NASA joins the still controversial search for UFOs

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during a NASA briefing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, on September 14//AFP

NASA on Thursday officially joined the search for UFOs — but reflecting the stigma attached to the field, the US space agency kept secret for hours the identity of the person heading a new program tracking mystery flying objects.

The official’s appointment is the result of a year-long NASA fact-finding report into what it calls “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” or UAP.

“At NASA, it’s in our DNA to explore — and to ask why things are the way they are,” agency chief Bill Nelson said.

An independent team of 16 researchers concluded in the report that the search for UAPs “demands a rigorous, evidence-based approach.”

NASA is well positioned to play a prominent role, thanks to its satellite…