GEPAN/SEPRA: France''''s Pioneering Government UFO Investigation Agency

In 1977, the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) established the world’s first government-led UFO investigation agency—GEPAN (Groupe d’Étude des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés). The creation of this agency made France one of the most open countries in the world regarding the UFO phenomenon.

GEPAN was composed of engineers and scientists from CNES, dedicated to collecting and analyzing UFO reports. Their investigative methods were scientifically orthodox—including on-site inspections, physical sample analysis, radar data review, and psychological assessments of witnesses.

In 1988, GEPAN was renamed SEPRA (Service d’Expertise des Phénomènes de Rentrée Atmosphérique), continuing similar work but with reduced budget and scope. In 2005, SEPRA was replaced by GEIPAN—a more transparent agency that made its files publicly available online.

The existence of this French government UFO agency proves that: even without official recognition of “alien spacecraft,” governments can seriously investigate the UFO phenomenon using scientific methods. France’s approach has become a model for other countries.

📚 Sources

• CNES, “GEPAN Activity Reports” (1977-1988)
• SEPRA, “Annual Reports on Atmospheric Reentry Phenomena” (1988-2005)
• Bounias, M. “GEPAN: A Scientific Approach to UFOs” (1980)