AARO Releases Findings on Suspected Extraterrestrial Alloy

Document: Synopsis: Analysis of a Metallic Specimen Agency: All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Date: 2023 Notable: AARO's investigation into a magnesium alloy specimen claimed to be from a crashed extraterrestrial vehicle. The document is a report detailing the analysis of the specimen, which was released to the public through The Black Vault on July 11, 2024. The release is attributed to AARO, with a FOIA case number not provided. Synopsis: Analysis of a Metallic Specimen The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) sponsored a series of measurements on a layered material specimen primarily composed of magnesium and zinc, with bands of bismuth and other co-located trace elements. The material specimen, whose origin and purpose are of long and debated history, is claimed to be recovered from an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) crash in or around 1947. Furthermore, the specimen's physiochemical properties are claimed to make the material capable of "inertial mass reduction" (i.e., levitation or antigravity functionality), possibly attributable to the material's bismuth and magnesium layers acting as a terahertz waveguide. AARO, founded in 2022, is congressionally mandated to explore historical records of UAP incidents and publicly report its findings. Although the long chain of custody for this specimen cannot be verified, public and media interest in the specimen warranted a transparent investigation that adhered to the scientific method. Subsequent to the TTSA-DEVCOM CRADA, AARO secured science and technology partner Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to independently assess and perform thorough characterization studies on the specimen. ORNL materials science analyses evaluated the sample's structure, chemical composition, and isotope ratios via multiple methods, including microscopy, spectroscopy, and spectrometry. Results align with previous DEVCOM analyses, indicating that the structure and composition of the bismuth layers do not meet the requirements necessary to serve as a terahertz waveguide. Furthermore, all data strongly support that the material is terrestrial in origin. Methods All analyses and materials utilization were authorized and overseen by TTSA via the DEVCOM CRADA, and all analyses were preapproved by AARO and DEVCOM before ORNL received the specimen. Morphology and microstructural characteristics were investigated using the following techniques: optical microscopy, computerized tomography, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Results Data are consistent across multiple imaging approaches, showing that the material consists of distinct layers that merge and diverge at various points throughout the material. Interfaces showed fractures and other features that ORNL determined are consistent with a material that was originally whole but was strained by heat exposure and mechanical forces, possibly for extended periods. Chemical Composition Analysis using SEM-EDS determined that magnesium and zinc are the primary elements present in the specimen, comprising approximately 97.5% and 2% of the material, respectively. Minor elements detected were lead (Pb) and bismuth (Bi), with lesser trace amounts of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) revealed the presence of small amounts of cadmium (Cd), thallium (Tl), gold (Au), molybdenum (Mo), tin (Sn), and barium (Ba). This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. Storyflo.com, https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/dod/ORNL-Synopsis_Analysis_of_a_Metallic_Specimen.pdf.