1994 08 00 OMNI - Stacy - Cosmic Conspiracy - Article 5 of 6

Magazine Overview

This document is the fifth part of a six-part series titled "COSMIC CONSPIRACY: SIX DECADES OF GOVERNMENT UFO COVER-UPS" published in OMNI magazine. The article, written by Dennis Stacy and Patrick Huyghe, with illustrations by Bruce Jensen, focuses on the 1980s and the role of government secrecy and military satellite technology in UFO investigations.

The 1980s and Military Satellites

The article begins by describing the capabilities of supersecret military satellites, positioned 22,300 miles above Earth, which monitor for missile launches and nuclear detonations. These satellites also detect other heat sources, including unexplained phenomena. Since 1985, this data has been beamed to the U.S. Space Command's Missile Warning Center. While most of this information has been a guarded national secret, in 1993, the Defense Department declassified some satellite data not related to ICBM launches or nuclear events, opening it up to scientific scrutiny.

UFOlogists, long frustrated by the question, "If UFOs are real, why haven't they been detected by our satellites?", now believe they have an answer. With access to sophisticated space data, they hope to find concrete proof of UFOs. The article highlights the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites as a key technology, with their heat, light, and infrared sensors potentially detecting moving targets, some of which were reportedly given the code name "Fast Walker."

The "Fast Walker" Phenomenon

Ron Regehr, who worked on DSP sensor systems, explains that the satellites are highly sensitive. He points to an incident in September 1976 near Teheran, where a UFO was tracked. He suggests that DSP satellites of that era should have been able to detect such an event. The sheer volume of data generated by DSP satellites, downloaded every ten seconds and stored on magnetic tape, makes monitoring challenging. Technicians visually monitor the data, but only follow up on events matching specific "templates" for missile launches and nuclear explosions.

Edward Tagliaferri, a physicist and consultant to the Aerospace Corporation, notes that the system picks up many infrared events, some of which are real but unknown. He states, "rarely a week goes by that we don't get some kind of infrared source that is real, but unknown. However, once we determine it isn't a threat, our job is done." Tagliaferri and colleagues have analyzed declassified spy satellite data, confirming that between 1975 and 1992, DOD satellites detected 136 upper-atmosphere explosions, some equivalent to the energy of atomic bombs.

Tagliaferri also discusses "flash events" detected by satellites, which are typically seconds-long and attributable to meteorites or small asteroids, estimating their size to be 10 to 50 meters. He warns that governments might mistake these for nuclear bombs, triggering a response. Examples include a large event over Indonesia in April 1988 and another over the Pacific Ocean in October 1990.

Skepticism and Alternative Explanations

Philip J. Klass, a skeptic and avionics editor for Aviation Week and Space Technology, acknowledges that DSP satellites could detect UFOs, but only if they left a significant "plume" like a space shuttle launch, which is not typical for reported UFOs. He suggests that the DSP system's high sensitivity, which led to it being sent back for fine-tuning to eliminate false alarms, might be the reason for detecting unusual events. Klass's best guess for the May 1984 "Fast Walker" event is a classified mission flown by the SR-71 high-altitude Blackbird spyplane, citing its typical altitude and the visibility of its afterburner trail.

Klass also proposes that "Fast Walker" could be a code name for the SR-71 itself or a Soviet counterpart. He concludes that it's unsurprising the air force would want to keep such information secret.

Access to Data and Future Prospects

Captain John Kennedy of the USAF Space Command Center emphasizes the need to protect the technology of the early ICBM launch detection system. He states that declassifying more DSP data is unlikely without significant cleanup, and it's not accessible through the Freedom of Information Act. Even if unknowns are identified as UFOs, the Air Force Space Command is unlikely to readily share the information.

Joe Stefula, a former special agent, has made public a diagram of an infrared event from May 5, 1984, allegedly tracked by a DSP satellite. He claims to have confirmed that the DSP printout for that date shows an event with the same characteristics. According to Stefula's alleged retired military source, "Fast Walkers" are detected two to three times a month and exhibit a curved trajectory, passing close to the satellite platform before disappearing. This event reportedly generated a 300-page internal report, portions of which are classified.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article highlights the ongoing tension between the desire for transparency regarding UFO phenomena and the need for national security and technological secrecy. It showcases the efforts of UFOlogists to leverage declassified military data, while also presenting the cautious and skeptical perspectives of aviation and military experts. The overarching theme is the difficulty in obtaining definitive proof of UFOs due to classification and the sheer volume of data, suggesting that any future revelations might come from internal leaks. The magazine's stance appears to be one of exploring these complex issues, presenting different viewpoints, and encouraging further investigation into the unexplained.