Officials from the Pentagon and Harvard University in the U.S. suggest that extraterrestrial ‘probe ships’ might be visiting Earth from a nearby ‘mothership.’

According to Politico, government officials discussing the possibility of extraterrestrial life, especially those involved in intelligence-gathering efforts on recent unidentified flying objects (UFOs), is unusual.

Is it Alien Probe Craft?

Earlier, Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Pentagon’s Office of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Professor Avi Loeb from Harvard wrote: “Objects—seemingly challenging the laws of physics—might be ‘probe devices’ from an alien ‘mothership.'”

Their five-page study gained prominence in the scientific community after being cited in the U.S. Military Times.

Experts note that Kirkpatrick’s involvement in the academic paper signifies the Pentagon’s openness to scientific debate on the origins of UFOs.

The article explains that objects like “Oumuamua” (a cigar-shaped object discovered flying through the galaxy in 2017) “could potentially be a mothership releasing multiple smaller probes as it moves closer to Earth.”

Officials believe these ‘probe crafts’ might use starlight for ‘charging’ and Earth’s water as fuel. They speculate about the propulsion system enabling aliens to send probes to Earth.

However, the authors admit uncertainty about whether any probe crafts are currently active near Earth.

Scientific Debate

Nevertheless, the study faced criticism within the scientific community.

Alejandro Rojas from Enigma Labs, a startup using machine learning to investigate UFO data, commented: “It seems like the Department of Defense is endorsing some truly unfounded ideas.”

Meanwhile, David Jewitt, an astronomy professor at UCLA, stated that some claims in the paper are “highly suspicious.”

However, others argue that the U.S. Defense should explore all possibilities, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand noted the respectability of both authors in their fields: Kirkpatrick as an expert in “science and engineering intelligence,” and Loeb as the author of hundreds of scientific papers on astrophysics and cosmology. She highlighted their seriousness in scientific work.

“The stigma around this discussion might prevent the military from better understanding potential threats to our airspace or risks from our adversaries,” emphasized Gillibrand.

The U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comments on the article.

In 2022, the U.S. Congress established AARO (Anomaly and Aerial Reconnaissance Office) at the Pentagon to replace the Navy’s UFO-hunting task force.

Kirkpatrick, a respected scientist and intelligence expert, with over two decades of research in physics and working in defense intelligence, is also a member of the White House’s Science and Technology Advisory Council.