Nick Pope
Encyclopedia
Nick Pope worked for 21 years at the British Government's Ministry of Defence
from 1985 to 2006. He is best-known for a job that he did from 1991 to 1994, where his duties included investigating reports of UFO sightings, to see if they had any defence significance. He now works as a freelance journalist and media commentator.
At the time, while the Ministry of Defence stated that it "remains totally open-minded" about the existence or otherwise of extraterrestrial lifeforms”, it also stated that there was no evidence to suggest that any UFO sightings posed any threat to the UK or that they were extraterrestrial in origin. It is clear from material that Pope wrote whilst still at the MoD that he did not share the MoD's view that conventional explanations could be found for all UFO sightings.
Pope's final posting in the MoD was to the Directorate of Defence Security. He resigned in 2006 and in 2009 MoD announced that UFO sightings would no longer be investigated.
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He also does work for a number of film companies and PR agencies, promoting the release of science fiction films.
is Pope's autobiographical account of his interest in ufology
. It provides an overview of the UFO
phenomenon, with the emphasis on Pope's three-year tour of duty as the Ministry of Defence's UFO desk officer. Pope also discusses the politics surrounding the way in which those within government and the military view UFO-phenomena.
Pope has also written two science fiction novels, Operation Thunder Child
and its sequel Operation Lightning Strike.
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
from 1985 to 2006. He is best-known for a job that he did from 1991 to 1994, where his duties included investigating reports of UFO sightings, to see if they had any defence significance. He now works as a freelance journalist and media commentator.
Ministry of Defence
Pope joined the Ministry of Defence in 1985. After serving in a number of different posts, he was assigned in 1991 to a section of Secretariat (Air Staff) known as Sec (AS) 2a, where his duties included investigating reports of UFO sightings, to see if they had any defence significance.At the time, while the Ministry of Defence stated that it "remains totally open-minded" about the existence or otherwise of extraterrestrial lifeforms”, it also stated that there was no evidence to suggest that any UFO sightings posed any threat to the UK or that they were extraterrestrial in origin. It is clear from material that Pope wrote whilst still at the MoD that he did not share the MoD's view that conventional explanations could be found for all UFO sightings.
Pope's final posting in the MoD was to the Directorate of Defence Security. He resigned in 2006 and in 2009 MoD announced that UFO sightings would no longer be investigated.
Media work
In November 2006, he resigned from his post at the MOD, saying the government's "X-Files have been closed down." He continues his research and investigation in a private capacity and now works as a freelance journalist and media commentator, covering subjects that include the unexplained, conspiracy theories, space, science fiction and fringe scienceFringe science
Fringe science is scientific inquiry in an established field of study that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories, and is classified in the "fringes" of a credible mainstream academic discipline....
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He also does work for a number of film companies and PR agencies, promoting the release of science fiction films.
Books
Open Skies, Closed MindsOpen Skies, Closed Minds
Open Skies, Closed Minds, a book on ufology, expresses the views of Nick Pope, a former UFO investigator with the British Ministry of Defence ....
is Pope's autobiographical account of his interest in ufology
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
. It provides an overview of the UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
phenomenon, with the emphasis on Pope's three-year tour of duty as the Ministry of Defence's UFO desk officer. Pope also discusses the politics surrounding the way in which those within government and the military view UFO-phenomena.
Pope has also written two science fiction novels, Operation Thunder Child
Operation Thunder Child
Operation Thunder Child is a book by British civil servant Nick Pope. It is the prequel to his novel Operation Lightning Strike. He is most notably known for working in for the British Ministry of Defence on the subject of unidentified flying objects. Operation Thunder Child was first published in...
and its sequel Operation Lightning Strike.