Unmanned research probes
A space probe is an unmanned spacecraft sent into outer space to conduct research. When we want to get close-ups and gather information about planets, moons, comets, and asteroids in our Solar System, we send space probes. Space probes can carry special cameras and instruments deep into the Solar System. Some space probes study multiple planets and moons by flying past them. Others go into orbit around a planet or moon for more detailed investigation.[1]
Space probes are launched by rockets or aboard shuttles. Equipped with scientific instruments (e.g., cameras, magnetometers, spectrometers, radiation counters), they collect data and send it back to Earth (currently almost always via radio transmission). Some space probes return to our planet with samples of material from other celestial bodies and data stored on information carriers.[2]
Manned and unmanned missions
Space probe flights attract much less interest than manned flights. In practice, it has been shown that robotic research operating beyond Earth have provided science with far more information than humans. Moreover, the only object astronauts have been sent to is the Moon. Huge costs and technical difficulties currently prevent further manned expeditions, such as to nearby asteroids, Mars, Venus, Mercury, or the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The main advantage of machines is the lack of necessity to carry enormous amounts of oxygen and water. Keeping the human body alive outside Earth is very costly. One space shuttle flight is equivalent to sending about five robotic research units to Mars. The loss of a space probe is seen as a painful failure by a limited group of interested individuals, while the death of astronauts results in national mourning. However, advocates of manned flights emphasize that the risks and costs of sending humans into space are justified as they serve to open up new areas of development for humanity.[3]
Space communication
A troublesome issue with the use of space probes in distant space is communication delay. Radio waves travel at a speed close to that of light. Only robots on the Moon can be remotely operated from Earth (about a one-second delay). Martian rovers, in the worst case, must wait up to half an hour for a response from the operator (when both planets are not close to each other). However, probes are being equipped with increasingly faster computers and software that allow for more autonomous decision-making and research.
Applications
Some space probes fulfill their tasks by orbiting Earth as artificial satellites. In addition to scientific purposes, they serve commercial applications. They can help meteorologists predict the weather, facilitate communication, or serve as geostationary satellites to transmit television programs.
However, for science, the most important probes have been those studying the planets of the Solar System and the space beyond it. Probes, as our remote eyes and ears, have reached near Halley's comet, several asteroids, and all the planets of the Solar System. Probes have also reached (with soft landings or impacts) the surface of the following bodies: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, the Moon, Titan, (433) Eros, (25143) Itokawa, Tempel 1, and probably Phobos.
The farthest space probes, Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2, have achieved what is known as the third cosmic speed and are heading to leave the Solar System. They are likely already beyond the reach of the Sun's magnetic field, but the Sun's gravitational field dominates up to the so-called Oort Cloud. In any case, these probes are racing towards other stars in our galaxy. Onboard, they carry information about the inhabitants of planet Earth. The message encoded by scientists will reach the vicinity of the nearest stars in over 40,000 years.
Space probes are an important element in research concerning the Sun. The SOHO probe constantly observes our restless star, warning us of sudden solar wind bursts.
For modern astronomy, groundbreaking research has been conducted by probes looking towards distant stars. The Hubble Telescope has photographed a number of distant supernovae, helping to determine how quickly the Universe has expanded in its history. The COBE and WMAP probes enabled the study of the inhomogeneities of cosmic background radiation, which dates back 13.6 billion years. Researchers in observational cosmology have been able to rule out several proposed hypotheses regarding the origins of our Universe.[4]
The most important space probe missions
Plaque placed on the Pioneer 10 probe. [6]
Hubble's Telescope[7]
As previously presented, a space probe is an uncrewed, automated spacecraft sent to explore space and collect scientific data about interplanetary space or other celestial bodies. It is equipped with research instruments for measuring and analyzing phenomena in space, such as planets, moons, or comets.
Conducting scientific research in space, including studying the atmosphere, chemical composition of planets, and other objects.
Includes a set of specialized tools and instruments for gathering scientific information.
