Community

Donald Keyhoe (1897–1988)

Marine Corps Major (Ret.) • NICAP Director • Author

Donald Keyhoe was a retired U.S. Marine Corps Major and aviation writer who became one of the first prominent public advocates for government transparency on UFOs. He served as director of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) from 1957 to 1969, transforming it into the largest civilian UFO research organization of its era. Keyhoe authored several books beginning with The Flying Saucers Are Real (1950) and repeatedly clashed with the Air Force over what he argued was a deliberate policy of UFO secrecy. His advocacy for congressional hearings on UFOs in the 1960s prefigured the transparency efforts that continue today.

J. Allen Hynek (1910–1986)

Astronomer • Project Blue Book Scientific Consultant

J. Allen Hynek was a Northwestern University astronomer who served as the scientific consultant to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book from 1948 to 1969. Initially skeptical, Hynek grew increasingly critical of the Air Force’s dismissal of credible reports and coined the “close encounter” classification system still used today. After Blue Book ended, he founded the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) in 1973 to continue scientific investigation. His transition from government consultant to public advocate for serious study became a pivotal moment in UFO research history. He served as the model for the scientist character in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

John E. Mack (1929–2004)

Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

John Mack was a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School who conducted extensive clinical research into individuals reporting abduction experiences. His 1994 book Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens documented his findings that experiencers showed no conventional psychopathological explanation for their accounts. Harvard conducted a formal investigation of his methods but ultimately reaffirmed his academic freedom. Mack’s work brought mainstream psychiatric methodology to a subject previously dismissed by academia. He emphasized the phenomenological reality of the experiences regardless of their ultimate explanation.

Stanton Friedman (1934–2019)

Nuclear Physicist • Researcher • Author

Stanton Friedman was a nuclear physicist who worked on classified advanced propulsion systems for companies including General Electric and Westinghouse before becoming the first civilian researcher to document the Roswell incident. He interviewed key witnesses including Jesse Marcel Sr. and was instrumental in bringing the 1947 Roswell case back into public awareness in the late 1970s. Friedman lectured at over 600 colleges and universities and debated skeptics publicly throughout his career.

James McDonald (1920–1971)

Atmospheric Physicist, University of Arizona

James McDonald was a senior physicist at the University of Arizona’s Institute of Atmospheric Physics who conducted rigorous scientific investigation of UFO reports throughout the 1960s. He testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science and Astronautics in 1968, presenting detailed analyses of cases he argued could not be explained by conventional science. He criticized both the Air Force’s handling of Project Blue Book and the Condon Report’s methodology.

Paul Hill (1909–1990)

NASA Research Engineer • Aerodynamicist

Paul Hill was a NASA research engineer and aerodynamicist at Langley Research Center who compiled decades of UFO observational data and applied physics analysis to reported flight characteristics. His work was published posthumously in 1995 as Unconventional Flying Objects: A Former NASA Scientist Explains How UFOs Really Work. Hill analyzed reported UAP maneuvers — including instantaneous acceleration and silent flight — and proposed theoretical propulsion models consistent with observed behavior. His book remains one of the most technically cited analyses of UAP performance characteristics.

Jacques Vallée

Astrophysicist • Computer Scientist • Author

Jacques Vallée is a French-American astrophysicist and computer scientist who served as a consultant to Project Blue Book through his work with Dr. J. Allen Hynek. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University and co-developed ARPANET mapping protocols at Stanford Research Institute. Vallée has authored numerous books on UAP, advocating for systematic scientific study of the phenomenon. He has briefed multiple U.S. government officials and was referenced as a key figure in the September 2025 House Oversight Task Force hearing.

Garry Nolan, Ph.D.

Professor of Pathology, Stanford University • Immunologist

nolanlab.stanford.edu

Garry Nolan is the Rachford and Carlota A. Harris Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He holds over 50 U.S. patents and has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers. Nolan has publicly stated that he was approached by the CIA and other agencies to analyze materials and biological samples related to UAP encounters. He has spoken at multiple academic forums on UAP, including the Sol Foundation symposium, and advocates for open scientific inquiry into anomalous phenomena.

