The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has put in doubt one of the most popular so-called unidentified flying object (UFO) videos captured by the US military. The 'GOFAST' infrared video had been filmed by American Navy fighter pilots off the coast of the Atlantic back in January 2015.
New analysis “reveals a less extraordinary interpretation” of the sighting, according to an advisory report released on 14 September 14, suggesting that the 'GOFAST UFO' was “most likely” just a conventional object “drifting with the wind”.
'Wind Drift' Error?
NASA had commissioned an independent study team back in June 2022 to examine the UAP events that did not appear to be "natural phenomena" or aircraft "from a scientific perspective". These experts have now claimed that the so-called UFO's possible “wind drift” had not been taken into consideration as wind-speed data was released from the time of the 'GOFAST' phenomena sighting.
In September 2019, Joseph Gradisher, a spokesman for the deputy chief of Naval Operations, confirmed for the first time that three videos possibly showing “Tic-Tac”-shaped UFOs were of an “unauthorised and unidentified” nature.
Last May, one of the members of the new UAP advisory panel, Josh Semeter, director of Boston University's Center for Space Physics, had presented preliminary analysis of the 'GOFAST' footage. 'GOFAST' had “probably” been some object carried by a “strong breeze”, it was stated, based on the infrared video's display. Semeter’s calculations suggested the intriguing object had been cruising at close to 40 miles per hour (mph).
“That's a velocity that is consistent with wind speeds at 13,000 feet,” Semeter was cited as saying.
However, the new report stated: "Our calculation has neglected wind effects on the aircraft,” adding that “there is uncertainty in this result”.
The newly released report concluded:
"A well-known UAP event is the 'GoFast' video, recorded by navy aviators from the USS Theodore Roosevelt. A still frame from this video is shown in the figure below, where the infrared camera has locked onto a small object in the center. The video gives an impression of an object skimming above the ocean at a high velocity. But analysis of the numerical information on the display reveals a less extraordinary interpretation."
It was also announced that Mark McInerney is the new director of UAP research.
17 September 2019, 18:55 GMT
The report also acknowledged that "many of NASA's science missions are, at least in part, focused on answering the question of whether life exists beyond Earth". Accordingly, it conceded that, "searching for signs of alien technology is a natural extension of those investigations ... If we recognize the plausibility of any of these, then we should recognize that all are at least plausible".
However, since the report was released, an array of sceptics have cited computer simulations, claiming that irrespective of the “wind” issue, “open questions remain” regarding 'GOFAST'.