AIR AND STAFF COLLEGE

UFOs AND EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

Darrell L. Stanley, FR 66348,1931-

Captain, USAF

A Thesis Submitted to the Air Command and Staff College of
Air University in Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for Graduation

June 1968

Thesis directed by Lieutenant Colonel Dale E. Downing

AIR UNIVERSITY

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA

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ABSTRACT

Over the years, the evidence on UFO has con-
tinued to mount. Many sightings are eventually
explained, but an impressive number are not. This
study examines the evidence, showing that its
credibility has grown as the "unknowns" have accumu-
lated. The study also examines the likelihood of
extraterrestrial life, and attempts to draw inferences
about technological achievements on other worlds. It
concludes that there is a growing case for the reality
of UFOs, and that intelligent extraterrestrial life
almost certainly exists. Recommendations involve ex-
panded and more aggressive means of obtaining UFO
evidence--including thoughts on physical seizure.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. CONCERNING THE EVIDENCE . . . . . . . . 8

III. THE QUESTION OF ORIGIN . . . . . . . . . 21

IV. LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE . . . . . . . . . . 32

V. EXTRATERRESTRIAL TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . 40

VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . 46

FOOTNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) may constitute
one or the most peculiar mysteries, if not the greatest,
in all or recorded history, The mystery is peculiar
because its incidents are both current and repetitious.
To be sure, there are other great mysteries or the
world, such as how the Pyramids or Egypt were built,
or why the dinosaurs perished in prehistoric time, or
how man himself emerged on this planet. But these like
many other perplexing riddles are obscured by time. The
mystery of UFOs, on the other hand, prevails as a current
issue, even though sightings may date back almost in
definitely.
At the bottom of the mystery, of course, is the
question or whether UFOs are fact or fiction, real or
imaginary, material objects or illusionary effects.
Equally intriguing is the variety in the nature of
observations and the circumstances surrounding the
sightings. This gives rise to some difficulty when

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attempting to generalize about the phenomena. A
still greater difficulty apparently arises when one
attempts to neatly classify the objects observed as
real but explainable, real but inexplicable, apparitions,
or figments of the imagination. This difficulty stems
not from a shortage of written works on the subject;
to the contrary, the great abundance of material tends
to cloud the issue, deepen the mystery, and widen the
diverging points or view. In the midst of the voluminous
material on the subject, a distracting element or sen-
sationalism also often appears, Other publications,
some with an air seriousness, properly belong in
the realm or science fiction, which contributes little
in serious research on the subject.
Despite the research difficulties, the question
as to the credibility of UFO evidence is a valid one
which surely demands a timely answer. For if there
is sufficient, credible evidence to indicate the
material existence of UFOs, a new and perhaps more
disturbing problem emerges: What is the origin of the
mysterious objects? Yes, they could be some secret
development or earthly origin. The other alternative
is that UFOs are extraterrestrial. If there is a

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logical case for the latter, we as a nation should
be pointedly concerned, This is not because or any
direct threat or attack, although maybe this should
not be entirely discounted, but because extraterres-
trial vehicles on or near our planet surely mean the
product of an advanced technology is in our presence.
As developed as our technology might seem, it has not
yet progressed to the point of sending manned space
vehicles to planets in our own solar system, let alone
those of other stars. Accordingly, the UFO may hold
secrets of great technological significance, particu-
larly as they might apply to aircraft or spacecraft pro-
pulsion and the attendant potential worth in the area
or national defense. Disclosure of such secrets, it
can be reasoned, might well represent the most import-
ant technological breakthrough of this century, It
follows that there is a positive need to examine and
assess the ever increasing number of UFO sightings.
The problem must be squarely faced if there is sufficient
evidence to show that UFOs are believable, and if their
origin can credibly be established as foreign to this
world.

