OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:19 PM – Monday, July 13, 2026
In a major step reflecting the executive branch’s intensifying focus on unexplained aerial sightings, the White House has appointed Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb to a newly formed scientific advisory panel investigating the national security risks posed by unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), commonly known as UFOs.
Loeb maintains that, based on his findings, the government remains “baffled” by some of the objects it has encountered thus far.
The newly established UAP Science Advisory Council operates alongside the recently formed UAP Governance Board, which is overseen by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Operating under a directive from President Donald Trump to increase government transparency regarding these “anomalies,” the panel has been tasked with examining military data to establish data collection standards and to rigorously investigate the origins of mysterious orbs and unexplained aerial objects reported by American military personnel.
Loeb, a highly credentialed cosmologist who served as the chair of Harvard University’s astronomy department until 2020, has stated that his objective is to inject a methodical, data-driven approach into an issue that has long been plagued by theories and public speculation.
Dismissing widespread allegations that federal agencies are intentionally concealing advanced extraterrestrial technology from the public, Loeb instead described the internal state of the intelligence community as “one of deep scientific confusion” rather than a massive cover-up.
“My impression is the government is baffled by not being able to infer the nature of some of these objects,” he said.
The hand-picked council assembled by Loeb consists of more than a dozen outside scientists and high-profile experts spanning various fields, including data science, biology, oceanography, and instrumentation.
Members joining the council include Timothy Gallaudet, a retired Navy rear admiral who has previously advocated for serious investigation into what he labels “nonhuman intelligence,” and Ben Lamm, a prominent biotechnology billionaire.
Following its inaugural closed-door meeting last month, the advisory council immediately signaled its intent to review raw federal data by requesting more than 50 videos, images, and classified or semi-classified documents directly from the Pentagon to systematically evaluate known UAP incidents.
Despite his academic pedigree, Loeb previously triggered academic criticism for suggesting that “Oumuamua, an interstellar object that traversed the solar system in 2017, may have been an artificial alien ‘light sail,’” and for claiming that metallic spherules recovered from the Pacific Ocean floor could be fragments of alien technology.
Nonetheless, his theory has technically not been disproven.
To balance national security concerns with scientific transparency, Loeb has promised that while the advisory group will continue to evaluate classified materials behind closed doors, it will maintain public accountability through an upcoming dedicated website and regular public briefings.
The astronomer assured that applying rigorous scientific standards to military sensor data will ultimately bypass “ideological gridlock” and answer pressing Department of War questions.
“At a time when science is not so much celebrated, this is an opportunity to actually do good for all sides involved,” he added.
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