CIA-UAP-002, Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, Report, 1952-1953

This Central Intelligence Agency file gathers the 1953 Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, dated January 17, 1953, and the papers that went with it. The panel was chaired by H. P. Robertson. It found no evidence that the phenomena were a direct threat to national security. It recommended stripping UFOs of their special status and aura of mystery and starting a public education program. The file also holds F. C. Durant's account of the meetings, 1952 CIA memos proposing research, and transmittal letters.

From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 This file contains correspondence and reports dated 1952–1953 from the Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, convened by the CIA’s Office of Scientific Intelligence. The panel’s primary conclusion was that “flying saucers” did not pose a direct physical threat to the national security of the United States. The panel found no evidence that these phenomena were attributable to hostile foreign artifacts or indicated a need to revise existing scientific concepts. However, the panel identified a significant indirect threat stemming from the public’s fascination with the subject. The panel concluded that the high volume of reports, encouraged by a "sensationalist press," could overwhelm and clog vital intelligence and communication channels, potentially distracting from genuine threats. Furthermore, they warned that a “morbid national psychology” could be exploited by adversaries to incite “hysterical behavior and harmful distrust of duly constituted authority.” To mitigate these risks, the panel recommended an official policy of “debunking” to “strip the UFO subject of its mystery,” alongside a training initiative for military personnel to better recognize and filter out misidentified objects, thereby reducing communication “noise” and allowing the national security apparatus to focus on more "legitimate defense concerns."

.d. Object• 1n the Great 1'alla case vare 1»lieved to b&Ye
probably bein ~, am th• brlght lights nch Ntleotiona.
e. Th.re vae no ft.lid reason tor the attempt to relate the object.
1n the Tremonton eightillg to those 1n t.he Great Falla a1ght-
1ng. rue mq have been due to m1sumcstam1ng in their
~active. The objects 1n the Great Falla eightblg are
atrongq auspectec1 ot being ret1ect1ona ot a1rcrllft Jmown to
have been :bi the area.
to The intensity change ~ the TNmoJiton lights vu too g.t
tar ~~e of tho P:I.L. bypothesia ~t the appaNDt
motion Md changing intensity ot the lights mlicated utr~
high speed in small orbital i:atha.
g. Apparent lack ot guidance or investigators b;1 thoee tam131ar
'With u.F.o. reports am axplanatiom,.
h. ~is ot light 1ntensi't7 ot objects made tram dupl.1cate
rather than arig1.ml. film. The or1g1nal t1lm vaa noted to
ha.Te a 1IIIOh lighter background (atf'ectiilg •relat1w brightnaa
of object) and ·th• objocta appeared ?DW?h leas bright..
1. Method or obtaining data ot light intensity appeared raul.ty
bacause of unauitabilit7 of equipnent and questionable
assumptions 1n maJdng av.rages ot readi:ngs.
j. Ro data had bean obtained on the senait1v1t7 ot Xodac!n-ome
film to light ot various intensities usillg the·same Ceiiili&
type a.t the aame lans openiJJgs.