Objectives

The main objective of this thesis is to deter-
mine whether or not the expanding amount of evidence

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means an increasing level of credibility that UFOs
are more than legend, more than imagination, more than
incorrect interpretations or commonplace things under-
taking of this objective involves the exploration and
analysis of numerous published accounts on evidence,
along with an examination of the most logical points
of origin. An additional objective is to assess the
possibilities and probabilities or intelligent life
in the extraterrestrial environment. Another objective,
closely related to the foregoing, is to speculate on
the level or technology that extraterrestrial societies
might achieve. As the thesis is developed, the reason-
ing intends to imply that the reality of UFOs is quite
compatible with the theories or abundant extraterres-
trial intelligence.

Assumptions

With the undertaking of this study several assump-
tions are made, first, to clear up a technicality, it
is assumed that if UFOs are real, they are dispatched
or controlled by some form or intelligence. By real,
it is implied that the objects are material, artificial,
and not natural phenomena such as meteors. Secondly,
it is assumed that the origin or UFOs will not be in-
disputably divulged either by some form of coherent

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communication or by captive observation. In other
words, any absolute confirmation that UFOs are real
and extraterrestrial would largely obviate the purpose
of some of the theoretical reasoning presented in this
writing. Additionally, it is assumed that no new and
vigorous action will be taken by the U. S. Government
to initiate more aggressive methods or obtaining UFO
evidence. Any such action would tend to preempt re-
commendations and conclusions set forth later in this
study.

Definitions

At first glance, the term UFO may seem to need
no further definition. However, in some articles a
contradiction in usage appears. Consider this hypo-
thetical statement: "Many UFOs are actually aircraft,
weather balloons...." The point here is that once
identified, the object can no longer be properly
called a UFO, but rather would be more correctly
called an "identified flying object" (IFO). The term
UFO as used herein means a flying object which has
not or cannot be identified as worldly air/space craft
or natural phenomena. The term "Flying Saucer" is
sometimes used synonymously with UFO, although there

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is some apparent distinction. UFOs, for example,
are not always configured in the shape or a saucer.

Research Limitations

Research will be limited to the sources available
at Maxwell Air Force Base and the Montgomery, Alabama
area. As another limiting factor, research will be
concentrated more heavily on recent publications,
especially on matters such as accumulated statistics.
Additionally, no complete historical analysis will be
attempted, due to the great volume or material avail-
able on the subject,

Organization

The next Chapter will outline the nature of the
evidence, its improving credibility, and assess the
reaction in the scientific community and government
circles. Chapter III includes a discussion on the
likelihood that UFOs are secret devices originating
right on earth. Further discussions will reason on
the proposition that UFOs originate on other planets
in our solar system. Chapter IV deals with the
possibilities of advanced social life on other planets.
Chapter V outlines a discussion of the inferences which

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can be drawn about the technology of extraterrestrial
societies. The last Chapter will present conclusions
and recommendations which can be drawn from the text.

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CHAPTER II

CONCERNING THE EVIDENCE

The phenomenon of UFOs seems not to be anything
very new. Reports on evidence or UFO sightings may
date back as far as man's history itself. The Old
Testament of the Bible, for example, includes passages
about the landing of a strange craft, which could be
interpreted as a UFO sighting, in the Year 597 B.C. [1]
Through the middle ages there are also reports of
observed phenomena in the sky. During World War II
many allied pilots observed strange and unidentified
objects while flying missions; these phenomena were
referred to as "foo-fighters", In any event, mys-
terious aerial sightings are not limited to any
specific time frame. Neither are they restricted
to any particular area. Rather, the phenomena have
been of an international nature.[2] With due respect
to the diversity in both time and location, the earlier
historical recordings of such incidents show a char-
acter of vagueness, Perhaps like many other early
historical events, the sheer passage or time has
caused obscurity. Then too, there is the matter of

