MYSTERY WIRE — Popular Mechanics has published a detailed history of the UFO video recorded in 2004 that has done so much to bring UFOs into public discourse.

The Flir1 video, and its subsequent release more than 13 years later, have driven mainstream media including the New York Times to investigate a topic long diminished as amusing stories not worthy of serious attention.

The history includes:

  • An analysis of how the video was taken from U.S. Navy computer servers
  • Who was responsible for doing that
  • How the video was posted publicly on a German server
  • The Above Top Secret conspiracy website’s role
  • Conflicts in the stories told by Navy pilots and support staff
  • Luis Elizondo‘s role in the request to release the video
  • A review of documents related to the video’s release
  • The determination of who was responsible for releasing the video before the Navy formally authorized it
  • Gaps in the chain of custody of the video

Read the history as compiled by Popular Mechanics

Even as the history was published on the web, debates about additional videos raged on, including references to the Thursday release of Mystery Wire’s extended interview with Elizondo:

This part of the interview sees Lue (former head of AATIP – pentagon UFO program) discuss the videos, and interestingly, if you listen carefully to how he chooses to word responses, you can draw a contextual picture.

Statement about Part 8 of the Knapp-Elizondo interview, referenced by the-unidentified.net

Popular Mechanics also attempted to have a leading digital forensic company, Primeau Forensics, verify the video’s integrity. Primeau declined to conclude the Flir1 video is “true and accurate” because of gaps in the digital chain of custody. But Primeau said the Navy should have all the relevant information to verify control of the video and certify it.

The video was declared authentic by the Navy in May 2019, about 18 months after the To The Stars Academy and the New York Times made it widely available.

The thorough work done here will be referenced for years to come.