Program · 1978 – 1990
Setka ("Net"): Soviet state programme on anomalous phenomena, 1978–1990
Also known as Setka, Сетка, Setka MO, Setka AN
The Soviet Union's state research programme on UFOs and anomalous phenomena. It was split between the Ministry of Defence (Setka MO) and the Academy of Sciences (Setka AN) and ran from 1978 to 1990. Military units were ordered to report sightings, and most reports were traced to rocket and satellite launches and to high-altitude research balloons.
A few cases were investigated urgently because they seemed to affect military units, among them the October 1982 events at a Strategic Rocket Forces division in Ukraine. The programme's two coordinators, Col. Boris Sokolov and Yuli Platov, published its history in the journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2000.
Sources: Platov & Sokolov, Vestnik RAN 70(6), 2000
Facts and claims
- documented After a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission's scientific-technical council in October 1977, two research themes were set up for 1978–1980: "Setka MO" (Ministry of Defence), on anomalous atmospheric and space phenomena and their effect on military equipment and personnel, and "Setka AN" (Academy of Sciences), on their physical nature. The programme then ran without a break for 13 years, until 1990. Source: Platov & Sokolov, "Study of unidentified flying objects in the USSR", Vestnik of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2000
- documented Its coordinators wrote that, despite drawing on the observing capacity of the army and civilian organisations, the programme recorded not one report of a UFO landing, contact with UFO pilots or abduction: "либо гипотеза инопланетного происхождения НЛО несостоятельна". Source: Platov & Sokolov, "Study of unidentified flying objects in the USSR", Vestnik of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2000
Connected files
Documents
- Platov & Sokolov, "Study of unidentified flying objects in the USSR", Vestnik of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2000 (documented in)
Incidents
People
- Boris Sokolov (staff)
- Yuli Platov (staff)