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provincial perception and later interpretation. Before
the eighteenth century, such phenomena were probably
viewed strongly from the religious or superstitious
standpoint. As a matter of illustration, strange obser-
vations could have earlier been attributed to comets,
meteors or even an eclipse of the moon might then have
drawn the same attention as a modern UFO sighting.
Today, of course, much more is understood as far
as natural aerial phenomena are concerned. Meteors,
as a case in point, are understood and accepted for
what they are, as a matter or elementary science. In
contrast, the astronomers and other scientists in the
nineteenth century did not accept the idea of "stones"
falling from the sky, It was only after an unusually
heavy siege or meteors over France in 1802 that the
scientific viewpoint changed.[3] But with all the pro-
gress in modern science, the UFO remains unexplained
and up until recently was not very seriously viewed.
Nevertheless, intriguing reports have continued to
mount in recent times. Although the number or sight-
ings varies from year to year, the rate, if anything,
appears to have increased during the modern era of UFOs.
In approaching some or the evidence on UFOs, it
may be well to first define what might be called the

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modern UFO era, as this is largely the time span to
be considered. This period started in 1947 after a
sighting of nine UFOs near Mount Rainier in Washington
State, Incidentally, the term "Flying Saucers" was
coined as a result of press coverage of that incident,
More importantly, this particular sighting marked the
beginning of an official tabulation of UFOs. Since
that time, the U.S. Air Force has been charged with
the responsibility of evaluating and recording UFO
or alleged UFO reports.[4] These of course are limited
to those occurring in or near the United States. Yet,
after two decades of accumulating data, the tabulations
and attendant evidence hardly settle the issue--whether
or not UFOs are real.
While the issue remains unsettled in the minds
or many and controversial among others, the situation
has changed somewhat since 1947, and other changing
outlooks may be in the offing. For one thing, there
is now the considerable accumulation of evidence in
the reports of visual observations, Additionally,
as of late there is a certain recognition of the
riddle as a matter for serious scientific inquiry.[5]
With all the evidence and apparently some tendency
toward a changing scientific attitude, where does the

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case for UFOs rest today? Is there now sufficient
evidence from which to draw conclusions, or at least
tentative conclusions?
Although early historical reports of sightings
cannot be totally ignored, the most credible and
persuasive evidence has surely evolved and has been
accumulated in the modern era. During this period,
in the United States alone, there have been over
11,000 sightings of mysterious aerial objects. Of
those, about 650 are on the record as UFOs--according
to Project Blue Book, the U.S. Air Force agency con-
cerned with UFO affairs.[6] At first glance these often
cited statistics might appear to be rather straight
forward, but as often is the case with statistics they
can be misleading. In the first place, the objects
which can be identified, or IFOs, should have little
to do with the UFOs, in the sense that a comparison of
the figures for each would reveal anything worthwhile.
Any serious and logical treatment should surely exclude
identified objects, for these are no longer a puzzle--
assuming the evaluation was correct. It could also
be argued that the motive of the statistics was to cast
doubt on the UFO case simply by the ratio involved.

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The whole point here is that there have been over
650 reported UFO sightings in the past twenty years.
Also, there is every indication that if any case
could have been explained it would have been. For
this reason, and because or some erroneous explanations
of UFOs, the figure of 650 should be taken as minimal.
Understandably, the matter or faulty explanations has
represented a sizable share of the overall controversy.
Casting still greater doubt on certain sightings cata-
loged as IFOs is the allegation that the Air Force
has been the most persistent and consistent debunker
of the UFO, not an entirely ill-founded charge.[7]
While caution and prudence are necessary in such
inquiries or evaluations, some or the Air Force's
explanations discounting UFO sightings turned out to
be wrong, as mentioned earlier, which suggests more
than bad statistics. There is for example, the UFO
sighting which was "explained"--and registered as an
IFO--as certain stars in the constellation Orion.
Later it was discovered that Orion was below the hori-
zon in that season at the latitude of the sighting.
There are also cases that were dismissed and attributed
to military refueling aircraft, when none were actually
near the particular area.[8] These errors or hasty

