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If the whole-of-government framework to understanding UAP–with NASA playing a crucial role–were to implement the preponderance of steps prescribed above, then the panel regards placing physical constraints on UAP, together with the suite of plausible natures and origins, as being within reach. If all unidentified events move at conventional speeds and accelerations, this likely points towards a conventional explanation for these events. Convincing evidence of verified anomalous accelerations and velocity would point towards potentially novel explanations for UAP.

6 What civilian airspace data related to UAPs have been collected by government agencies and are available for analysis to a) inform efforts to better understand the nature and origins of UAPs, and b) determine the risk of UAPs to the National Air Space (NAS)?

Government agencies, including the FAA, gather civilian airspace data that can be analyzed to probe for UAP. These data include information obtained from air traffic control towers and radar systems. However it is essential to note that such data are not always optimized or suitable for rigorous scientific analysis of UAP. The observations almost always happen incidentally using instruments not specifically designed for detecting objects; furthermore, crucial contextual information in the form of metadata is often missing. Although civilian airspace data has been used by AARO to assist with the analysis of isolated UAP cases, the broad corpus of such data is unlikely to yield a global understanding of the size, movement, or nature of UAP.

Furthermore, at present, there is no standardized Federal system for making civilian UAP reports. While AARO is establishing a systematic mechanism for military and intelligence community UAP reports, current FAA guidelines instruct citizens wanting to report UAP to contact local law enforcement or one or more non-governmental organizations. As a result, the collection of data is sparse, unsystematic, and lacks any curation or vetting protocols.

Here, once more, NASA can provide important assistance to the whole-of-government effort to understand UAP. With its world-leading expertise in data curation and organization, NASA is well-positioned to advise on the best methodologies for establishing repositories of civilian airspace data.

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