Avi Loeb, Ph.D.

Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University • Galileo Project Director

Galileo Project — Harvard

Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University and former chair of the Harvard Astronomy Department. He founded the Galileo Project in 2021, a systematic scientific initiative to search for physical evidence of extraterrestrial technological artifacts using a network of sensors and telescopes. Loeb led an expedition to retrieve materials from the path of the interstellar meteor IM1 off the coast of Papua New Guinea. His findings and methodology have been both praised for advancing scientific rigor and critiqued by peers regarding sample analysis conclusions. He publishes findings through peer-reviewed channels and maintains public transparency about methods and results.

Beatriz Villarroel, Ph.D. & Enrique Åsberg

Stockholm University • VASCO Project

Beatriz Villarroel is an astrophysicist at Stockholm University leading the Vanishing and Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations (VASCO) project, alongside researcher Enrique Åsberg. VASCO systematically compares historical astronomical survey data to identify objects that appear or vanish without conventional explanation. The project has identified multiple candidate transient events that do not fit known astrophysical categories. Their work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and represents a methodologically rigorous approach to detecting potential anomalous phenomena through archival astronomical data. The project also examines the Baltic Sea Anomaly through scientific analysis.

Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, USN (Ret.)

Former NOAA Administrator • Oceanographer

Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet served as the acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. He holds a Ph.D. in oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Gallaudet has publicly advocated for expanded investigation of UAP, particularly transmedium phenomena involving objects operating in both air and water. He has spoken at the Sol Foundation symposium and other forums, emphasizing the national security and scientific implications of UAP that interact with ocean environments.

Luis Elizondo

Former Director, AATIP • Author

Luis Elizondo served as the director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) within the U.S. Department of Defense from 2008 until his resignation in 2017. His departure, along with the release of three Navy UAP videos, contributed to the December 2017 New York Times report that brought UAP into mainstream public discourse. Elizondo has stated that he resigned in protest over excessive secrecy and a lack of institutional support for UAP investigation. He has since advocated publicly for transparency, appeared before congressional members in closed settings, and published a memoir detailing his government experiences with UAP. His claims about program scope and access have been both supported and contested by different government officials.

Christopher Mellon

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

christophermellon.net

Christopher Mellon served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush and as a staff member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He played a key role in facilitating the release of the three Navy UAP videos to the New York Times in 2017 and has been a persistent public advocate for congressional UAP oversight. Mellon has written extensively about UAP policy failures within the defense establishment and advised multiple members of Congress on UAP legislation.

Jay Stratton

Former Director, UAP Task Force • DIA Officer

Jay Stratton is a career intelligence officer who served as the director of the Pentagon’s UAP Task Force (UAPTF), the predecessor to AARO. He previously worked within the Defense Intelligence Agency on programs related to advanced aerospace threats. Stratton has been identified in multiple public reports as a central figure in the government’s internal UAP investigation efforts, bridging the gap between AATIP and the formally established task force mandated by Congress in 2020. He has spoken at the Sol Foundation and other venues about the government’s UAP investigation history.

Colonel Karl Nell, USA (Ret.)

Former Army Colonel • Aerospace Executive

Colonel Karl Nell is a retired U.S. Army officer who served on the UAP Task Force and has been identified as a key figure in internal government discussions about non-human intelligence. At the 2024 Sol Foundation symposium, Nell stated publicly that non-human intelligence exists and that this is a matter of national importance. He has a background in aerospace program management and has worked at the intersection of defense technology and intelligence.

David Grusch

Former Intelligence Officer • ICIG Whistleblower

David Grusch is a former intelligence officer who served on the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. He filed a complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General alleging that the U.S. government maintains a secret program to recover and reverse-engineer non-human craft. He testified under oath before the House Oversight Committee in July 2023, stating that he had been informed of a multi-decade program involving recovered non-human vehicles and biologics. His allegations have been both corroborated by some officials and disputed by others. He was granted whistleblower protection under federal law.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

U.S. Representative (R-FL) • Chair, House UAP Task Force

Anna Paulina Luna represents Florida’s 13th congressional district and chairs the House UAP Task Force. She led a congressional delegation to Eglin Air Force Base to review classified UAP footage and in March 2026 formally demanded declassification of 46 specific UAP videos from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, setting an April 14, 2026 deadline. She has been a consistent advocate for public transparency on military UAP encounters and has participated in closed-door Pentagon briefings on the subject.