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judgments have not only cast doubt on the categorical
tabulations but have also allowed for the inference
to be drawn that information is being withheld or
distorted. As a possible consequence, some of the
more recent incidents which were discredited offi-
cially as UFOs could be and have been viewed with
suspicion. Consider the puzzling observation of
lights near Dexter, Michigan, in the spring of 1966.
Despite the overwhelming amount of testimony from
eye witnesses--including many such as police officers,
who were completely reliable, the phenomenon was
attributed to marsh gas. Oddly enough, at one point
in time the explanation involved military aircraft;
then later it was determined that no such aircraft
were in the area during the majority of reported ob-
servations.[9] Thus as the evidence has mounted, so
apparently has the criticism of the official findings
and classifications. While a good deal of the criti-
cism appears justified, it is not the intent here to
make disparaging remarks about the agency making the
evaluations--whether incorrect unintentionally or
otherwise. Rather, these inconsistencies are pointed
out to show the number or solid UFO cases may be con-
siderably greater than the figure of 659.

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There are several other aspects in the area of
statistics that should be considered from the stand
point of inferential data. It is not often mentioned,
but surely not all UFO sightings, or what people
thought were UFOs, are reported. Take the case of
four hunters who supposedly saw a UFO land at a
remote, mountainous region in Utah, seven years ago.
By mutual agreement, none of them reported the myste-
rious affair until after the Air Force announced that
the University of Colorado would undertake an independ-
ent, government-financed project to investigate UFOs.[10]
This apparently might signal a change to the previous
reluctance of many people to report sightings for
fear of ridicule or simple to avoid any publicity,
sometimes adverse. However, this hardly changes the
UFO count which is probably low for this reason as well
as those mentioned above. Dr. Edward Condon who heads
the scientific investigation at the University or Colo-
rado, has said that he expects for every reported
sighting there are ten to twenty that have not been
reported.[11] His opinion, although alone worthy of con-
siderable weight, does not lack support. A Gallup
poll, for instance, indicates that 5,000,000 adult
people in the United States have seen a UFO, or what

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they believed was a UFO.[12] Furthermore, according to
the same poll, 46 per cent of the adult Americans
believe that UFOs are something real.
The number or solid UFO cases or unexplained
observations is then surely greater than the official
figure of 659, itself significant. With some so
called "explained" cases belonging in the UFO category,
plus the proposition ten or more times that many have
gone unreported, the statistics take on a more impressive
scope than might otherwise be noted by the casual reader.
Extrapolating the implied data further to include all
land area on the earth is more impressive, even sur-
prising. Using this line or reasoning the number or
UFO sightings is incredibly high.
In contrast to the rather abundant evidence in
the form of testimony be first hand witnesses--whether
or not the "low" official figure is used, physical
evidence or hardware is another matter. Such evidence
in the narrowest sense would involve either a part of
a UFO or a UFO itself. Some "non-believers" it seems
would settle for nothing short of the latter, in the
laboratory for authentication and capable or many re-
markable demonstrations. This would no doubt settle
the issue, but for now there is no such material

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evidence; if there are pieces or parts or UFOs, such
evidence has either been suppressed, undiscovered, or
not reported. Granted, the most significant short-
coming in solving the mystery is the lack of physical
evidence. However, maybe our rules of scientific evi-
dence simply do fit the phenomenon of the UFO. If
that is possible, it would be logical to fit the in-
vestigations to the phenomenon, This means for the
time being that any assessments can only be made from
the type evidence on hand.
What type of evidence is there? There is more
than just the voluminous array of first-hand witness
accounts; but first, a discussion of these accounts
is in order. Specifically, the quality and worth of
these will be considered. Witness reports are good
evidence, although circumstantial in nature; prominent
scientists concede that there is an abundance of good
circumstantial evidence indicating UFOs are real.[13]
There are problems, however, in handling such evidence,
i.e., witness reports. The greatest of these would
appear to be in determining the veracity of the witness
or witnesses. More simply it is the degree of credi-
bility which could be attributed to an observation or
to collective observations. In dealing with one or