It is propelled from Earth into orbit using launch rockets or shuttles.
The probe transmits collected data to scientists on Earth, often being almost fully automated to perform tasks far from Earth.[8]
Measurements from space probes cover a wide range of studies, from astrometric, photometric, and spectrometric measurements for probes like Gaia, to analyzing the space environment and phenomena such as solar wind, magnetic fields, and radiation. Probes also make direct measurements of temperature, atmospheric composition, soil, and surface of celestial bodies, as well as study their gravitational and geological fields.
Types of measurements
Sometimes various objects appear in the sky that are already classified for us as:
Shining objects in the sky may be satellites (e.g., Starlink), reflecting sunlight, bright planets (such as Jupiter and Venus) or stars (e.g., Sirius), as well as effects related to rocket launches. (like exhaust gases illuminated by the Sun). Less frequently, there may be phenomena of unknown origin, called UFOs, which are initially unidentified.
Potential causes of glowing objects in the sky:
UFO (English: unidentified flying object, UFO), also known as unidentified flying object (UFO) – derived from the military nomenclature of the United States Air Force, referring to a flying object (aircraft) that cannot be identified as any known vehicle nor explained by any known atmospheric phenomena. During the Cold War, the term UFO became mistakenly associated with extraterrestrial vehicles (flying saucers).[11]
The first modern observations
Observations in Poland
The most numerous UFO sightings in Poland occurred in February 1978, when many objects, resembling Zeppelin airships, were seen simultaneously over the western part of Poland (from Głogów to Szczecin), remaining stationary for a long time. Objects in the area of Zielona Góra and Krosno Odrzańskie, according to contemporary publications of Gazeta Lubuska (no. 43/1978 and 44/1978), citing reports from dozens of witnesses, remained in one spot in the sky for over an hour before quickly flying away. The most extensive description of those events was provided by Lucjan Sawicki in the then-weekly Facts in a series of articles titled Guests from Space?
In the 1980s, reports from military pilots regarding UFO sightings were collected by the head of the Air Traffic Service of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Country, Colonel Ryszard Grundman. The collection of reports he gathered is known as "Grundman's file."
The Nautilus Foundation, which investigates unexplained phenomena, collects photographs of UFOs and records eyewitness accounts of unidentified flying objects.[12]
Hypotheses related to UFOs
In order to obtain an answer to the question of what the UFO phenomenon might be, many hypotheses have been proposed. The most popular of them are presented below (the hypotheses do not exclude each other):
Opinions on social phenomena related to the UFO program
Many UFO sightings in the form of moving lights can be explained by rare atmospheric phenomena. Many cases are also the result of mistakes, errors in measuring devices, and deliberate hoaxes. However, a large group of sightings cannot be easily explained; they are almost always witness testimonies unsupported by other evidence or supported by weak evidence (not very good quality photos, etc.). Sometimes witness observations (often scientists or military pilots) are confirmed by radar. There are also well-documented unexplained sightings, such as the recording from the Mexican Air Force on May 13, 2004 – eleven bright, rapidly moving lights in the infrared spectrum. Better-documented cases usually show relatively less spectacular objects, such as lights, and rarely other vehicles, never direct encounters with aliens.
In photographs, for example in NASA films, regular elongated flying objects (rods) are often encountered. These are often insects photographed with too long an exposure time.
These observations are treated differently. Some accept them as evidence of the presence of extraterrestrial intelligence on Earth, while the small amount of evidence is seen as proof of a conspiracy by governments that, according to some theories, collaborate with aliens or for other reasons attempt to conceal their existence. Others recommend far-reaching skepticism and continuation of research into better-documented cases, while some outright reject all UFO sightings.
UFO research has led to the discovery of many atmospheric and psychological phenomena, but contact with aliens as such has not yet been established. In psychology, it has led to the development of knowledge about misinterpretations, sensory illusions, hallucinations, and the occurrence of personalities prone to fantasizing. Sometimes, psychology is seen as the source of sightings – some believe that UFO visions are projections of fear from the subconscious.
