UAP transparency needed for better learning, science: Ex-NASA official

  • UAP research overseen by Defense Department
  • Lawmakers have pushed for more transparency on unidentified objects
  • The government has yet to disclose what objects flew over military bases 

Want to see more of NewsNation? Get 24/7 fact-based news coverage with the NewsNation app or add NewsNation as a preferred source on Google!

For the first time, a former Border Patrol whistleblower comes forward to share a never-before-seen UFO video shot on military cameras. On Saturday, Ross Coulthart heads to the southern border for a NewsNation special report: HUNTING UFOS: The Desert Sky Mystery. Tune in at 8p/7C for the one-hour special and stick around for a roundtable show hosted by “NewsNation Prime” host Natasha Zouves. Find out how to watch.

(NewsNation) — A former NASA administrator is among those continuing to push for more government transparency on unidentified aerial phenomena, aka UFOs, seeking answers about how much is known about mysterious objects seen in space.

Mike Gold and Luis Elizondo, the former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, presented officials with photos of what they say are unidentified objects during a meeting Thursday. While neither Gold nor Elizondo can confidently identify the lights that are seen in a photo taken during an Apollo 17 mission, Gold said the photos should be investigated more thoroughly by government officials.

“These are anomalous phenomena that are inexplicable,” Gold told NewsNation. “And even if these don’t turn out to be something extraordinary, this could be a natural phenomenon that could be quite interesting.”

He added: “We must look at this data, we must get to the truth, demand transparency and that’s how we learn through anomalies, that’s how science is done, that’s how learning is driven.”

Capitol Hill forum had testimony from experts on UAPs

Thursday’s four-hour forum on Capitol Hill included testimony from former intelligence officials, scientists and academic experts.

Elizondo said he was prepared to hear elected officials question the authenticity of the information that was presented, but that didn’t happen.

Sailors aboard a U.S. Navy warship off the coast of Southern California reported having a dramatic encounter with four unknown objects that seemingly flew away in a synchronized formation. (Jeremy Corbell)

“I think this story is evolving,” he told NewsNation.

All of the information presented Thursday is publicly available, Gold said, adding that more should be made of the data and photos that are being released by NASA. The more data that is released, Gold said, the closer officials will get to unlocking the mystery of UAPs.

‘There is an urgent need for greater transparency’ on UAPs: Expert

According to reports, the Department of Defense, which oversees UAP research, has a budget of $850 billion in 2025.

Other experts who testified Thursday, including retired Navy Adm. Timothy Gallaudet and Christopher Mellon, the former staff director of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, echoed Gold’s call for more information about what the government knows.

“There is an urgent need for greater transparency and to minimize the over-secrecy,” Elizondo said. “Right now, the faith and confidence is at an all-time low with our own government.”

UFOs

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20260112181412