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only a few cases, there would remain the possibility
that a witness was lying, was mistaken in what he
thought he saw, or had seen something that existed
only in his mind. But when considering the immense
number of well corroborated and documented reports
by many credible witnesses, the evidence becomes very
convincing. The caliber of many witnesses, perhaps
as much as the sheer number, lends the greatest cre-
dence to the total evidence. There have been hoaxes,
and the crackpot element along with publicity seekers.
On the other hand, as the observations increase, so
does the cross section of population of witnesses.
Numerous sighting, for example, have been reported by
respected, intelligent people with technical training--
astronomers, control-tower operators, physicians,
meteorologists and pilots.[14]
Besides the eye witness reports, there are other
forms of evidence, although these are scarcely any
more scientific. These include photographs, radar
confirmation of UFOs viewed separately by other ob-
servers, and ground marking supposedly left by a UFO.
Since most UFO sightings are aerial in nature, ground
marks of scorched vegetation corresponding to observation
are fairly rare, but their worth would seem to add

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heavily as suggestive evidence, although not conclusive.
Likewise, radar sighting which corroborate visual ob-
servation surely lend a high degree of credence.
Photography, as promising as it might seem, may
create more problems than it solves. For one thing,
authentication or photographs--especially Prints--is
most difficult, Flaws in the film or lens can create
spots; unless there is some background other than the
sky, little can be judged as to the size and distance
or a UFO. And no doubt, the general knowledge of
trick photography impedes the acceptance of photographs
otherwise very convincing. One way around this or
course is to have a witness of the picture taking pro-
cess. This gets back to the matter of credibility.
Accordingly, photographs remain generally at least as
controversial as witness reports, and the motives of
the photographer might be questioned unduly, for a
film is a quick means to publicity, Yet, there are
hundreds or photographs, several of which constitute
quite persuasive evidence. Some of the clearest nega-
tives or a UFO ever obtained were taken by a farmer in
Oregon in 1950. These photographs are similar to UFO
pictures taken in France in 1954. The likeness of the
objects in both sets or pictures is the most striking

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and suggestive aspect, although rough similarities
are not uncommon in other photographs. One of the
most convincing set of photographs was taken in
daylight from an airliner over Brazil. The pictures,
taken from above the UFO, show the ground below as
well as a shadow of the UFO. The geometry of the
situation stands up under scrutiny; this plus the
presence of witnesses in the plane is surely as near
to scientific evidence as is available. This case
is to be studied further by the team from the Univer-
sity of Colorado.[15]
Although the evidence available is empirical and
circumstantial, it certainly appears to point over
whelmingly to the reality and materialistic nature of
UFOs, Even though hardware is not available to sat-
isfy the rigid rules of scientific evidence--such as
reproducibility--there are certain indications of
acceptance of the evidence in the scientific community.
For one thing, UFO articles now appear in scientific
journals. Another significant vote of confidence on
the evidence so far accumulated is the government
financed project by the University of Colorado to
conduct a scientific investigation. The cost: $313,000.
Probably more impressive is the changing attitude of

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scientists. Not a few in prominent positions now ap-
parently regard it as cause for serious inquiry. Speci-
fically, Dr. Allen Hynek, Director or Northwestern
University's Dearborn Observatory, and the Air Force's
longtime consultant on UFOs, now advocates a view of
seriousness and open-mindedness to fellow scientists.
Yet, in his early days as a consultant, Dr. Hynek ad-
mits that he thought UFOs were sheer nonsense.[16] In
light of the evidence, many other scientists favor in-
vestigation; a few others have boldly suggested that
UFOs are purposefully dispatched vehicles from outer
space, a conclusion which presupposes the reality of
UFOs. James E. McDonald, University of Arizona atmo-
spheric physicist, after studying the evidence concluded:
"The amount of evidence is overwhelmingly real..the
evidence points to no other acceptable hypothesis than
the extraterrestrial."[17]
In the face of such evidence, and its growing
credibility, the next logical question involves origin.
As will be pointed out in the next chapter, the reality
or UFOs does not necessarily solve the entire riddle,
although proof that they were fabricated devices of
extraterrestrial origin would rather definitely settle
the question of reality.

