---
title: "NASA chief Jared Isaacman says he wants to remain open-minded about UFOs"
url: "https://usubjects.com/article/nasa-chief-jared-isaacman-says-he-wants-to-remain-open-minded-about-ufos-3978"
updated: "2026-10-05T16:15:14.944Z"
description: "NASA chief Jared Isaacman said he wants to remain open-minded about UFOs. He added that if any sightings were confirmed to involve extraterrestrial life, NASA should be involved."
sources: ["https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/nasa-chief-jared-isaacman-wants-to-stay-open-minded-about-ufos-if-its-aliens-i-think-nasa-should-have-a-seat-at-the-table"]
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# NASA chief Jared Isaacman says he wants to remain open-minded about UFOs

Published: 2026-10-05  
Source: [Google News](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/nasa-chief-jared-isaacman-wants-to-stay-open-minded-about-ufos-if-its-aliens-i-think-nasa-should-have-a-seat-at-the-table)

### Overview

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says he wants the agency to remain **open-minded about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)** while avoiding premature conclusions about their origins. In a recent interview with NewsNation’s Blake Burman, Isaacman said that if any UAP sightings were ultimately confirmed to involve extraterrestrial life, NASA should be directly involved in investigating them.

“My position going into every one of these: one, be open-minded,” Isaacman said in the interview, which aired Sept. 25. “It is kind of our job to go out and try to answer the question ‘are we alone?’ And I said look, if it’s aliens, I think NASA should have a seat at the table in this for sure.”

UAP is now used as a broader term for objects or events that cannot immediately be identified in the sky, oceans or space. The designation has increasingly replaced “UFO” in official discussions, in part because it does not assume that an observation involves a spacecraft or technology.

### Possible Explanations

Isaacman emphasized that extraterrestrial origins are only one possibility. Asked whether reported objects might be alien spacecraft, military technology or something else, he said he would “lean toward” either a natural phenomenon or an advanced technology being tested by a U.S. adversary.

“I also think there’s a good chance that there could be a Sputnik Moment that’s happening and people are testing new stealthy or next generation type tech,” Isaacman said.

His reference to a “Sputnik Moment” evokes the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. The achievement intensified Cold War concerns in the United States and prompted increased investment in space and missile technology. Isaacman compared the recent rise in UAP reports to the uncertainty surrounding that period, suggesting that some unexplained observations could reflect **a strategic breakthrough by a rival nation** rather than visitors from beyond Earth.

### NASA’s Role

Isaacman said NASA has already had “a seat at the table” as the federal government examines UAP reports and related records. His comments followed President Donald Trump’s call earlier this year for the release of UFO and UAP files, an effort now identified as the **Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters**, or PURSUE.

The agency’s traditional mission includes studying the origins of life and assessing whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. That scientific mandate, Isaacman suggested, makes NASA a natural participant if evidence emerges linking UAP to extraterrestrial biology or technology. However, his remarks did not amount to a claim that NASA has found evidence of aliens.

### Need for Evidence

Reports from military personnel and videos released publicly have drawn attention because some objects appear to display unusual movement or flight characteristics. Yet unidentified does not necessarily mean extraterrestrial. Analysts have repeatedly noted that incomplete sensor data, optical effects, atmospheric conditions, classified aircraft and ordinary objects can all complicate efforts to identify an observation.

Isaacman’s position therefore combines **scientific curiosity with strategic caution**. He said the possibilities include natural phenomena, foreign technology and—without ruling it out—extraterrestrial activity. Determining which explanation is correct, he indicated, will require better data, rigorous analysis and cooperation among government agencies rather than speculation alone.

## Provenance

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