Overview
In the latest episode of the Psicoactivo Podcast, host Pavel Ibarra reported that a former NASA developer has independently confirmed a central finding of Dr. Beatriz Villarroel’s VASCO (Vanishing & Appearing Sources Constantly) project. The discussion centered on a new paper by Ivo Busko, a retired NASA engineer, who re‑examined archival photographic plates from the Hamburg Observatory dating to the mid‑1950s. Busko’s analysis uncovered transient flashes that mirror those identified by Villarroel’s team in the Palomar Sky Survey, suggesting the presence of fast, sub‑second optical events in low Earth orbit well before the launch of Sputnik in 1957.
Independent Scientific Corroboration
Busko’s study, titled “Searching for Fast Astronomical Transients in Archival Photographic Plates,” applied modern image‑processing techniques to over 2,000 glass plates. He reported independent validation of the VASCO transients, noting that the events exhibited a “systematically narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM)” compared with typical stellar point‑spread functions. In his abstract Busko wrote, “These flashes are consistent with sub‑second optical emissions from flat, rotating objects in orbit around Earth.” The paper concludes that such signatures are best explained by rapid, artificial‑looking sources rather than conventional meteoritic or atmospheric phenomena. Dr. Villarroel responded on Twitter, emphasizing, “I hope more astronomers will follow this lead and replicate the search,” underscoring the importance of independent verification in a field often plagued by data scarcity.
Response from Researchers and Community Challenges
The podcast also addressed the broader climate in which UAP‑related research operates. Ibarra highlighted what he described as “surveillance and attacks” directed at Villarroel and her collaborators since the VASCO results first appeared. He warned listeners about “wolves in sheep’s clothing”—individuals who present themselves as allies but actively hinder rigorous investigation. An anecdote recounted a European scientist who captured UAP photographs during high‑altitude flights, only to encounter “dismissals and roadblocks” when attempting to share the data with established UAP‑friendly institutions. While these claims remain anecdotal, they illustrate the perceived institutional resistance that many researchers report when probing anomalous phenomena.
Wider UAP Context and Official Skepticism
The episode placed the new scientific corroboration within the ongoing debate over the U.S. government’s forthcoming UFO dossier. Robert Bigelow, founder of the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Research Center, expressed skepticism about the depth of the “Trump‑era” file, stating, “We should not expect the release to contain the full technical detail that the scientific community needs.” Concurrently, former Navy pilots recounted a recent encounter in which a “massive
