For nearly eighty years, the UFO and UAP topic has attracted an unusual mix of scientists, soldiers, politicians, whistleblowers, and storytellers. From Kenneth Arnold’s 1947 “flying saucers” sighting to modern whistleblowers like David Grusch and Matthew Brown, each era has brought new names and new claims. Some figures are respected scientists who push for serious study, others are pilots who saw something they couldn’t explain, and still others became legendary for bold—sometimes unbelievable—stories that shaped UFO folklore.

This guide pulls together the most influential people, organizations, and programs linked to UFOs from the 1940s right up to 2025. It includes the researchers who built the early field, the politicians driving today’s congressional hearings, military insiders who went on the record, and cultural voices who kept the subject alive when it was ridiculed. You’ll also find entries on secretive Cold War projects, alleged whistleblowers, and mythic groups like Majestic 12 that, true or not, became part of the story.

We’ve aimed to cover the main players, but the UFO world is vast and often strange. If you think we’ve missed anyone important—or you’ve got a name that deserves to be added—leave a comment below and help expand the list.

Pioneers & Early Investigators

• Kenneth Arnold — Pilot who reported the famous 1947 “flying saucers” sighting, sparking the modern UFO era.

• J. Allen Hynek — Astronomer, scientific consultant to Project Blue Book, and later a UFO proponent; coined the “close encounter” classification system.

• Harley D Rutledge – Physicist who led Project Identification, a scientific field study investigating UFO sightings over Missouri in the 1970s.
  

• Edward J. Ruppelt — First director of Project Blue Book, known for trying to bring rigor to USAF UFO investigations.

• Jacques Vallée — Computer scientist and astronomer, collaborated with Hynek, author of Passport to Magonia and other works proposing UFOs as part of a control system interacting with human consciousness.

• John Keel — Journalist and author of The Mothman Prophecies, known for linking UFOs to broader paranormal phenomena.

• Stanton Friedman — Nuclear physicist and leading advocate of the Roswell incident as an alien crash.

• Philip J. Klass — Aviation journalist and prominent UFO skeptic, often referred to as the “dean of UFO debunkers.”

---

Abduction & Contact Research

• George Adamski — 1950s “contactee” who claimed regular meetings with aliens from Venus, widely dismissed but culturally influential.

• Budd Hopkins — Artist turned investigator of alien abductions, author of Missing Time.

• John Mack — Harvard psychiatrist who studied abductees, arguing their experiences were psychologically real and life-changing.

• David Jacobs — Historian and abduction researcher who claimed aliens are conducting hybridization programs; controversial for his hypnosis methods.

---

Scientists

• Avi Loeb — Harvard astrophysicist, founder of the Galileo Project, investigates interstellar objects and advocates a serious search for alien technology.

• Garry Nolan — Stanford biologist studying alleged UFO materials and health effects on military personnel; outspoken advocate for scientific study of UAP.

• Kevin Knuth — Physicist and former NASA scientist who argues for the scientific reality of UFO investigations.

• Sean Kirkpatrick — Physicist and first director of the Pentagon’s AARO office; stated publicly that no verified evidence of alien craft has been found.

• Mark McInerney — NASA’s Director of UAP Research, appointed in 2023 to coordinate scientific inquiry into the phenomenon.

• Seth Shostak — Senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, skeptical of UFO claims but advocates for scientific search for extraterrestrial life.

• Mick West — Science writer and debunker, founder of Metabunk, known for providing prosaic explanations for UFO videos.

---

Journalists & Media Figures

• Leslie Kean — Investigative journalist, co-author of the 2017 New York Times story that exposed the Pentagon’s AATIP program.

• Ralph Blumenthal — Journalist, co-reported the NYT story on AATIP and co-authored articles with Kean.

• George Knapp — Investigative reporter in Las Vegas, central to Bob Lazar’s story and the Skinwalker Ranch investigations.

• Jeremy Corbell — Filmmaker and podcaster, released leaked military UFO videos and produced documentaries on Skinwalker Ranch and Bob Lazar.

