War.gov PURSUEU.S. Government
Government1998Analysis complete

USG-UAP-D001: Congressional, White House, UFO-related Constituent Correspondence…

This released document records that nASA has not withheld information on UFO sightings. The file preserves the source account or analysis but does not independently establish interpretations beyond the cited record. This document is useful as an officially released artifact because it preserves the file's provenance and lets its claims be compared with related Release 03 records.

File
Document · Release 03
Date
1998
Extent
86 pages
Agency
U.S. Government

Probed Assessment

This released document records that nASA has not withheld information on UFO sightings. The file preserves the source account or analysis but does not independently establish interpretations beyond the cited record.

Key takeaways

  • The source states that nASA has not withheld information on UFO sightings.
  • The source states that the Air Force has discontinued investigating UFO reports.
  • The source states that james Oberg researched UFO/astronaut allegations and published an article in SEARCH magazine.

Why it matters

This document is useful as an officially released artifact because it preserves the file's provenance and lets its claims be compared with related Release 03 records.

Corroboration

The release metadata and stored source material corroborate the file's provenance. Reported sightings, interpretations, and allegations remain attributed to the source unless independently supported by the cited evidence.

Open questions

  • What additional contemporaneous records or independent evidence could test the source account?

Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.

Official Description from War.gov

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.

Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.

File Context

Related entities

15

Tracker findings

1

NASA said it did not actively investigate UFOs in 1998

The record states: NASA does not actively investigate UFOs.

Release provenance

Release
Release 03
Official ID
release-03-file-072-usg-uap-d001-congressional-white-house-ufo-related-constituent-correspondence-1998
Cleared
Jun 12, 2026
Official release source

Referenced Timeline

  1. Page 2

    Date Concurred for WARD/Sen Snowe letter

    Senator Snowe forwards a letter regarding UFOs and Mars photos.

  2. Page 3

    Date Written for Rothman/UFO_Sightings by Astronauts

    Senator Grassley forwards a letter requesting information on UFO sightings by astronauts.

  3. Page 3

    Date Signed for Rothman/UFO_Sightings by Astronauts

    Response to Senator Grassley regarding UFO sightings by astronauts.

Source Claims

Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.

Source reportedObservedPage 4

NASA has not withheld information on UFO sightings.

NASA has no program for investigating UFOs and has not withheld information on sightings.

Source reportedObservedPage 4

The Air Force has discontinued investigating UFO reports.

The Air Force, in the interest of national security, received and investigated all reports for many years but has discontinued this activity.

LinkedUSAF
Source reportedObservedPage 4

James Oberg researched UFO/astronaut allegations and published an article in SEARCH magazine.

In 1976, James Oberg thoroughly researched the UFO/astronaut allegations and published an article about it in SEARCH magazine.

Source reportedObservedPage 31

Allnutt, to Congressman Bob Casey, dated January 29, 1970: “Conversation between the Apollo 11 crew and Mission’ Control were released live during the entire Apollo 11 mission.

Allnutt, to Congressman Bob Casey, dated January 29, 1970: “Conversation between the Apollo 11 crew and Mission’ Control were released live during the entire Apollo 11 mission.

LinkedApollo 11
Source reportedAssertedPage 22

Beckley and Salkin claim that the astronauts had been “startled by unaccountable seismic disturbances on the lunar surface.”’ This event never occurred; there were no such earthquakes during their visit.

Beckley and Salkin claim that the astronauts had been “startled by unaccountable seismic disturbances on the lunar surface.”’ This event never occurred; there were no such earthquakes during their visit.

Source reportedObservedPage 36

James Lovell and Frank Borman In December 1965, Gemini astronauts James Lovell and Frank Borman also saw a UFO during their second orbit of their record-breaking 14 day flight.

James Lovell and Frank Borman In December 1965, Gemini astronauts James Lovell and Frank Borman also saw a UFO during their second orbit of their record-breaking 14 day flight.

Source reportedObservedPage 80

During several space missions, NASA astronauts have re- ported phenomena not immediately explainable; however, in every instance NASA determined that the observations could not be termed “abnormal” in the space environment.

During several space missions, NASA astronauts have re- ported phenomena not immediately explainable; however, in every instance NASA determined that the observations could not be termed “abnormal” in the space environment.

Source reportedObservedPage 7

Many thousands of other photographs and drawings may be of interest to the news media and are therefore filed at public information offices, but stock copies are not kept.

Many thousands of other photographs and drawings may be of interest to the news media and are therefore filed at public information offices, but stock copies are not kept.

Source reportedObservedPage 30

“At no time did we see anything which was not of our spacecraft, either during lunar orbit or during the voyage to and from the moon,” Bean stated.

“At no time did we see anything which was not of our spacecraft, either during lunar orbit or during the voyage to and from the moon,” Bean stated.

Source reportedObservedPage 65

The SETI Institute is a nonprofit corporation conducting research in a number of fields including all science and technology aspects of astronomy and planetary sciences, chemical evolution, the origin of life, biological evolution, and cultural evolution.

The SETI Institute is a nonprofit corporation conducting research in a number of fields including all science and technology aspects of astronomy and planetary sciences, chemical evolution, the origin of life, biological evolution, and cultural evolution.

Source reportedObservedPage 8

years of manned spaceflight uncovered any evidence at all which even remotely suggests that Earth is being visited and observed by advanced spaceships from another world?

years of manned spaceflight uncovered any evidence at all which even remotely suggests that Earth is being visited and observed by advanced spaceships from another world?

Source reportedAssertedPage 33

Bill Uhouse claims that both President Nixon, and Bush visited the Area 51 facility to examine the progress of recreating alien technology.

Bill Uhouse claims that both President Nixon, and Bush visited the Area 51 facility to examine the progress of recreating alien technology.

Source Material & Evidence

paper

James Oberg's article in SEARCH magazine

SEARCH magazine, 1976

document

NASA Fact Sheet on UFO investigations

image

McDivitt UFO photograph

NASA photo 65-H-1013

document

Condon Report on UFOs

University of Colorado for the U.S. Air Force

Research Map

15 entities · 1 grounded link

Lines appear only when two entities share a row-level source claim or dated timeline event. Unconnected nodes remain visible without implying a relationship.

UAP/Disclosure Graph
15 nodes1 links