The nation's top minds are working on protecting us from UFOs. The country's largest organization of both government agencies and the private sector is looking to study "unidentified aerial phenomena."
The craze comes after recent alleged incursions by mysterious crafts. Some wonder whether they pose a safety hazard, requiring military involvement.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which includes members of the country's most significant defense and NASA contractors, has created three committees to study tech, to determine how incursions impact pilot and passenger safety, and to coordinate with government agencies and international researchers.
The move comes after Congress took extra steps to compel the Pentagon and other intelligence agencies to study UFOs and share their discoveries with oversight committees.
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office at the Pentagon was established to study unidentified undersea vehicles. In June, NASA also announced its own unmanned aerial phenomena study.
Other legislation is moving through Congress as part of the annual defense and intelligence policy bills. Passed in July by the House, the National Defense Authorization Act establishes new protocols for government officials to forward any information on UFOs without the assumed reprisals.
The proposed intelligence bill also uses the Government Accountability Office to undertake the discovery of the history of government involvement with UFOs over the past 75 years. That includes any sophisticated technology or government efforts to curb public awareness.