---

Government Programs & Organizations

• Project Sign, Grudge, Blue Book — USAF programs (1947–1969) that investigated UFO reports, culminating in Blue Book’s conclusion that UFOs were not a threat.

• MUFON — Civilian network for UFO reporting, founded in 1969, still active globally.

• NIDS (National Institute for Discovery Science) — Founded by Robert Bigelow in the 1990s, investigated paranormal and UFO phenomena, including Skinwalker Ranch.

• AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program) — Pentagon UFO study program (2007–2012) that came to light in 2017.

• AAWSAP (Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Application Program) — Broader DIA contract awarded to Bigelow’s BAASS, covered UFOs and paranormal topics.

• UAP Task Force (UAPTF) — DoD office created to investigate UFO reports before being replaced by AARO.

• AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) — Current Pentagon UFO office, tasked with collecting and analyzing UAP reports.

• Galileo Project — Harvard-based scientific initiative led by Avi Loeb, seeking physical evidence of alien technology.

• NASA UAP Study Team — Independent group commissioned by NASA to study UAP reports; published its first report in 2023.

• Americans for Safe Aerospace (AFSA) — Advocacy group founded by pilot Ryan Graves to support aviators reporting UAP.

---

Politicians (U.S.)

• Harry Reid — Former Senate Majority Leader who secured funding for AAWSAP.

• Kirsten Gillibrand — Senator leading modern efforts for UAP transparency and oversight.

• Marco Rubio — Senator advocating bipartisan UAP inquiry.

• Chuck Schumer — Senate Majority Leader, co-sponsor of the 2023 UAP Disclosure Act language.

• Mike Rounds — Senator who partnered with Schumer on UAP legislation.

• Tim Burchett — Congressman, vocal advocate for UFO transparency and disclosure.

• Anna Paulina Luna — Congresswoman pressing for hearings and UAP transparency.

• André Carson — Congressman who chaired the 2022 House Intelligence UAP hearing.

• Mike Gallagher — Congressman who authored amendments establishing a UAP reporting system.

• Martin Heinrich — Senator who has pressed the intelligence community on UAP matters.

• Bill Nelson — NASA Administrator, public supporter of scientific UAP studies.

---

Military & Whistleblowers

• Cmdr. David Fravor — Navy pilot and key witness in the 2004 Nimitz “Tic Tac” encounter.

• Ryan Graves — Former Navy pilot, reported regular UAP encounters on the U.S. East Coast, later founded AFSA.

• Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich — Navy pilot, Fravor’s wingman, also witnessed the Nimitz Tic Tac.

• Chad Underwood — Navy weapons officer who recorded the 2004 FLIR “Tic Tac” video.

• David Grusch — Former intelligence officer who testified in 2023 that the U.S. has recovered alien craft and bodies.

• Jay Stratton — Intelligence official, led the UAP Task Force.

• Tim Phillips — Acting AARO director following Sean Kirkpatrick’s departure.

• Matthew Brown — Recent whistleblower who claims knowledge of a secret program called Immaculate Constellation, including psionics and consciousness aspects of UAP.

• Bob Lazar — Claimed to have worked on reverse-engineering alien craft at a site near Area 51 called S-4; widely known though unverified.

• Richard Doty — Former AFOSI officer accused of running disinformation campaigns against UFO researchers like Paul Bennewitz.

• Paul Bennewitz — Businessman who believed he had discovered alien signals near Kirtland AFB; story fueled Dulce base lore.

• Phil Schneider — Lecturer in the 1990s who claimed to have fought aliens in an underground base in Dulce, New Mexico.

• Bill Uhouse — Alleged insider who said he worked on alien craft simulators.

• Col. Philip Corso — Author of The Day After Roswell, claimed alien technology was seeded into U.S. industry.

• Don Phillips — Former USAF and Lockheed engineer, testified at Steven Greer’s Disclosure Project claiming he handled advanced alien-related technologies.

