How Geipan investigates to explain UFO cases in France

When we think of UFOs, we often think of the United States. From Roswell to Area 51, American society and culture are steeped in stories of unidentified flying objects, a source of many fantasies. France is not immune to these phenomena. What is less known is that they are taken very seriously and are the subject of rigorous investigations, which in the majority of cases lead to a completely rational explanation. Behind these investigations, there is a service attached to CNES, the French space agency: Geipan, for Study and Information Group on Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena, based in Toulouse.

Comprised of three employees and twelve volunteers scattered throughout the country, it plays an essential role: “To collect, study and investigate cases of strange observations by citizens in order to try to provide an answer to what they saw based on a technical and scientific approach,” summarizes Frédéric Courtade, head of Geipan.

It all starts with reports of curious phenomena. Among them, there are strange lights in the sky, orange triangles moving, white shapes fading gradually, objects with unusual trajectories or movements. These observations are reported via forms filled out directly on the service’s website or through letters, as well as statements made by the gendarmerie according to certain established provisions or information from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, allowing pilots and aviation sector personnel to testify about an event they cannot explain.

About one hundred in-depth investigations per year

Once the report is received, it is time for the investigation. And this is very serious: there is no question of proving any extraterrestrial presence but rather trying to explain, in a rational manner and following a perfectly procedural methodology, what the witness may have seen. Not all cases require in-depth investigations as some are obvious or recurrent. Out of the thousand reports received by Geipan each year, only 80 to 120 require further investigations, according to its head. For these more complex cases, whose results and complete files are published in the service’s database once the investigation is completed, the same methodology is applied each time.

This involves a vast network: CNES’s space surveillance operation center, which locates satellites or launchers in space; an air force service that monitors air traffic; Météo-France, which provides data on meteorological situations and exceptional phenomena; CNRS and the body of astronomers for abnormal or exceptional celestial situations. Also, the University of Toulouse for the scientific psychology aspect, with experts who participate in the analysis of testimonies and cognitive interviews to distinguish real memories from fake ones.

Many phenomena are often explained

Investigations also take place in the field, with the help of a group of volunteer investigators. “Trustworthy and highly committed,” they are carefully selected and trained in Geipan’s methods, conducting investigations, interviews, and creating hypotheses. Their role is closely supervised: volunteers systematically receive a mission letter stamped Geipan/CNES, which they can present to witnesses and authorities.

After the investigation, cases are classified into several categories: A when the observed phenomenon has been perfectly identified; B when it has probably been (when it has been established, for example, that it was a balloon but its origin is unknown); C when it has not been identified due to lack of data; and D when its nature is still unknown after investigation. As of March 3, out of the 3,320 phenomena investigated since 1977, 66.5% have been perfectly or probably identified by Geipan. In over half of the cases, they were balloons, lanterns, aircraft (excluding drones), or astronomical phenomena.

Unidentified phenomena, a “semi-failure”

If Frédéric Courtade does not see any emblematic cases for Geipan, some cases still hold a somewhat special place for investigators. These include phenomena observed before Geipan’s creation in 1977, classified as unidentified after investigation. The oldest available in the database dates back to 1951 in Vaucluse, where two pilots reported seeing “a very bright stationary phenomenon then moving in the sky.”

For the head of Geipan, “the emblematic cases are mainly those that have been successfully solved,” citing the difficulty of investigating “based on a questionnaire of about ten questions, with more or less concise answers from witnesses, without photos or other elements.” Conversely, class D phenomena, unidentified after investigation, are seen as “a semi-failure” by his teams.

As these cases often give rise to many fantasies among the general public: “People put a lot behind UFOs,” explains Frédéric Courtade. There are the extraterrestrials, of course, but also the idea that we are being lied to, that we are being spied on…” Hence the importance of Geipan’s mission. And good news for those who would like to join: Geipan is currently recruiting four volunteers to expand its team of volunteers to 16 people. Space enthusiasts or investigation enthusiasts, send in your resumes!