An additional reason for the reluctance of mainstream scientists towards UFO issues is the ufologists' association of this topic with parapsychology (the issue of so-called contactees), mysticism, and other views that do not fall within the canon of science (e.g., antigravity, or the presence of an additional planet in the Solar System that is supposed to collide with Earth).
There are also attempts to explain the UFO phenomenon as a spiritual phenomenon. A proponent of this theory was, for example, the Orthodox theologian from the USA, Father Seraphim Rose. His research indicates a demonic and occult dimension to the UFO phenomenon. According to him, all the abilities and properties of "visitors from space" have been known for centuries to those involved in various fields of occultism and spiritualism. Father Rose mentioned here: telepathy, materialization, levitation, changes in visible forms, the possession of human bodies, the extraordinary speed of moving objects, or the creation of illusory scenes. These phenomena, like other various parapsychological phenomena, have been attributed to "higher powers" since ancient times.
On May 9, 2001, an American press conference was held featuring representatives from various specialties related to the defense industry and aviation, organized by Dr. Steven Greer. During the conference, many pieces of information were revealed that shed new light on the issue of UFOs.[14]
Official documents
Since 1979, under FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), civilians can gain access to secret American archives provided it does not pose a threat to national security. This is determined by the appropriate judge. The revealed content of the documents sheds new light on the matter. Until that time, it was only disclosed that UFOs were observed by drunks, charlatans, and psychopaths.
W Air Intelligence Division Study 203 stwierdza się m.in. że:
On July 7 of the same year in Portland, police observe a varying number of similar discs flying over different parts of the city;
On November 18, 1948, at Andrews Field, military pilots encounter a spinning and illuminated "flattened ball" without wings and nozzles at an altitude of 5 km.
In January 2017, the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) published millions of previously classified documents, some of which concerned alleged UFO sightings. Among them was a document dated from the 1960s, intended to depict the structure of a UFO based on the accounts of one of the witnesses to the phenomenon. In January 2021, the CIA released an archive of 2,780 pages containing records of UFO reports.
On June 25, 2021, the American Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a report containing information on UFO sightings primarily from November 2004 to March 2021. The report mentioned 144 cases of unidentified aerial phenomena, of which 143 remained unexplained, while one was confidently attributed to a weather balloon. 80 of these sightings were made using more than one instrument. In 18 cases, objects exhibited unusual flight patterns and characteristics that seemed to indicate advanced technologies. The report noted that some of the observed UFOs appeared to hover in place despite the wind, move against the wind, perform maneuvers, and move at significant speeds without visible means of propulsion. It was stated that there likely isn't a single explanation for the observed phenomena, and among those proposed were secret U.S. government programs, technologies belonging to foreign powers such as Russia or China, natural phenomena, objects cluttering the field of view like balloons, birds, or debris, and others requiring "additional scientific knowledge" for investigation and analysis. Intelligence indicated that unidentified flying objects pose a potential threat to flight safety and potentially to national security as well. In 11 cases, military pilots reported incidents where a collision with unknown objects was imminent. The report also noted that most of the observed phenomena occurred near U.S. military facilities and were observed by naval personnel.
In January 2023, U.S. intelligence agencies released a new UFO report indicating that 510 reports of unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP) had been recorded, previously classified as unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Since the release of the June 2021 UFO report, 247 new sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena have been reported. Additionally, 119 cases from previous years were discovered that were not included in the June 2021 report. Of the reported 510 cases, 26 were preliminarily classified as drones, 163 as balloons, and 6 as airborne debris. However, 171 cases require detailed analysis.
Military, police, or civilian reports regarding sightings of unidentified objects have been partially revealed by the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Russia, Canada, Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, and Australia. Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile are conducting research programs whose reports are publicly available. China and Japan also have their own programs.[15]
Extraterrestrial intelligence
UFO phenomena should not be equated with extraterrestrial intelligence. The term "UFO" is primarily used to refer to unidentified flying objects, which are often attributed to alien origins.
