His expectation for the upcoming release? Tempered enthusiasm.
Kirkpatrick has suggested that while the files may contain intriguing cases, people hoping for definitive evidence of alien spacecraft are likely to be disappointed. During his tenure, he said investigations often uncovered more mundane explanations — including misidentified objects, optical effects, or classified human-made technology.
That doesn’t mean the phenomena aren’t interesting. Between mid-2023 and mid-2024, government reporting logged hundreds of new UAP sightings. But “unidentified,” scientists stress, does not automatically mean extraterrestrial.
NASA Scientists: The Universe Is Vast — But Evidence Matters
Federica Bianco, an astrophysicist who served on NASA’s independent UAP study team, believes the broader question of life beyond Earth remains scientifically compelling.
Statistically, she notes, the universe is so enormous that it would be surprising if Earth hosted the only life anywhere. However, she and other researchers emphasize that no publicly reviewed evidence so far demonstrates that UAP sightings violate known laws of physics or require alien explanations.