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CHAPTER III

THE QUESTION OF ORIGIN

Unless there is some degree of acceptance that
UFOs are real, the question of origin is hardly de-
serving of discussion. For if UFOs could be written
off as figments of the human imagination or some
natural phenomenon of the earth's atmosphere, such
conclusions would forego the necessity of any further
examination. As it is however, the evidence has
grown and gained enough credence to suggest that the
matter or origin should be addressed seriously.
The very question of origin has probably been
a stumbling block to an objective view of the evi-
dence. This is true because even any tentative ac-
ceptance about the material existence or UFOs raises
the equally difficult tasks of facing the alternatives
of origin. Some of these, as the later discussions
will show, are amenable in the scientific world while
others are quite controversial.
With contrast to the general acceptability re-
garding origin, the categorical placement or definition

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of alternatives is somewhat more straight forward.
Alternatives in the simplest terms are that UFOs
originate either from this planet or elsewhere
(terrestrial or extraterrestrial, respectively).
However, the latter category as infinitely larger
than the first; thus for the purpose or this thesis,
the classification of extraterrestrial is subdivided
into interplanetary and extrasolar sources.
The possibility that UFOs originate right on
our own planet will be considered first. This classi-
fication probably has the widest and most immediate de-
gree of acceptance. When even the severest critic is
impressed by the evidence and tends to concede the
reality of UFOs, the first reaction is apt to be that
the objects are some secret but earthly hardware de-
velopment.[1] It is surely evident that space activities
have generated reports that were later shown to be
missile tests, satellite reentry after orbit decay,
advanced conventional aircraft and so on. Yet, there
are several arguments against the theory that UFOs
are secret devices from our own planet. First, it
would seem that the lengthy record of UFO sightings
would cast doubt on such a theory. Whatever country

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or countries making such a mysterious and impressive
development should hardly test it for so long, with
out some practical applications which would remove
the shroud of secrecy. But the strongest argument
against earthly origin involves the broad scattering
of UFO reports. [2] As mentioned in Chapter I, the
phenomenon of UFOs is worldwide, although certain
parts of the world have had the so called flying
saucer waves which come and go, Ir the UFOs were an
advanced technological development of some country,
testing would not logically include so many areas of
the globe; rather, testing--or any operation for that
matter--would most likely be confined to the country
itself, in a specific area. Global operations as
represented by UFO sightings would be a careless
gesture, regardless of the basic intentions. While
the UFO may well represent a quantum jump in techno-
logy, there would be some risk in operating such craft
in foreign air space. The device could malfunction
or fall victim to disabling attacks from conventional
weapons, allowing capture. The most likely candidates
for developing an advanced vehicle resembling UFOs are
the Soviet Union and the United States. Yet it seems
highly unlikely that either country could for so long

