BAASS (Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies)
| BAASS | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Private government contractor |
| Founder | Robert Bigelow |
| Established | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Contract | DIA AAWSAP, about $22 million (2008–2010) |
| Status | Defunct |
| Defunct | |
Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) was a Las Vegas company created in 2008 by businessman Robert Bigelow to perform the Defense Intelligence Agency’s AAWSAP contract. It was the only bidder on the September 2008 solicitation and received about $22 million over roughly two years.[1][2]
Work
BAASS employed several dozen people, with Colm Kelleher as deputy administrator. It built a database of UAP reports, sent investigators to cases, studied reported effects on witnesses, carried out research at Skinwalker Ranch in Utah, and commissioned the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRDs) on future technologies.[2]
The contract paperwork and 37 DIRDs were published by the Department of War in September 2026; see AAWSAP Contract Records and DIRDs.[3]
Assessment
Supporters, including former DIA program manager James Lacatski, describe BAASS as a serious, well-staffed effort cut short when funding ended. Critics point to the sole-bidder award to a company created by a friend of Senator Harry Reid and to research on paranormal topics at Skinwalker Ranch. Its UAP case files have not been fully released.
See also
Further reading
- James T. Lacatski, Colm A. Kelleher & George Knapp (2021). Skinwalkers at the Pentagon (Amazon)
References
- ^ The Black Vault, archive of the 2008 AAWSAP bid solicitation (HHM402-08-R-0211) and related records.
- ^ Lacatski, J. T., Kelleher, C. A., & Knapp, G. (2021). Skinwalkers at the Pentagon. RTMA.
- ^ U.S. Department of War (2026). PURSUE Release 06, DOW-UAP-D110 to D153. war.gov/ufo.