About
The UAP Archive is an open research compendium tracking unidentified aerial phenomena incidents, government programs, key figures, and media from 1561 to the present. Every entry is sourced from primary documents, official reports, and peer-reviewed literature.
Source Taxonomy
Declassified Archives
- U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (NARA)
- UK National Archives (MoD UFO files release)
- GEIPAN — French space-agency case database
- Brazilian National Archives — Operation Prato / Sioani
- CIA CREST Library (Freedom of Information Act releases)
Official Reports
- University of Colorado Condon Committee Report (1968)
- COMETA Report — French defence analysis (1999)
- DoD / ODNI Preliminary Assessment (June 2021)
- AARO Historical Record Reports (2023–2025)
- NASA UAP Independent Study Team (2023)
Congressional Records
- House Oversight Subcommittee hearing (July 2023)
- Senate Armed Services / Intelligence testimonies
- Senate AARO hearing (January 2026)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act drafts
- Legislative text for PURSUE Act (2026)
Standard Reference Literature
- Hynek, J. Allen — The UFO Experience (1972)
- Swords, Michael — UFOs and Government (2012)
- Kean, Leslie — UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record (2010)
- Pope, Nick — Open Skies, Closed Minds (1996)
- Journal of Scientific Exploration & peer-reviewed analyses
Status Legend
Each incident is tagged with an evidence-derived status bucket. These reflect the conclusion reached by the primary investigation, not the archive's editorial opinion.
Investigations produced no conventional identification. The phenomenon remains unresolved after all available evidence was reviewed.
A conventional explanation (e.g. balloon, aircraft, astronomical object, psychological phenomenon) was confirmed by the investigating body.
Competing explanations exist; official conclusions were challenged by witnesses, researchers, or subsequent data.
Documented fabrication or misidentification exposed by investigation. Retained in the archive as a media-literacy benchmark.
Unexplained means investigations produced no conventional identification — not confirmation of exotic origin. No entry in this archive should be read as proof of non-human intelligence or technology.
Hoaxes are retained deliberately. They serve as media-literacy benchmarks: understanding how misinformation propagates is as instructive as studying genuine unknowns.
Publisher
The UAP Archive is published, curated and edited by Dmitry Shteyn in Dallas, Texas. Dmitry does not author the historical incidents catalogued here — he organises, verifies and preserves the public record with clear attribution to original sources under a documented editorial policy.
Last Updated — July 2026
This snapshot reflects developments through mid-2026, including:
- The September 2025 House Oversight subcommittee hearing on UAP transparency and whistleblower protections.
- The January 2026 Senate Armed Services hearing on AARO's historical-record progress and outstanding case closures.
- The 2026 release of materials under the PURSUE Act (Provision for Unidentified Research, Safety, and Understanding in the Environment), establishing a statutory framework for UAP data access.
Archive version 1.0 · Compiled from 200+ primary sources
Frequently asked questions about the archive
What counts as unexplained?
- A case is tagged unexplained when the primary investigating body (military, government agency, academic panel) closed the file without identifying a conventional cause. It reflects an investigation outcome — not a claim of exotic origin. Roughly 140 of 200 archived cases fall in this bucket.
Where does the data come from?
- Every entry cites primary sources: declassified files from NARA, UK National Archives, GEIPAN and Brazilian National Archives; official reports from Condon, COMETA, ODNI and AARO; congressional records; and standard peer-reviewed reference literature. Sources are listed on each case file.
Are hoaxes included?
- Yes, deliberately. Six documented hoaxes are retained and clearly labeled `hoax_debunked`. They serve as media-literacy benchmarks — understanding how misinformation propagates in this field is as instructive for source evaluation as studying genuine unknowns.
How current is the archive?
- Last updated July 2026. The current version includes the September 2025 House Oversight hearing on UAP transparency, the January 2026 Senate Armed Services AARO hearing, and materials released under the 2026 PURSUE Act statutory framework.
Does the archive take a position on extraterrestrial origin?
- No. The archive documents what was reported, what was investigated, and what conclusion (if any) the investigation reached. It takes no editorial position on causation. Readers are invited to review the sources cited on each case file and reach their own conclusions.