The estimated number of planets where life may have developed is large (tens of billions of galaxies in the universe, each with tens of billions of stars—potential "seeds" of planetary systems), so some of them may also have developed technical intelligence. Exact estimates vary by several orders of magnitude, and according to many of them, intelligent life is so rare that the probability of encounters between civilizations approaches zero. The SETI project has been unsuccessfully searching for traces of intelligent life in space using radio astronomical techniques.
The link between UFOs and the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence on distant planets is, however, merely a theory. Most scientists who believe in the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence want nothing to do with "ufology," although scientists like Stanton Friedman and Michio Kaku support theories of extraterrestrial origins for some UFOs.[16]
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life— life existing outside Earth and not originating from it.
No definitive and confirmed evidence of life beyond Earth has been found. Research efforts related to the search for even the simplest organic forms are limited to meteorites and samples collected in space missions.
Astrobiology considers the possibilities of extraterrestrial life based on both proteins and other organic compounds, as well as elements other than carbon (e.g., silicon, fluorine), arising in various liquid environments (mainly in water, but also in substances that exist in liquid form at certain temperatures: hydrogen, methane, ammonia, or sulfur).
Since hypothetical extraterrestrial life does not need to have a known protein form from Earth, the biological definition of life is not used to define it; rather, it is more appropriate to refer to a cybernetic or thermodynamic definition.
Potential locations for extraterrestrial life in the Solar System include:
Outside the Solar System, numerous Earth-like planets have been discovered, including:
In practice, the search for extraterrestrial life is limited to the hypothetical targeting of exoplanets located in the ecosphere of stars, often using a mathematical model of derivative equations related to the Drake equation, for example, the recently developed statistical Drake equation by Claudio Maccone. This process could significantly impact the accuracy of studies on the spectra of exoplanets; however, truly detailed studies of such planets would only be possible with a telescope much more powerful than those currently in existence. Projects like the Extremely Large European Telescope (E-ELT), ATLAST, or space interferometric missions like Darwin are planned for this purpose.
The potential existence of extraterrestrial life does not necessarily imply the emergence of other intelligent beings (aliens) on a given planet, let alone a highly developed extraterrestrial technical civilization.
It is possible that an encounter with a civilization at a different level of development could end, for example, in annihilation or the conquest of the weaker civilization.
A scientific attempt to find evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations is, for example, the SETI program, which searches for radio signals. However, for decades, virtually no signals have been found except for a few cases, including the so-called Wow! signal. Given that Earth's civilization is changing its communication model from radio to other forms, ideas are emerging to search for traces of city lights. Technology did not allow for this at the end of 2011.
NASA scientist Jim Green claimed that life would be discovered on Mars by 2021. In 2020, two rovers were sent toward the Red Planet – Mars 2020 (NASA) and Rosalind Franklin, previously known as ExoMars (ESA and Roscosmos). Both rovers will perform drilling, and the first will send collected samples to Earth, while the second will analyze them on-site in a mobile laboratory for the presence of living organisms or traces of past life. According to the scientist, people are not yet ready to accept such groundbreaking information as the existence of extraterrestrial life.[17]
Reports of UFO sightings
In 2025, reports of UFO sightings were recorded, including an unusual light swirl in the Polish sky in March that was discussed on social media. At the same time, promotional materials for the series "Project UFO" on Netflix were published on platforms such as Instagram, which may have contributed to speculation about the light in the sky. The number of reports of unidentified flying objects is steadily increasing; however, there is a lack of credible scientific evidence confirming the extraterrestrial nature of these phenomena.
Observations and phenomena in 2025
Context and science
In the first half of 2025,over 2000 UFOs were observed,,
according to data from the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC).
These numbers likely represent only a small fraction of actual sightings, said Christian Stępień, the group's technology director. Based on unverified evidence, he believes that about 5% of sightings are reported.
