GEIPAN
{{Short_description|French space research unit (founded in 1977)}}
{{Infobox organization
| full_name = Study and Information Group on Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena
| native_name = {{lang|fr|Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés}}
| logo = File:Geipan logo.svg
| formation = {{start_date_and_age|1977}}
| abbreviation = GEIPAN
| location = Toulouse, France
| type = Nonprofit
| founder = Claude Poher
| leader_name = Frederic Courtade
| key_people = Yves Sillard
| formerly = GEPAN, SEPRA
| parent_organization = French Space Agency
| website = {{URL|http://geipan.fr}}
}}
GEIPAN (an acronym in French for {{Lang|fr|Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés}}, or Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon Research and Information Group) ({{IPAc-en|g|aɪ|ˈ|p|ɑː|n}}) is a unit of the French space agency CNES based in Toulouse, whose brief is to investigate unidentified aerospace phenomena (UAP)GEIPAN is clearly focused on UFO study, but UAP (PAN in french) is meant to cover a much broader area than UFO (OVNI in french) as UFO may imply the presence of a physical object despite any actual evidence of it. and make its findings available to the public.
History and developments
GEIPAN was founded in 1977 as GEPAN ({{Lang|fr|Groupe d'Étude des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés}}, Study Group for Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena). Claude Poher was the inaugural director, {{Clarification needed span|under the permission|date=January 2025}} of then director general of CNES Yves Sillard.
GEPAN was renamed to SEPRA ({{Lang|fr|Service d'Expertise des Phénomènes de Rentrée Atmosphérique}}, Atmospheric Re-entry Phenomena Expertise Department) in 1988,{{Cite web |last=Kreidler |first=Marc |date=2009 |title=UFOs: an Assessment of Thirty Years of Official Studies in France |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/01/p47.pdf |website=Skeptical Inquirer |language=en-US}} and then to {{Lang|fr|Service d'Expertise des Phénomènes Rares Aérospatiaux}} ("rare aerospace phenomena expertise department") in 2000.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 2005, the research unit was renamed to GEIPAN.
The French Gendarmerie was instructed to channel data from reports of UFO 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 the Trans-en-Provence Case.
File:Ufo reports in france by year according of GEIPAN archives 1.png
In March 2007, GEIPAN started to make its [http://www.cnes-geipan.fr/index.php?id=202 archives available online] to the public. The same year, French skeptics criticized the quality of their investigative work, arguing the sightings were too quickly filed as unidentified.Rossoni, D., Maillot, E., & Déguillaume, E. (2007). Les ovnis du CNES – 30 ans d’études officielles. www.book-e-book.com. [http://www.zetetique.fr/page/doc.php?publication=1&ecritId=37 (extracts from the book in French)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927090104/http://www.zetetique.fr/page/doc.php?publication=1&ecritId=37 |date=2007-09-27 }}. Critical skeptical investigations of GEPAN's work. On March 26, 2007, the CNES' own report said that 28% of sightings remain unidentified.{{Cite web |url=https://cnes.fr/en/web/CNES-en/5866-geipan-uap-investigation-unit-opens-its-files.php |title=CNES report, March 26, 2007 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108170520/https://cnes.fr/en/web/CNES-en/5866-geipan-uap-investigation-unit-opens-its-files.php |url-status=dead }}
More recent reports of GEIPAN estimate the unidentified sightings at around 3%.{{Cite web |last=Costes |first=Vincent |date=2022-11-03 |title=Ovnis : comment travaillent les scientifiques pour étudier les phénomènes aérospatiaux non identifiés |url=http://theconversation.com/ovnis-comment-travaillent-les-scientifiques-pour-etudier-les-phenomenes-aerospatiaux-non-identifies-193467 |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Geipan {{!}} GEIPAN |url=https://www.cnes-geipan.fr/ |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=www.cnes-geipan.fr}}
Directors
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
= GEPAN period =
= SEPRA period =
= GEIPAN period =
- 2005 - 2009 Jacques Patenet
- 2009 - 2011 Yves Blanc
- 2011 - 2015 Xavier Passot{{Cite web |title=Nomination au GEIPAN: Xavier PASSOT {{!}} GEIPAN |url=https://www.cnes-geipan.fr/fr/actualites/nomination-xavier-passot |website=www.cnes-geipan.fr}}
- 2016 - 2019 Jean-Paul Aguttes{{Cite web |title=Interview de Jean-Paul Aguttes, du Geipan : « L'extraterrestre fait partie du job » |url=https://www.cieletespace.fr/actualites/interview-de-jean-paul-aguttes-du-geipan-l-extraterrestre-fait-partie-du-job |website=Ciel & Espace |language=fr}}
- 2019 - 2020 Roger Baldacchino{{Cite web |last=@NatGeoFrance |date=2021-09-22 |title=Qui se cache derrière le GEIPAN, le « bureau des ovnis » en France ? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/espace/qui-se-cache-derriere-le-geipan-le-bureau-des-ovnis-en-france |website=National Geographic |language=fr}}
- 2021 - 2023 Vincent Costes
- 2024 - now Frederic Courtade{{Cite web |last=Friscourt |first=Baptiste |date=2024-04-24 |title=The New Director of GEIPAN, France's Official UAP Investigative Office, Discusses Science and the Study of Aerial Mysteries |url=https://thedebrief.org/the-new-director-of-geipan-frances-official-uap-investigative-office-discusses-science-and-the-study-of-aerial-mysteries/ |website=The Debrief |language=en-US}}
{{div col end}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.cnes-geipan.fr/ GEIPAN official site]
- [http://www.cnes.fr/web/5038-geipan.php Goals and history of GEIPAN] on the CNES website.
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090716113225/http://www.ufoevidence.org/newsite/files/GEPANSEPRA.pdf From GEPAN to SEPRA: Official UFO studies in France] (International UFO Review, winter 2000–2001), the earlier years of GEIPAN related by Gildas Bourdais.
{{UFOs}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Government responses to UFOs
Category:1977 establishments in France
Category:Organizations established in 1977