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GEIPAN (an acronym for ''Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés'', or unidentified aerospace phenomenon research and information group). (), its name since September 2005. (The group was formerly known as GEPAN from 1977 to 1988, and SEPRA from 1988 to 2004), is a unit of the French Space Agency CNES whose brief is to investigate unidentified aerospace phenomena (UAP), and make its findings available to the public. The French
Gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
was instructed to channel data from reports of
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
sightings to SEPRA, which therefore was in a position to draw on a large database of such events. In cases where physical traces appeared to be present, SEPRA could call on the technical resources of CNES to perform a thorough scientific investigation. A famous example of such an investigation was in the Trans-en-Provence Case. In March 2007, GEIPAN started to make it
archives available online
to the public. French skeptics have criticized the quality of the work of the GEPAN.Rossoni, D., Maillot, E., & Déguillaume, E. (2007). Les ovnis du CNES – 30 ans d’études officielles. www.book-e-book.com
(extracts from the book in French)
. Critical skeptical investigations of GEPAN's work.


See also

* List of UFO organizations


References


External links

*
GEIPAN official site

Goals and history of GEIPAN
on the CNES website.
''From GEPAN to SEPRA: Official UFO studies in France''
(International UFO Review, winter 2000–2001), the earlier years of GEIPAN related by Gildas Bourdais. {{Authority control CNES Government responses to UFOs 1977 establishments in France Organizations established in 1977 Space program of France UFO organizations