding the appropriateness of “UFO-related” governmental spending, and calls for congressional hearings regarding the nature and existence of “UFOs.” The official responses consistently state that, circa 1998, the U.S. Government is not aware of evidence supporting the existence of extraterrestrial technology, and that NASA does not actively investigate “UFOs.” The collection includes references to materials of both confirmed and unconfirmed authenticity, as provided by constituents, as well as references to historical, scientific literature addressing specific “UFO” sighting claims.

Headquarters Action Tracking System (HATS)
INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE ACTION
ID Number: L11998-00407
. (b) (6)
Title: WARD/Sen Snowe fwds ltr from
U.F.O. and the recent Mars photo
who's interested in
Recipient: UHeffernan
Author:
Organization:
SNOWE
SENATE Date Written :
Date Received:
Date Concurred:
05/18/1998
05/26/1998
Action Office:
Status:
UWard:S
Closed
Date Submitted:
Date Signed:
Date Closed:
>>Current Due Date:
Original Due Date:
06/24/1998
06/24/1998
06/18/1998<<
Signature Office: UHeffernan
Info offices: UHeffernan, UHeninger, L/Kerwin
Abstract:
SEN SNOWE FWDS LTR FROM (b) (6) OF STOCKINGTON, MAINE, WHO'S
INTE:RESTED IN U.FO.'S AND THE RECENT PHOTOS OF MARS WHICH WERE RECENTLY RELEASED.
Comments:
Enclosures: NO
Related Records:
Keywords: (b) (5) MAINE U.F.O. MARS
File Plan: 1320.4 Analyst: BMoore
06/24/1998 Page 1 of 1