Episode 378: Project Blue Book: Real Life X-Files

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look to the skies (or at least to those who looked to the skies), and we explore the infamous Project Blue Book. From 1952 until 1969, Project Blue Book was the US Air Force’s official investigation into Unidentified Flying Objects. In fact, that’s where we get the term UFO! It ranged from amazingly scientific and rigorous in its search for the truth all the way to a joke of government disinformation, depending on who was in charge of it.

The main man in charge was named Captain Edward Ruppelt. He was decorated airman from WWII, and after the failures of previous USAF flying saucer investigations (Project Sign and Project Grudge), he was chosen to head this thing up. His task was basic on one level: discover if UFOs were a threat to national security. However, it got more tricky when dealing with levels of red tape, command structures, and a stigma for pilots not to talk about the strange things they saw in the skies.

Ruppelt fixed this by getting Project Blue Book command over ride, so they had the authority to step out of the chain of command to complete their investigations. He also used a think tank to create the largest ever UFO database full of actionable statistical data. If someone on his team was to pro or too con, he’d fire them. He aimed to have Project Blue Book be as neutral, objective, scientific, and accurate as could be.

However, all good things come to an end. Eventually, he took another temporary assignment and came back to find his beloved project gutted. After that a series of other jokers were given command of the project, and they ran it into the ground, blaming everhting on swamp gas and sighting of Jupiter and weather balloons

So, what brought about the end of Project Blue Book? What was the Robertson Panel, and how did it impact the government, Air Force, and Blue Book? What was Project Blue Book Special Report Number 14, and what conclusions did it come to about UFOs and aliens? Of the over 12,000 cases they investigated, how many were valid mysteries? How does Walt Disney play into this, and what did he have to do with spreading UFO disinformation for the government? Listen, laugh, learn.

FBI Document on Blue Book: https://vault.fbi.gov/Project%20Blue%20Book%20%28UFO%29%20

National Archives Statement on Blue Book and the Freedom of Information Act: https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos.html