The group collects reports from ordinary citizens as well as air traffic controllers, police officers, and military personnel.[19]
NUFORC reports by month[20]
| OBSERVATION YEAR/MONTH |
NUMBER OF REPORTS |
| 1 |
|
| 367 |
|
| 322 |
|
| 333 |
|
| 366 |
|
| 280 |
|
| 373 |
|
| 360 |
|
| 356 |
|
| 326 |
|
| 574 |
The USA possesses extraterrestrial technology. This was admitted by a former member of the Pentagon's UFO team.
David Grusch is a former intelligence officer and member of the Pentagon's UFO team (AARO). On Wednesday, he testified before Congress that the USA has extraterrestrial technology and that authorities have been concealing this fact for decades. Former Air Force pilots also shared their experiences.[21]
David Grusch is a former officer of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and until recently a member of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) within the Pentagon. On Wednesday, during a hearing in the subcommittee on oversight of theHouse of Representatives,he testified under oath thatthe United States has had technology of extraterrestrial origin since the 1930s, as well as the bodies of alien beings. However, authorities have conducted a disinformation campaign aimed at denying their existence.
UFO technology in American hands
He stated that the USA possesses intact vehicles, and authorities have also been conducting a "reverse engineering" program for decades, trying to replicate alientechnologies.The whistleblower claimed to have gained this knowledge while working at the Pentagon, where he interviewed dozens of witnesses who had contact with UFOs. He stated that he, along with his wife, experienced "something very shocking."
He also accused the head of the AARO team, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, of lying. His former superior claimed during earlier hearings that he did not have credible evidence of extraterrestrial technology. David Grusch emphasized that while working for AARO, he personally saw this evidence and interviewed witnesses, so Sean Kirkpatrick's claims are not true.
He also testified that he knows of "many of his colleagues who were physically harmed" both by unidentified objects and by representatives of the authorities trying to silence them. As he stated, he fears for his life because he is aware of a planned retaliation by the authorities. He also refused to provide details during the public hearing, stating that he could disclose them during a closed session.
Military pilots also confirmed the existence of UFOs.
At Wednesday's hearing, two military pilots, Ryan Graves and David Fravor, also appeared. They recountedtheir experiences with unidentified objects in the air that seemed to defy the laws of physics..
Ryan Graves stated that in 2014, during a mission near a military base in Virginia Beach, two F/A-18 fighter jets flew just a few meters away from a several-meter "black or dark gray cube inside a transparent sphere." He added that similar objects had been seen over the past eight years and seemed to defy the laws of physics: they could remain stationary in the air despite hurricane-force winds and then suddenly accelerate to supersonic speeds.
According to him civilian and military pilots "routinely" encounter unexplained aerial phenomena. Very rarely, however, do they report them formally, as they fear for their reputation andcareer.
"If everyone could see the sensor data and video that I have seen, our national debate would change," said Ryan Graves.
More examples of UFO encounters
In 2003 – as he testified – subcontractorsof Boeing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California saw a "red square" measuring about 100 meters on each side. It approached the base from over the ocean and hovered for 45 seconds above the launch silos before flying away. The incident was reported to have repeated itself within the same day.
David Fravor, a former Navy pilot, recounted his experience from 2004. At that time, as an F/A-18 pilot, he saw a white object shaped like a Tic-Tac candy, which also seemed to defy the laws of physics. Video of this incident captured by other aircraft and two ships participating in the maneuvers had already been previously released by the Pentagon.
The former pilot stated that he saw a white object from about 800 meters away, which ascended from a low altitude in an extraordinarily rapid manner. It covered 60 miles in a very short time and disappeared from the pilots' view. He also testified that the object appeared to interfere with radar but emitted no trail suggesting a known propulsion.
The technology we were dealing with was far better than anything we had. We are talking about something that could fly into space, travel somewhere, and descend in seconds," said David Fravor.
