An account in Washington, DC

STATEMENT OF MICHAEL GOLD FORMER NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR SPACE POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS AND MEMBER OF NASA UAP INDEPENDENT STUDY TEAM Mr. GOLD. Thank you, Chairman Mace, Chairman Grothman, Ranking Members Connolly and Garcia, Representative Moskowitz, and distinguished Members of both Subcommittees. I am grateful to all of you, as well as your intrepid staff, for the opportunity to testify and would like to begin by discussing courage. Courage is what it takes to tackle this topic, and courage, in the face of adversity, is what I see in front of me, beside me, and behind me. Per my introduction, I am currently the Chief Growth Officer at Redwire Space and have had several leadership positions at NASA. That being said, I want to be clear that I am speaking exclusively on my own behalf and not for Redwire, NASA, or any other organization. However, I am here today to speak out for science. Science requires data, which should be collected without bias or prejudice. Yet, whenever the topic of UAP arises, those who wish to explore the phenomenon are often confronted with resistance and ridicule. For example, members of the NASA UAP independent study team, particularly those in academia, were mocked and even threatened for simply having the temerity to engage in the study of UAP. Our best tool for unlocking the mystery of UAP is science, but we cannot conduct a proper inquiry if the stigma is so overwhelming that just daring to be part of a NASA research team elicits such a vitriolic response. Therefore, one of most important actions that can be taken relative to exposing the truth of UAP is to combat the stigma, and this is where I believe that NASA can be imminently helpful. The NASA brand is synonymous with hope, optimism, and credibility. If you were to take a walk down to National Mall, you would immediately see the NASA logo on T-shirts, hats, and bumper stickers. Few Federal agencies enjoy this kind of popularity. I have never seen anyone wearing an Office of Personnel Management T- shirt, which is why NASA could play such an influential role. Specifically, NASA could, with relatively little cost and effort, host symposia on UAP or even just participate in existing panels examining the topic. NASA personnel stepping forward and participating in such discussions would make a powerful statement to the scientific community that UAP should be taken seriously and researched accordingly. In regard to research, NASA has vast archives, much of which may contain important UAP data. Again, for relatively little cost and effort, NASA could create an AI or ML algorithm that could search the agency’s archives for anomalous phenomena. I suspect that such an effort would not only result in information that will help us to understand UAP but could result in data that will assist in other areas of scientific inquiry, such as anomalous weather or meteorite activity. Beyond its existing archives, NASA could act as a clearinghouse for civilian and commercial UAP data. 17 During my work on the UAP independent study team, it quickly became evident that there is no clear or well-publicized process for civilian pilots to report UAP sightings. The stigma associated with UAP hampers the number of pilots that would report such phenomena, but even for those who overcome the stigma, I believe the current FAA guidance is largely unknown and poorly understood. In order to effectively collect UAP data, the independent study team recommended the use of NASA’s aviation safety reporting system, or ASRS. The system, which is administered by NASA and funded by the FAA, provides a confidential means for reporting of safety violations in a voluntary and nonpunitive manner. Over 47 years, the ASRS has collected nearly 2 million reports. ASRS is the perfect tool to collect UAP data, which could then be collated by NASA and shared with the public at-large. Leveraging ASRS could create a treasure trove of UAP data, potentially hundreds of thousands of reports supporting this hearing’s goal of exposing the truth. I am grateful to our two co-Chairs and other Members who have already incorporated this idea into proposed legislation. At this hearing, as others have demonstrated, the UAP issue is justifiably dominated by national security and defense. However, I would urge the Subcommittees to keep in mind the numerous ways that NASA and the FAA, as well as commercial activities in the air, in space, and in the water can generate a massive amount of invaluable data on anomalous phenomena. I cannot help but be excited by the potential for such an endeavor since scientific discovery is driven by anomalies. It is the existence and study of anomalies that led to the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and nearly all of humanity’s scientific breakthroughs. This is why the study of UAPs should be embraced since, whatever is occurring, the chance to garner new knowledge, should never be ignored. We must be thorough in collecting information, fearless in making conclusions, and open to following the data no matter how mundane or extraordinary the results may be. I began this testimony by praising the joint Subcommittee Members for their courage, and I will end by echoing that sentiment. As the saying goes, the truth is out there. We just need to be bold enough and brave enough to face it. Thank you.