GEIPAN
Study and Information Group on Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena | |
| Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | GEIPAN |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1977 |
| Founder | Claude Poher |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Location |
|
| Leader | Frederic Courtade |
Key people | Yves Sillard |
Parent organization | French Space Agency |
| Website | geipan |
Formerly called | GEPAN, SEPRA |
GEIPAN (an acronym in French for Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés, or Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon Research and Information Group) (/ɡaɪˈpɑːn/) is a unit of the French space agency CNES based in Toulouse, whose brief is to investigate unidentified aerospace phenomena (UAP)[1] and make its findings available to the public.
History and developments
[edit]GEIPAN was founded in 1977 as GEPAN (Groupe d'Étude des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés, Study Group for Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena). Claude Poher was the inaugural director, under the permission[clarify] of then director general of CNES Yves Sillard.
GEPAN was renamed to SEPRA (Service d'Expertise des Phénomènes de Rentrée Atmosphérique, Atmospheric Re-entry Phenomena Expertise Department) in 1988,[2] and then to Service d'Expertise des Phénomènes Rares Aérospatiaux ("rare aerospace phenomena expertise department") in 2000.[citation needed] In 2005, the research unit was renamed to GEIPAN.[2]
The French Gendarmerie was instructed to channel data from reports of UFO sightings to SEPRA, which therefore was in a position to draw on a large database of such events. In cases where physical traces appeared to be present, SEPRA could call on the technical resources of CNES to perform a thorough scientific investigation. A famous example of such an investigation was the Trans-en-Provence Case.
In March 2007, GEIPAN started to make its archives available online to the public. The same year, French skeptics criticized the quality of their investigative work, arguing the sightings were too quickly filed as unidentified.[3] On March 26, 2007, the CNES' own report said that 28% of sightings remain unidentified.[4]
More recent reports of GEIPAN estimate the unidentified sightings at around 3%.[5][6]
Directors
[edit]GEPAN period
[edit]- 1977 - 1978 Claude Poher
- 1979 - 1983 Alain Esterle
- 1984 - 1988 Jean-Jacques Velasco[2]
SEPRA period
[edit]- 1988 - 2004 Jean-Jacques Velasco[2]
GEIPAN period
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ GEIPAN is clearly focused on UFO study, but UAP (PAN in french) is meant to cover a much broader area than UFO (OVNI in french) as UFO may imply the presence of a physical object despite any actual evidence of it.
- ^ a b c d Kreidler, Marc (2009). "UFOs: an Assessment of Thirty Years of Official Studies in France" (PDF). Skeptical Inquirer.
- ^ Rossoni, D., Maillot, E., & Déguillaume, E. (2007). Les ovnis du CNES – 30 ans d’études officielles. www.book-e-book.com. (extracts from the book in French) Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. Critical skeptical investigations of GEPAN's work.
- ^ CNES report, March 26, 2007
- ^ Costes, Vincent (2022-11-03). "Ovnis : comment travaillent les scientifiques pour étudier les phénomènes aérospatiaux non identifiés". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ "Geipan | GEIPAN". www.cnes-geipan.fr. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ "Nomination au GEIPAN: Xavier PASSOT | GEIPAN". www.cnes-geipan.fr.
- ^ "Interview de Jean-Paul Aguttes, du Geipan : « L'extraterrestre fait partie du job »". Ciel & Espace (in French).
- ^ @NatGeoFrance (2021-09-22). "Qui se cache derrière le GEIPAN, le « bureau des ovnis » en France ?". National Geographic (in French).
- ^ Friscourt, Baptiste (2024-04-24). "The New Director of GEIPAN, France's Official UAP Investigative Office, Discusses Science and the Study of Aerial Mysteries". The Debrief.
External links
[edit]- (in French) GEIPAN official site
- Goals and history of GEIPAN on the CNES website.
- From GEPAN to SEPRA: Official UFO studies in France (International UFO Review, winter 2000–2001), the earlier years of GEIPAN related by Gildas Bourdais.
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