CIA Convenes the Robertson Panel on UFOs

The CIA assembled a panel of scientists chaired by physicist H.P. Robertson to assess whether UFOs posed a threat to national security. Over four days, the panel reviewed Blue Book cases and concluded that UFOs were not a direct physical threat but that public interest in sightings could overload military communication channels and be exploited by hostile nations. The panel recommended a public education campaign to strip UFOs of their 'special status' and that civilian UFO groups be monitored. These recommendations shaped U.S. government UFO policy for decades.