He emphasized thatthe incident was never investigated.
Were aliens examining defense systems?
All three whistleblowers answered affirmatively to questions from congressmen who wanted to know if the objects seemed to be assessing military capabilities and vulnerabilities of the U.S., as well as nuclear facilities and whether they potentially posed an "existential" threat to humanity.
However, they were skeptical about the possibility that the unknown objects belonged to other countries, as their capabilities seemed to defy the laws of physics.
The committee members questioning the witnesses from both parties appeared to believe their claims. The day before, they had held closed-door discussions with them.They also called on the government to disclose the supposedly hidden knowledge about these phenomena.
Congress demands explanations
They also questioned the information previously provided by the Pentagon team regarding unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). They announced plans to introduce legislation requiring authorities to disclose more information.
Today we have the first hearing of this kind, in which we will get to the heart of what is really happening with UAP and hear from people who have had personal experiences, not bureaucrats from the Pentagon sent to block investigations," said Republican Anna Paulina Luna, a former military pilot.
She also stated that she knows many similar stories from pilots who have observed unexplained phenomena.
"I urge our military leaders and intelligence representatives to release more information to the American people about UAP," said Democrat Dustin Moskowitz. He added that the Pentagon knows more about the unexplained phenomena than it publicly declares.
He also quoted the statement from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that, "Americans have the right to know about technologies of unknown origin, extraterrestrial intelligence, and unexplained phenomena."
"This was certainly a historic hearing," summarized Republican Congressman Tim Burchett.[23]
In summary, regarding the aforementioned information, it is not only us who are trying to obtain information about life beyond our planet. The author listed examples of probes that have been used for space research. It should also be remembered that new technologies, in many cases under experimental conditions, can create new types of interactions related to space and the speeds traversed, gravitational waves, etc. In a given experiment, new types of interactions created by our systems concerning movements such as teleportation or distortions of time or space may occur.
Probes sent for exploration may also be sent by other forms of life or from other multiverses, and they may also be our technologies that have unpredictably or uncontrollably traveled from another time.
Drones are certainly a key solution for both our exploration of space and the spatial anomalies observed in various spectra studied by appropriate measurement sensors.
L.K.
[1] https://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/285-What-is-a-space-probe-
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe#/media/File:PPlaqueLarge.png
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe#/media/File:Hubble_Space_Telescope_(27946391011).jpg
[8] Overview from AI
[9] measurements of space probes - Search Google, Overview from AI
[10] shining objects in the sky - Search Google, Overview from AI
[11]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO#:~:text=UFO%20(eng.,%20none%20of%20the%20known%20atmospheric%20phenomena.
[12]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO#:~:text=UFO%20(eng.,%20none%20of%20the%20known%20atmospheric%20phenomena.
[13]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO#:~:text=UFO%20(eng.,%20none%20of%20the%20known%20atmospheric%20phenomena.
[14]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO#:~:text=UFO%20(eng.,%20none%20of%20the%20known%20atmospheric%20phenomena.
[15]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO#:~:text=UFO%20(eng.,%20none%20of%20the%20known%20atmospheric%20phenomena.
[16]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO#:~:text=UFO%20(eng.,%20none%20of%20the%20known%20atmospheric%20phenomena.
[17]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life
[18] ufo in the sky 2025 - Search Google, Overview from AI
[19] https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/2000-ufo-sightings-first-half-2025/#:~:text=UFO%20sightings%20in%202025,decades%20before%20they%20were%20reported.
[20] https://nuforc.org/ndx/?id=event
[21] https://www.money.pl/economy/usa-has-extraterrestrial-technology-admitted-by-a-former-member-of-the-pentagon-ufo-team-6924065117817824a.html
[22] Source of images: © PAP | PAP/EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
[23]https://www.money.pl/economy/usa-has-extraterrestrial-technology-admitted-by-a-former-member-of-the-pentagon-ufo-team-6924065117817824a.html
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