Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) begins
2007 – 2012 · Washington, DC (DIA) · Government program · Secondary sources only
According to reporting, a small Pentagon program that began in 2007 at the urging of then-Senator Harry Reid spent about $22 million, most of it through Bigelow Aerospace, on studying anomalous aerospace threats. The Pentagon says it ended in 2012.
Why it matters (3/5)
Program whose public revelation drove later changes; its details remain disputed.
Caveats
Public details come from press reporting and participants' statements. Whether AATIP and a related contract effort (AAWSAP) are the same program, who led it, and what it produced are disputed. Critics describe it as mainly a funding channel to a contractor.
Sources
- Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (The New York Times), context
- The UFO Legend of Unknown Metal Alloys Housed in a Secret Las Vegas Warehouse (The Black Vault), criticism
- How a Multimedia Entertainment Company Created a UFO News Story (Skeptic), criticism