- As New Jersey reports a series of mysterious drone sightings, a top Space Force leader said she didn’t want to answer questions about extraterrestrial life.
Chandra Donelson, the chief data and AI officer of the United States Space Force, didn’t want to talk about extraterrestrial life when the topic came up at Fortune’s Brainstorm AI conference this week.
“Do you believe there’s extraterrestrial life and do you think that’s something we should be looking at?” Fortune‘s Diane Brady asked, calling it a “palette cleanser” question amid a sprawling discussion about AI, space, and national security.
“Hey, what I’m gonna say—I’m not going to answer that—but there is an organization in the DOD [Department of Defense] that handles those particular questions and that mission area,” Donelson answered to audience laughs.
“What I will say, is that I know there is a TV series, a funny TV series, about the United States Space Force. But what I want to leave you with here today is that the mission of the United States Space Force is real.” Donelson continued, referencing the Netflix comedy of the agency’s name. “Every day thousands of guardians—men and women in uniform—are working around the clock to ensure that you and your families and your organizations and your businesses continue to have access to space data.”
Her comments on the subject come during a week of peculiar drone sightings across New Jersey that have left authorities baffled and sparked national debate.
The drones, described as being up to six feet in diameter, have been spotted flying at night, often with their lights off, and appear to avoid traditional detection methods. Many of the sightings have occurred near sensitive locations, including the Picatinny Arsenal military facility and former President Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
On Thursday, national security officials from the White House said a review found no immediate safety threats posed by the drones, which are larger than typical hobbyist aircraft. Still, authorities are investigating their origin and say they are not official government drones. The lack of clarity surrounding the mysterious sightings, which started last month and have been increasing in frequency, has Capitol Hill buzzing.
“We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal suggested this week.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said he was frustrated by the lack of information and worried about increasing online conspiracies about the drones.
“We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said.