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possess an advanced and superior flight system without
some reflection or it in the terms or national policy.
From a somewhat prejudiced point of view, this would
seem especially true when speaking of the Soviet Union,
for it has not been their practice to withhold or play
down the potential of hardware developments that might
offer a military advantage. To the contrary, such
things as Soviet ICBMs, for example, were seemingly
well advertised by that nation. Of greater importance
perhaps is the Russian view or the UFO situation as
of late, There are persuasive clues to indicate that
the Soviets have recently undertaken a serious scientific
study of UFOs, (This may or may not be a simple co-
incidence to the U.S. Government's greater UFO in-
terest manifested by the study by the University of
Colorado.) Such studies, along with other inferences,
very sharply diminish the likelihood that the U.S.S.R.
is the point of origin. The same reasoning more or
less applies to the United States. To believe that
UFOs are the products of U.S. technology, stretches
the imagination more than a little. If so, never
before has there been a secret so well kept for so long.
Most convincing perhaps is the interest stressed by
members of Congress. Some members long ago demanded
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repeatedly that formal UFO investigations were in
order.[4] It seems unlikely then that Congressmen
along with other high officials in government would
be unaware or any advanced craft which could account
for UFO activity. Finally, the most telling argument
against terrestrial origin is rather well expressed
in a statement by Major Donald E. Kehoe, USMC (Retired),
Director of NICAP, and author or several books about
UFOs: "If the Soviet Union or the United States had
'these things' they would scarcely be fooling around
with the crude objects they are now putting into space,"
If UFOs are not from this world, what about the
possibility of interplanetary origin, i.e., from other
planets in our solar system? "Solar system", used here
in the traditional sense, refers to the earth, the
eight other planets, the sun--around which the planets
orbit--and the natural satellites orbiting the planets.
The discussion here obviously excludes our own planet
as a point of origin, because that has already been
discussed.
In many ways, the proposition of interplanetary
origin has certain appeal. For one thing the distances
from earth are plausible for space travel as we under-
stand it, For another, our own programs in space lend

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reality to the whole idea: The U,S. has sent space
probes to both Mars and Venus. This surely sharpens
the receptivity or the idea that the other planets
could reciprocate, not only with probes but eventually
with manned interplanetary vehicles. The current U. S.
technology certainly envisions such interplanetary
travel, if not something more ambitious. As early as
1962, the mission or the U. S. National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) was formally revised
to include "the search for extraterrestrial life." [6]
Note that extrasolar searches are not excluded although
the "state or the art" on Earth almost surely excludes
for the time being any ventures outside the planets
around our own sun.
As promising as our technology may be for ex-
ploration of the solar system, the knowledge already
accumulated is somewhat discouraging about the existence
of life on neighboring planets, particularly intelligent
life capable of launching interplanetary vehicles to the
earth. Mars and Venus are generally considered as the
only likely candidates on which some forms of life
could exist. Since these are the closest planets to
the earth, their observation by astronomers has allowed
fairly persuasive predictions as to their ability to
support life.

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While Venus is the closer of the two, its sur-
face is shrouded by what appears to be clouds. Com-
pounding the difficulty in viewing Venus is its orbit
inside that of the earth. In other words, when it is
closest to Earth we see the dark side; only when it is
quite far away in orbit does the planet appear "full."
Despite these difficulties in making observations,
scientists for some time had postulated that Venus was
a hot (around 500 F.), inhospitable planet, enveloped
by a dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide. In mid-
October 1967, the earlier determinations were confirmed
when the U. S 's Mariner 5 space probe transmitting
data back to Earth passed within 2,500 miles of the
planet's surface.[7] While such data would certainly
diminish the likelihood of any past or present life
on Venus, detection of hydrogen and some nitrogen
brought up new speculation. The atmospheric mixtures
are hauntingly similar to that of the earth several
billion years ago.[8] Does this mean that Venus is
evolving more slowly but otherwise the same as the
earth did? Whatever Venus might become someday is
outside the discussion here, but the implications
are relevant to discussions later about life on extra-
solar planets.

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Although farther away than Venus, slightly smaller
Mars is a better subject for observation. With an orbit
outside the earth's, it never obscures its illuminated
side; thus when Mars is in the closest approach to the
earth, it appears full. Equally important, the tenuous
atmosphere of Mars can hardly obscure the surface from
observation by earthbound astronomers. But with all the
advantages in observing Mars, the basic question of life
will probably remain doubtful until man personally ex-
plores the surface. Photographs taken of Mars, in July
1965 and transmitted back to Earth by the U. S.'s
Mariner 4 probe have created doubt about the existence
of "canals" on the surface;[9] of course, only a small
fraction of the surface was photographed. The so-
called "canals" as reported by astronomers in the late
1800's could serve as a strong argument supporting the
theory of intelligent life. Even earlier, several
essential features were discovered; white caps appear-
ing on either pole depending on the season, and alter-
ations in color from season to season.[10] The Martian
atmosphere is believed to be only a fraction as dense
as the earth's and contains very small quantities of
water vapor. The reasoning followed that the "canals"
necessarily provided water from the polar regions of

