232 NASA appointed a research director to oversee the effort to investigate sightings of unidentified craft, as it takes steps to develop a scientific, evidence-based approach to understanding unexplained events. On Thursday, the agency initially said it wouldn’t name the official, but offered that the person has worked in the position for a while, according to Nicola Fox, NASA’s associate administrator. However, by the end of the day Thursday, NASA backtracked and named the director as Mark McInerney. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the appointment Thursday at a press briefing, soon after the agency released a report on findings from an independent study team about how NASA can better identify UAPs or unidentified anomalous phenomena. The panel recommends creating a systematic reporting framework incorporating greater use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. “This is the first time NASA has taken concrete action to look into UAPs,” Nelson said. McInerney will be responsible for developing and overseeing the implementation of studies into unidentifiable observations of events in the sky, commonly referred to as UFOs. One reason NASA had originally wanted to keep the person’s identity secret was over concerns of threats and harassment, which some panel members experienced about UAP studies, said Dan Evans, NASA’s assistant deputy associate administrator for research. The panel nevertheless said NASA would remain transparent about what it finds in the skies. In an update released Thursday afternoon naming McInerney, NASA clarified that he used to work as a NASA liaison to the Department of Defense — a role that allowed him to cover UAPs in a limited capacity. Nelson said he wanted to dispel the stigma around UAP research and “shift the conversation from sensationalism to science.” You Might Be Interested In Amazon to Introduce Subscription Model for Conversational AI-Powered Alexa Service Stocks making the biggest moves midday: PD, DELL, Tesla, and more Nvidia Eyes Dow Jones After Stock Split Fuels Speculation Honda Consolidates Thai Production, Shuts Down Ayutthaya Plant Dubai to Manufacture World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Hydrofoil MAS Collaborates with Industry to Create Generative AI Risk Framework