The US space agency NASA on Thursday released a 33-page report calling for new techniques to study UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena.

That's the term NASA uses for unidentified or unexplained objects or phenomena seen in the skies or space, some of which would more commonly be referred to as potential UFO (unidentified flying object) sightings. 

An independent 16-member study team commissioned by NASA last year to conduct research into reports of human encounters with unidentified phenomena in the skies said advanced satellites, artificial intelligence and machine learning were essential to better understanding UAP.

"NASA has a variety of existing and planned Earth- and space-observing assets, together with an extensive archive of historic and current data sets, which should be directly leveraged to understand UAP," wrote the report's authors.

The panel, which featured physicists, astronauts and astrobiologists, also noted that negative perceptions surrounding the topic of UAP posed an impediment to data collection. NASA officials hope their involvement will allow more serious consideration of such phenomena.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a former Democratic senator from Florida, said the space agency was seeking to move the conversation around UAP, "from sensationalism to science."

Nelson also made a point of noting that the panel had found no evidence of extraterrestrial origins in any of the UAP they investigated.

Nelson said NASA would be "transparent" in identifying unexplained occurrences in the skies and in space.

Science vs. conspiracy theories

Thursday's report used several popular examples often cited as evidence of possible alien life to underscore public misinterpretations based on faulty sensor recordings, claiming that scientific conclusions were impossible until observation methods could be improved. 

"Observations of objects in our skies that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft or natural known phenomena have been spotted worldwide, yet there are limited high-quality observations," according to the report.

Furthermore, it stated, "Despite numerous accounts and visuals, the absence of consistent, detailed, and curated observations means we do not presently have the body of data needed to make definitive, scientific conclusions about UAP."

The topic of possible alien encounters and conspiracy theories surrounding massive government cover-ups have been popular in the US for decades and have become more so over the past few years.

The issue has been further fueled by Pentagon releases of video taken by pilots and purporting to show objects resembling aircraft appearing to fly in ways and at speeds that would surpass known human technologies.

The panel did not access top secret government files for its report but instead relied on unclassified data.

After the panel presented its report, NASA Director Nelson said the agency would be appointing a new director of UAP research. The new director will be charged with handling, "centralized communications, resources and data analytical capabilities to establish a robust database for the evaluation of future UAP."

js/msh (AP, Reuters)