NASA chief Jared Isaacman confirms existence of unexplained UFO images: 'We don't know what it is'

Jared Isaacman also praised President Donald Trump’s push to declassify government records related to UFOs
Speaking on a podcast, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said some NASA images contain objects that remain unidentified based on the available data (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaking on a podcast, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said some NASA images contain objects that remain unidentified based on the available data (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has revealed that the space agency possesses imagery of unidentified objects that scientists have not yet been able to explain, reigniting interest in UFOs and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Speaking during a June 30 podcast interview with host Jack Gordon, Isaacman said NASA has captured images that continue to puzzle researchers, though he stopped short of suggesting they are proof of alien life.

His comments come as the federal government continues releasing records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), formerly known as UFOs, and as public interest in the subject remains high.



Jared Isaacman says NASA has images it cannot explain

Isaacman said there are instances where NASA has collected imagery that does not currently have a clear explanation

"We have captured imagery and this is what President Trump is very forward-leaning about - that, based on the data that we have within that imagery, we don't know what it is," he said.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 09: Jared Isaacman, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator, testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and close associate of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, previously chartered two private astronaut flights to orbit including the all-civilian American
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said agency captured unexplained UFO imagery as search for alien life continued (Getty Images)

While the remark has sparked renewed discussion about UFOs, Isaacman indicated that unexplained imagery should not automatically be viewed as evidence of extraterrestrial visitors.

NASA has previously maintained that it has not found evidence showing that unidentified objects are alien in origin.

Still, Isaacman acknowledged that the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe remains an exciting scientific question.

Jared Isaacman believes life beyond Earth may be discovered

Although he did not claim aliens have been found, Isaacman said humanity may eventually learn that life exists beyond Earth.

"I think there's a very real possibility we're going to arrive at a conclusion in our lifetime that perhaps there's life everywhere out there and that it isn't as infrequent as it could possibly be," he said.

The NASA administrator described the subject as one of the most fascinating questions facing scientists today.

US-SPACE-NASA-MOON

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman speaks during a news conference at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, on May 26, 2026, to outline plans for NASA's
US-SPACE-NASA-MOON NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman speaks during a news conference at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, on May 26, 2026, to outline plans for NASA's 'Moon Base' lunar base and progress toward a sustained human presence on the Moon (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

"I can't hate the subject," Isaacman said. "In fact, I'm incredibly fascinated by it because that is at the heart of what we're trying to do at NASA - answer the question, 'Are we alone?'"

Trump-backed UAP releases continue

Isaacman also referenced the Trump administration's efforts to make government files related to unidentified aerial phenomena more accessible to the public.

In June, the Pentagon released additional records through the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, known as PURSUE.

President Donald Trump gestures during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump gestures during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

According to Isaacman, there was a push to release information that had previously remained buried in government files.

"We did keep a lot of that buried in files somewhere, and the president said, 'Why? Put it out there. We don't have time to study it. Let other people tell us what it is,'" Isaacman said.

Despite the growing number of released records, he noted that none have provided definitive proof of extraterrestrial life.

Mars samples could provide future answers

Isaacman said NASA's most promising clues may come from much closer to home.

He pointed to samples currently on Mars and suggested they could eventually help scientists determine whether microbial life once existed on the Red Planet.

"We got samples on Mars right now," he said. "If we bring them back, there is a very high probability that they will point to, at some point, microbial life at least on Mars."

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