Rep. Tim Burchett

U.S. Representative (R-TN)

Tim Burchett represents Tennessee’s 2nd congressional district and has been one of the most outspoken congressional voices on UAP transparency. He co-organized the July 2023 House Oversight hearing where David Grusch, Ryan Graves, and David Fravor testified. Burchett has publicly stated that he believes the government is withholding UAP information from Congress and has pushed for enforceable subpoena authority over UAP programs.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

U.S. Senator (D-NY)

Kirsten Gillibrand championed the legislative provisions that established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) through the National Defense Authorization Act. She has advocated for structured UAP reporting requirements within the Department of Defense and pushed for AARO to have adequate resources and authority to investigate reported phenomena.

Sen. Chuck Schumer

U.S. Senate Majority Leader (D-NY)

Chuck Schumer co-authored the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023 with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), modeled on the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act. The legislation proposed an independent review board with eminent domain authority over UAP-related records held by government agencies and private contractors. While the full act did not pass, portions were incorporated into subsequent defense authorization bills.

Sen. Mike Rounds

U.S. Senator (R-SD)

Mike Rounds co-authored the UAP Disclosure Act alongside Sen. Schumer and has advocated for bipartisan UAP transparency from the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has stated that the government has an obligation to share what it knows about UAP with the American public and has supported legislation to create formal declassification mechanisms.

George Knapp

Investigative Journalist • Weaponized Podcast

George Knapp is a veteran investigative journalist with over three decades of reporting on UAP. He first brought public attention to Area 51 and the Bob Lazar story in 1989. He co-hosts the Weaponized podcast with Jeremy Corbell and has won multiple regional Emmy awards for investigative reporting. Knapp testified at the September 2025 House Oversight Task Force hearing on UAP transparency and whistleblower protection, where he raised concerns about AARO’s investigation methodology. His reporting draws primarily on government documents, named sources, and Freedom of Information Act requests.

Leslie Kean

Investigative Journalist • Author

lesliekean.com

Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist who co-authored the landmark December 2017 New York Times article that revealed the existence of AATIP, fundamentally changing public discourse on UAP. Alongside Ralph Blumenthal and Helene Cooper, the article documented a secret Pentagon program that had been investigating UAP since 2007. Kean is also the author of UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record and co-hosts the Need to Know podcast. Her reporting is characterized by reliance on named, credentialed sources and official documentation.

Ross Coulthart

Investigative Journalist • NewsNation • Author

rosscoulthart.com

Ross Coulthart is an award-winning Australian investigative journalist who covers UAP for NewsNation. He is the author of In Plain Sight: An Investigation into UFOs and Impossible Science. Coulthart has reported extensively on whistleblower claims, government UAP programs, and international cases. His reporting helped amplify the David Grusch allegations and he has conducted on-camera interviews with multiple military and intelligence sources. He previously spent decades as an investigative reporter for Australian programs including 60 Minutes Australia.

Jeremy Corbell

Filmmaker • Investigative Journalist

Jeremy Corbell is a filmmaker and investigative journalist who has released multiple authenticated UAP videos that were subsequently confirmed by the Department of Defense. His releases include the USS Omaha transmedium sphere footage and the USS Russell pyramid video, both verified as genuine by the Pentagon. Corbell co-hosts the Weaponized podcast with George Knapp and has produced documentaries including Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers and Hunt for the Skinwalker. His work focuses on obtaining and releasing primary-source visual evidence.

James Fox

Documentary Filmmaker • Producer

thejamesfox.com

James Fox has spent over 25 years investigating and documenting UAP cases worldwide through feature-length documentaries including Out of the Blue (2003), I Know What I Saw (2009), The Phenomenon (2020), and Moment of Contact (2022), the first of which is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive UAP documentaries ever produced.