• Dylan Borland – Claims first-hand involvement with NHI and provided insider testimony about reverse engineering projects.
• Daniel Gockerell – Claims he witnessed a huge 300 foot triangular craft with no visible propulsion, no windows, no cockpit fly over the tree line and return a few times before shooting off.
• Matthew Livelsberger – Was a Green Beret and alleged drone pilot who sent a “manifesto style” email claiming  that the drones seen over sites in New Jersey were using gravitic propulsion systems developed by the U.S and China. In early 2025 he killed himself before his Tesla Cybertruck exploded, filled with fireworks outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas.

---

Industry & Contractors

• Robert Bigelow — Aerospace magnate, founded BAASS, funded UFO research, and owned Skinwalker Ranch.

• Colm Kelleher — Biochemist, worked with NIDS and BAASS, co-authored Hunt for the Skinwalker.

• Hal Puthoff — Physicist, worked on advanced propulsion and directed studies for AAWSAP.

• Eric Davis — Physicist, authored AAWSAP papers, associated with the controversial “Wilson memo.”

• Lockheed Martin Skunk Works — Advanced aerospace division often rumored to hold UFO technology, though never proven.

---

UK & International

• Nick Pope — Worked at the UK Ministry of Defence “UFO desk” (1991–1994), now a media commentator.

• David Clarke — British journalist and academic, key figure in revealing the Calvine UFO photo story.

• GEIPAN (France) — French government’s official UAP investigation bureau under CNES.

• CEFAA (Chile) — Chilean government’s UAP study office, has released notable UAP footage.

• Gen. Ricardo Bermúdez — Former head of CEFAA, publicly released Chilean UAP evidence.

• Brazilian Air Force officers — Especially Brig. Gen. Otávio Moreira Lima, involved in the 1986 “Night of UFOs” incident.

• Paul Hellyer — Former Canadian Defence Minister, later a prominent advocate of UFO disclosure.

---

Skinwalker & Paranormal

• Brandon Fugal — Real estate magnate, current owner of Skinwalker Ranch, central to ongoing studies and TV series.

• John Alexander — Retired U.S. Army colonel, involved in NIDS and paranormal/UFO-related defense studies.

---

Civilian Researchers & Activists

• Linda Moulton Howe — Journalist and documentarian, known for investigating cattle mutilations and UFOs.

• Richard Dolan — Historian and author of UFOs and the National Security State, advocate for UFO transparency.

• Grant Cameron — Canadian researcher, specialist in presidential UFO records.

• Dolores Cannon — Hypnotherapist, popularized alien contact and regression narratives.

---

Cultural Figures

• Art Bell — Creator and host of Coast to Coast AM, gave UFOs and paranormal topics massive late-night radio exposure.

• George Noory — Successor to Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM, continues UFO discussions on mainstream radio.

• Tom DeLonge — Musician (Blink-182), co-founded To The Stars Academy, helped push UFOs into mainstream policy debate.

• Travis Taylor — Physicist/engineer, TV personality on Skinwalker Ranch, reportedly consulted for the UAP Task Force.

---

Soviet & Russian UFO Programs

• SETKA-AN / SETKA-MO — Coordinated UFO research programs launched after the 1977 Petrozavodsk phenomenon, run by the Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Defense.

• Institute 22 — Secret Soviet project (1978–1990s) that investigated thousands of UFO reports.

• Unit 10003 — 1990s Russian Ministry of Defense program studying anomalies including UFO reports and psi research.

• Petrozavodsk Phenomenon (1977) — Widespread UFO sightings over northwest USSR and Scandinavia that spurred Soviet official investigations.

---

Mythic & Legendary

• Majestic 12 (MJ-12) — Alleged secret committee created by Truman in 1947, including figures like Roscoe Hillenkoetter, Vannevar Bush, James Forrestal, Nathan Twining, Hoyt Vandenberg, Detlev Bronk, Donald Menzel, Gordon Gray, Lloyd Berkner, Jerome Hunsaker, Robert Montague, and Sidney Souers. Widely considered a hoax but deeply influential in UFO lore.

• Dulce Base — Underground base in New Mexico, linked to Phil Schneider’s claims of alien firefights.

• Psionic UFO summoning — Fringe belief that psychic techniques can call or control UFOs; sometimes tied to newer whistleblower claims.