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
The (CNES; French: ''Centre national d'études spatiales'') is the French government space agency (administratively, a "public administration with industrial and commercial purpose"). Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is und ...
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
The (CNES; French: ''Centre national d'études spatiales'') is the French government space agency (administratively, a "public administration with industrial and commercial purpose"). Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is und ...
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 onlineto 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
This is a list of notable non-governmental UFO organizations located around the world.
Belarus
* UfoCom
Estonia
* AKRAK (inactive)
Sweden
* Archives for the Unexplained (AFU)
Russia
* Kosmopoisk
United Kingdom
* British UFO Res ...
References
External links
*
GEIPAN official siteGoals and history of GEIPANon the
CNES
The (CNES; French: ''Centre national d'études spatiales'') is the French government space agency (administratively, a "public administration with industrial and commercial purpose"). Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is und ...
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