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Mars to the arid, desert-like areas in the lower
latitudes.
Furthermore, it could be contended that the geo-
metric design of the "canals" meant massive construction
by an advanced civilization. But as astronomers gained
increasing knowledge of the planet and or the likely
requirements for life, they became increasingly more
skeptical of the proposition of "canals"; besides,
only a few notable astronomers persisted in observing
the canals clearly.[11] Thus today, many astronomers hold
little hope of finding intelligent life on Mars. Many
feel that simple forms of plant life may well prevail;[12]
others have not entirely ruled out the existence of
intelligent life ,
If UFOs were from Mars or Venus--despite the dis-
couraging surface conditions--there would be advantage-
ous times, or locations in their respective orbits,
to launch space probes or manned interplanetary vehicles.
These optimum times correspond to planetary positions
where a spacecraft can be launched so that it will
travel along a minimum-energy path. The U. S. Mariner
launches were obviously planned to take place during
favorable times. Likewise it would be logical to

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predict that vehicles from either Mars or Venus would
be launched according to this principle, although the
calendar dates would be different from optimum launch
periods for objects from Earth to those planets. In
any case, the favorable launch times from the two
planets can be and have been computed, arrival time
at Earth estimated, and the results compared with UFO
activity. The findings revealed that there was a
poor correlation, adding to the other discouraging
evidence.[13]
In summary, the possible points or UFO origin were
categorized. These, in the broadest sense are inter-
solar or extrasolar; the former is subdivided into
terrestrial and interplanetary, and both were dis-
cussed in this chapter. The case for terrestrial
origin of UFOs, while maybe the easiest to accept,
is confronted by several obstacles: the wide scatter-
ing of UFO sightings, the longevity or the phenomena,
and the indication that both the U. S. and the Soviet
Union--the countries most likely to achieve a scienti-
fic breakthrough--have undertaken government financed
UFO investigations. :
Examination of whether UFOs originate from other
planets in the solar system was approached by assessing

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the features or the planets. In turn, these features
were discussed in view or the probability of certain
planets being able to sustain the higher forms of life.
As was shown, Mars is the only other planet with con-
ditions reasonably conducive to life as we know it.
However, further discussions indicated a greatly dimin-
ishing likelihood of any life except that of simple
plants. Additionally, UFO sighting trends relate poorly
to predictable arrival on Earth of any interplanetary
trips from either planet. Thus the prospect that UFOs,
if real, originate in our Solar System is quite dis-
couraging, although it cannot be definitely excluded.
What about points of origin outside the solar system?
This will be dealt with next.

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CHAPTER IV

LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE

The question which arises next has to do with
probable origination of UFOs from outside the solar
system. It might be contended, on the basis of data
in earlier chapters, that UFOs "had to be" extra-
solar; however, all possibilities of closer points
of origin were not by any means eliminated. Along
with those earlier discussions, that surely tend to
indicate extrasolar origin, the intent here is to
assess such a hypothesis from another viewpoint,
Specifically, this viewpoint deals with the likelihood
of the development and existence of intelligent life
on planets of other stars in our own galaxy, the Milky
Way. For if highly developed beings are fairly common-
place in the galaxy, it could be reasoned that their
technology could be greatly in advance of anything on
Earth, and capable of staggering achievements, space
travel notwithstanding.
Attempting to predict the occurrence of an in-
telligent life in the galaxy, or for that matter the

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existence of suitable planets, is quite speculative
for several reasons. First, man has had no oppor-
tunity to study first hand any forms of life that
may exist on other worlds, including those which
may exist in our own solar system; hence, our
understanding of biological life may be rather
constrained. Secondly, given that such life may
well exist, estimation or the eventual technological
capabilities seems impossibly difficult, and bounded
only by the imagination. Neverthe
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