Robert Hastings

Author • Documentary Producer • Nuclear-UAP Researcher

Robert Hastings has spent decades documenting the relationship between UAP and nuclear weapons facilities, compiling testimony from over 150 former military personnel in his book UFOs and Nukes and organizing a landmark 2010 National Press Club event where former officers described UAP incidents at nuclear installations.

Weaponized

Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp • Investigative Podcast

weaponizedpodcast.com

An investigative podcast featuring exclusive interviews, previously unreleased UAP footage, suppressed documents, and firsthand accounts from military and intelligence sources with direct involvement in government UAP programs.

Need to Know

Richard Dolan & Bryce Zabel • Weekly Analysis

richarddolanmembers.com

A weekly podcast covering UAP disclosure developments, hosted by historian Richard Dolan and Emmy Award–winning writer-producer Bryce Zabel, offering analysis of breaking UAP news, policy developments, and interviews with key figures in the disclosure movement.

That UFO Podcast

Andy McGrillen • UK-Based Interview Show

thatufopodcast.com

One of the most respected independent interview shows in UAP research, featuring in-depth conversations with researchers, military witnesses, journalists, and government officials involved in UAP disclosure.

The Why Files

AJ Gentile • YouTube Series

thewhyfiles.com

A narrative-driven YouTube series investigating mysteries, myths, and unexplained phenomena through detailed research and storytelling, with extensive UAP coverage that has built one of the largest audiences in the UAP media space.

Merged

Ryan Graves • Science & Aviation Podcast

mergedpodcast.com

A science-first podcast hosted by former Navy F/A-18F pilot Ryan Graves, interviewing scientists, military personnel, and researchers with firsthand knowledge of anomalous phenomena, grounded in Graves’s direct experience as the first active-duty pilot to publicly report regular UAP encounters.

Podcast UFO

Martin Willis • Weekly Interview Show

podcastufo.com

A long-running weekly podcast featuring interviews with investigators, witnesses, scientists, and authors, with over 700 episodes since its founding in 2011.

Cosmosis

Kelly Chase & Jay Christopher King • SpectreVision Radio

cosmosis.media

A podcast exploring UAP, non-human intelligence, consciousness, and the experiencer dimension, combining physical evidence analysis with firsthand encounter perspectives as part of the SpectreVision Radio network.

Americans for Safe Aerospace (ASA)

Founded by Ryan Graves • Nonprofit

safeaerospace.org

Americans for Safe Aerospace is a nonprofit organization founded by former Navy F/A-18 pilot Ryan Graves to advocate for improved reporting mechanisms for UAP encounters by military and civilian aviators. Graves testified before the House Oversight Committee in July 2023 about repeated UAP encounters during military operations and the stigma preventing pilots from reporting. ASA works to change reporting culture, protect witnesses, and promote aviation safety in the context of unexplained aerial phenomena.

The Sol Foundation

Academic Research Organization

thesolfoundation.org

The Sol Foundation is an academic organization that hosts research symposiums bringing together scientists, military officials, and policymakers to discuss UAP. Its symposiums have featured presentations from Garry Nolan, Tim Gallaudet, Jacques Vallée, and other researchers. The organization aims to establish a credible academic framework for studying anomalous phenomena and has published proceedings from its events.

Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU)

Scientific Research Organization

explorescu.org

The Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies is a research organization composed of scientists and engineers that publishes technical analyses of UAP cases using publicly available data. SCU has produced detailed reports on specific incidents including the 2013 Aguadilla, Puerto Rico case and analysis of the 2004 Nimitz encounters. Their methodology emphasizes quantitative analysis, physics-based modeling, and peer review among members.

The Galileo Project

Harvard University • Founded by Avi Loeb

Galileo Project — Harvard

The Galileo Project is a Harvard-based scientific initiative founded in 2021 by Professor Avi Loeb to systematically search for physical evidence of extraterrestrial technological artifacts. The project operates an observatory with an array of sensors designed to detect and characterize aerial phenomena using rigorous scientific instrumentation. It also conducts analysis of interstellar objects and recovered materials. The project emphasizes transparent methodology, peer-reviewed publication, and public data sharing.