Fifty years after the beginning of human space exploration and the launch of SETI searches, the question whether or not other intelligent extra terrestrial life exists in the universe remains unanswered. However, since the end of the 1940s the belief in the presence of aliens in our environment is a widespread cultural phenomenon due to the hypothesis that the sightings of anomalous aerospace phenomena (popularly called UFO) could potentially represent visits of extra terrestrial spacecrafts.
During the last decades, with the aim of applying scientific rigor to this emotion-rich topic, a few governments, researchers and organizations have conducted some instrumented field studies for proving the existence of the phenomena and the possible presence of probes of extraterrestrial origin on Earth. Despite the failure of these attempts and the current lack of any irrefutable scientific evidence in support of the extra-terrestrial hypothesis, the persistence of UAP reports and the existence of a residue of unexplained cases call for a legitimate consideration of the topic and further study. On a positive side, these past field experiments have both demonstrated the feasibility of applying the scientific method for gathering evidence on and studying anomalous aerospace phenomena, and confirmed their potentially important and proactive role in resolving the UFO enigma, contrary to the simple cataloguing of testimonies of events that have already occurred.
There are improvements that could be made to make future experiments yet more valuable. Similar to the SETI searches that are implemented as "piggy-back" projects alongside astronomical observations, UAP investigations could be undertaken alongside various atmospheric research programmes conducted using scientific equipment. Even if no alien spacecraft is detected, there is still the opportunity to discover some unknown natural phenomenon, valuable in its own right in today’s context of climate change and increasing concern for our natural environment.
Investment and material needed for an effective study programme in future will undoubtedly require the involvement of
various players, perhaps in the form of specific public/private partnerships (e.g. scientists, research centres and
laboratories, associations, universities, and public administration). UAP voluntary organizations simply do not
possess the required technical, human or financial resources to run this level of experimentation and research.
Certainly and as stated by General-Major Brouwer s1SOBEPS, Vague d’OVNI sur la Belgique, 1991,
the dilemma is the following: "How can we identify the nature of these UAP without the engagement of supplementary
resources, although that such identification is the sine qua non criteria for justifying their engagement?
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As the discovery of and contact with other civilizations would be an unparalleled historic event with unimaginable impact on every facet of humanity, It seems only natural that it should be treated as seriously as possible, in a professional manner entirely backed by the Scientific community.