The French GEPAN / SEPRA:

As of 2003, only one official and scientific study of the UFO phenomenon has been conducted and it is positive. Only once in the world, a government asked a panel of scientist to study the phenomenon in order to come to some conclusions, and gave at least some means towards that end. It happened in France, the scientific group is the SEPRA (formerly GEPAN).

A promising start?

See the GEPAN objectives for 1978.

Conclusion of the GEPAN / SEPRA investigations:

The repeated conclusion is that among the investigated UFO cases, enough cases have been found in which there are strong evidence allowing the conclusion that there exists a number of cases in which there are flying machines directed by an intelligence with preformances are far beyond anything conceivable in the current state of humain aeronautic technologies.

An introductive interview:

This interview of the SEPRA responsible Jean Jacques Velasco is an excellent way to introduce the work and conclusion of the SEPRA study.

SEPRA sources include Army Police reports:

This document explains the relations between the French "Gendarmerie Nationale" (a part of the French army who deals with civilian police missions. A Gendarmerie Nationale's official duty is to collect and transmit to the SEPRA scientific panel any testimony, proof, picture, related to the UFO phenomenon. Gendarmerie takes great care of this, they never mock anyone reporting a UFO!

The SEPRA sometimes release an annoucement for the press on the CNES web site when they start to study a case.

SEPRA related documents:

Open Letter to the sceptics, by Jean-Jacques Velasco, SEPRA director.

Pictures from the GEPAN and SEPRA files.

Sample intervention as newspaper reported it.

This page was last updated on July 11, 2004.