Science Advisor looks skyward

The Chief Science Advisor of Canada wants to get to the bottom of this UFO business.

What happened: The arm’s-length government office has opened an investigation into “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” or “UAPs,” dubbed the “Sky Canada Project.” With the diligence of a first-year university student, it’s thrown together a PowerPoint presentation, and is asking agencies like the RCMP and the Canadian Space Agency to give their input.

  • Reporting to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Science Advisor’s job is to offer impartial findings on scientific issues.

Why it’s happening: Remember the mysterious flying object shot down over Yukon last month? The government still doesn’t know what that was. Even before that, Canada’s biggest ally has been increasingly interested in UAPs because of other military encounters.

Commercial pilots see weird stuff all the time, too. Sky Canada is likely to draw data from Transport Canada records, including reports from Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, and others.

Why it matters: It’s not not about aliens, but Sky Canada isn’t here to prove or deny the existence of extraterrestrial life. Its goal is to transparently gather information about potential national security issues, with the hopes of squashing any blossoming conspiracy theories.

What’s next: The feds will receive an internal report in the fall, with a public version expected in early 2024.