97 lines
5.0 KiB
Plaintext
97 lines
5.0 KiB
Plaintext
SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON NASA TAPE OF UFO ENCOUNTER FILE: UFO2345
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This the first in a series of CUFON editorials: 07-JULY-1992
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==========================================================================
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The most talked-about material in UFOlogy so far this year has to be the
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"NASA Tape" first introduced to most of us by Mr. Don Ecker on the June 5,
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1992 Hard Copy Show, and again later on the Larry King Show, June 26, 1992.
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In fact, this tape has completely taken over most discussions on the subject.
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Many theories have been put forward to explain the apparently anomalous
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change of an object's trajectory in the featured portion of the tape. Put
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simply, the explanations fall into two groups:
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(1) the event is normal and can be explained conventionally, and
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(2) a truly anomalous event is shown.
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Mr. Dale Goudie of the UFO Reporting and Information Service points out what
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is perhaps the most important part, certainly a neglected part of the event,
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which can be seen if one continues to track the object as it apparently moves
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out into space. Note that it * AGAIN * changes direction, back towards the
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Earth on yet another trajectory! (This is visible on the Hard Copy segment 3
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minutes, 9 seconds after the start of the segment on NASA tape, when Don
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makes the remark "... propulsion system not made in Detroit.")
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If the first change of direction and speed are the result of the shuttle's
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maneuvering thrusters as some have theorized, what caused the SECOND change
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of trajectory? We believe that this second direction change makes the
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"maneuvering jets" explanation untenable.
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We do not understand why this part of the event has not been discussed. Mr.
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Dale Goudie mentioned the second change of trajectory prior to the Larry King
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Show. during the Laura Lee Show (a Seattle radio call-in show), June 20,
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1992, on which Mr. Don Ecker was the featured guest.
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Mr. James Oberg was positioned opposite Mr. Ecker on the Larry king
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broadcast. Much was made by all participants of Mr. Oberg's association with
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NASA, but no mention was made of his connection to CSCIOP. Mr. Oberg is a
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principal member of the UFO Subcommittee of the Committee on the Scientific
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Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. He has been described as
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"(Phillip) Klass' right hand man." His Air Force career and position at
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NASA's Johnson Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston aside, the close
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relationship with CSCIOP establishes his position re. UFO.
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Also mentioned as being an anomalous object on a different portion of the
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same NASA tape, is the so called "domed disk", which supposedly appeared
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under digital video enhancement. If this is a truly anomalous object showing
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structure, why has this part of the tape not been center stage? Perhaps
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speculation about 'space wars' is more entertaining than mere existence of
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anomalous objects in near earth space?
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We believe that speculation about 'interplanetary wars' or SDI technology
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being brought to bear on 'aliens,' is harmful and futile. There is no frame
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of reference to judge the true velocities or object sizes in the NASA tape,
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much less any information which can support such speculations. We think that
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speculation, of which there is a great deal in the UFO literature and press,
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diverts attention into areas which do nothing to advance understanding of the
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phenomena.
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It is not wrong to speculate (or better to hypothesize and then test the
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hypothesis.) What is wrong, is to present speculations as fact. The UFO
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literature is abounds with unverified, unprovable assertions accepted and
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promulgated as fact. Many UFO books are primarily composed of previously
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published material rehashed. Hence the speculations of others are
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perpetuated as "fact."
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In this case, such a rush of people hungry for any UFO event has produced a
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storm of wide-ranging discussion and controversy in which this tape is now
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mired. It's value as documentation (or "proof", if you like) has been
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reduced to virtually nothing; it has become a non-event.
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Interested people, in these latter days of UFO popularity, rush onto any
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apparently interesting case en masse. Reports of "investigators" and the
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merely interested overrunning supposed "landing sites" and persons brave
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enough to report a close encounter, spark little concern or comment. Many
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good cases are damaged in this manner. It seems that this kind of thing
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happens in many "good" UFO cases; those in which there is valuable factual
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information to be had.
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The tape does, however, remain interesting, and should be investigated and
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whatever provable information which can be developed from it be carefully
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documented.
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Jim Klotz - CUFON SYSOP
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Dale Goudie - CUFON Information Director
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**********************************************
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* THE U.F.O. BBS - http://www.ufobbs.com/ufo *
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********************************************** |