Editing Unidentified flying object (section)

==== France (1977–2008) ====

In March 2007, the French space agency [[CNES]] published an archive of UFO sightings and other phenomena online.<ref name="geipan">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnes-geipan.fr/ |title=GEIPAN: Le GEIPAN |work=[[GEIPAN|Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non Identifiés]] (GEIPAN) |publisher=[[Centre national d'études spatiales]] (CNES) |location=Paris |access-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-date=February 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219094957/http://www.cnes-geipan.fr/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

French studies include GEPAN/SEPRA/[[GEIPAN]] within CNES (French space agency), the longest ongoing government-sponsored investigation. About 22% of the 6,000 cases studied remain unexplained.<ref name="GEIPAN statistics summary">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnes.fr/web/CNES-en/5039-a-history-of-uap-research-at-cnes.php|title=A history of UAP research at CNES|publisher=[[CNES]]|access-date=October 6, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006155415/http://www.cnes.fr/web/CNES-en/5039-a-history-of-uap-research-at-cnes.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The official opinion of GEPAN/SEPRA/GEIPAN has been neutral, stating on their [[FAQ]] page that their mission is fact-finding for the scientific community, not rendering an opinion. They add they can neither prove nor disprove the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), but their Steering Committee's clear position is that they cannot discard the possibility that some fraction of the very strange 22% of unexplained cases might be due to distant and advanced civilizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geipan.fr/fr/faq-page?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en#n58794|title=Autres Liens|access-date=October 6, 2014|archive-date=August 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804171011/https://www.geipan.fr/fr/faq-page?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en#n58794|url-status=live}}</ref>

Possibly their bias may be indicated by their use of the terms "PAN" (French) or "UAP" (English equivalent) for "Unidentified ''Aerospace'' Phenomenon" (whereas "UAP" is normally used by English organizations stands for "Unidentified ''Aerial'' Phenomenon", a more neutral term). In addition, the three heads of the studies have gone on record in stating that UFOs were real physical flying machines beyond our knowledge or that the best explanation for the most inexplicable cases was an extraterrestrial one.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc2008.htm |title=Official French Gov't UFO study project to resume with new director |date=October 2005 |publisher=ufoevidence.org |location=Seattle |access-date=July 13, 2013 |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502192445/http://ufoevidence.org/documents/doc2008.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1627.htm |title='Yes, UFOs exist': Position statement by SEPRA head, Jean-Jacques Velasco |orig-year=Originally published in ''[[La Dépêche du Midi]]'' |date=April 18, 2004 |publisher=ufoevidence.org |location=Seattle |access-date=July 13, 2013 |archive-date=April 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408232437/http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1627.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1626.htm |title=Assessment of the UFO phenomenon by GEPAN (1978) |publisher=ufoevidence.org |location=Seattle |access-date=July 13, 2013 |archive-date=April 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408232427/http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1626.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007, the CNES's own report stated that, at that time, 28% of sightings remained unidentified.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cnes.fr/en/web/CNES-en/5866-geipan-uap-investigation-unit-opens-its-files.php |title=CNES report, March 26, 2007 |date=April 23, 2015 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108170520/https://cnes.fr/en/web/CNES-en/5866-geipan-uap-investigation-unit-opens-its-files.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2008, Michel Scheller, president of the [[Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France]] (3AF), created the Sigma Commission. Its purpose was to investigate UFO phenomena worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x98y3k_ovni-nouvelle-commission-denquete-3_tech |title=Ovni-nouvelle-commission-denquete-3AF-PAN (Partie 1) |website=[[Dailymotion]] |date=May 11, 2009 |publisher=[[Orange (telecommunications)|Orange]] |location=Paris |access-date=January 11, 2014 |archive-date=January 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106220709/http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x98y3k_ovni-nouvelle-commission-denquete-3_tech |url-status=live }}</ref> A progress report published in May 2010 stated that the central hypothesis proposed by the [[COMETA report]] is perfectly credible.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.openminds.tv/wp-content/uploads/Rapport_Etape_Com.SIGMA_Juin2010.pdf |title=Rapport d'étape de la Commission Sigma/3AF |date=May 31, 2010 |publisher=[[Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France]] |location=Paris |access-date=January 11, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924061130/http://www.openminds.tv/wp-content/uploads/Rapport_Etape_Com.SIGMA_Juin2010.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2012, the final report of the Sigma Commission was submitted to Scheller. Following the submission of the final report, the Sigma2 Commission is to be formed with a mandate to continue the scientific investigation of UFO phenomena.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.3af.fr/article/en-direct-de-3af/sigma-2 |title=Sigma 2 |last=Dini |first=Luc |date=January 10, 2013 |website=3AF |publisher=Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France |location=Paris |access-date=January 11, 2014 |archive-date=February 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213092211/http://www.3af.fr/article/en-direct-de-3af/sigma-2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |last=Boudier |first=Alain |interviewer=Alexandre |title=Alexandre – Alain Boudier – Sygma & 3AF |url=http://rim951.fr/?p=2537 |work=RimLive.com |location=Paris |date=June 20, 2013 |access-date=January 11, 2014 |archive-date=July 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702074819/http://rim951.fr/?p=2537 |url-status=dead }}</ref>