Organization · June 2026
UAP Science Advisory Council
The UAP Science Advisory Council is a panel of scientists announced in June 2026 to bring open scientific analysis to UAP data. It is chaired by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb. According to press reports, it was formed at the request of the White House in coordination with AARO, the ODNI and the FBI, and reports to an interagency UAP Governance Board.
Its members span believers and sceptics. They include Garry Nolan and Tim Gallaudet, the sceptic Michael Shermer, and data scientists from Loeb's Galileo Project, and the council works only with unclassified data. Gallaudet says it has asked for videos and data on cases such as Aguadilla. In October 2026 Loeb and fellow council members Richard Cloete, Omer Eldadi and Michael Shermer co-authored an analysis suggesting that about 8% of the Pentagon's PURSUE sensor videos may show birds. The Governance Board's own charter and membership have not been published.
Sources: Skeptic (15 June 2026) · DefenseScoop (17 June 2026) · American Alchemy interview (Gallaudet) · Loeb on Medium (October 2026)
Facts and claims
- claimed Announced in June 2026 by Avi Loeb, who chairs it. Skeptic reported that it was “formed at the request of the White House and in coordination with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)”, along with the ODNI, the FBI and other agencies. Source: skeptic.com (archived)
- claimed DefenseScoop reported that the council “will report to a higher-level UAP Governance Board” set up by the ODNI with the FBI and DoD, and that Loeb confirmed all data shared with it will be unclassified. Source: defensescoop.com (archived)
- claimed Members named at its launch include Avi Loeb (chair), Tim Gallaudet, Garry Nolan, the sceptic Michael Shermer, Richard Cloete, Omer Eldadi, Devesh Nandal, Peter Skafish, Matthew Szydagis and Jennice Vilhauer. Source: skeptic.com (archived)
- claimed Tim Gallaudet says the council reports to the ODNI, has requested videos and data, and wants to analyse cases such as the 2013 Aguadilla video and a PURSUE report of orbs at a western national-security site. — Tim Gallaudet Source: Top Navy Admiral: “The Ocean is FULL OF UFOs!” at 30:49
- claimed In October 2026 Loeb and council members published an analysis finding that about 8% of the PURSUE sensor videos may show birds. — Avi Loeb Source: avi-loeb.medium.com (archived)
Connected files
News
- Avi Loeb wants sensors at the PURSUE sites where the triangle and the orbs were reported (subject of)
- Loeb's council: more than 8% of PURSUE sensor videos may show birds (subject of)
People
- Avi Loeb (chaired by)
- Garry Nolan (member)
- Tim Gallaudet (member)
Programs
- All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (works with) — Formed at the White House's request in coordination with AARO, the ODNI and the FBI
- PURSUE — Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (analysed) — Council members found about 8% of PURSUE sensor videos may show birds
Videos
- Avi Loeb on NewsNation's The Hill: the PURSUE triangle, and sensors at the sites (23 October 2026) (subject of)
- Top Navy Admiral: “The Ocean is FULL OF UFOs!” (discussed in)
Mentioned in this file
- Galileo Project (Harvard) (Organization)
- Department of War (Department of Defense) (Organization)
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Organization)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (Organization)
More organizations
- NASA
- GEIPAN (CNES, France)
- SRI International
- Japanese Diet parliamentary league for UAP clarification
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Lockheed Martin