By John Greenewald, Jr. – The Black Vault – Originally Published March 12, 2020
On October 17th, 2019, public-benefit corporation To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science (TTSA) issued a press release that they created an agreement with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) to “advance materiel and technology innovations.” This collaboration is called a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement or CRADA (pronounced CRAY-DUH). Details were scarce in the original press release, but The Black Vault was quickly able to contact the Army; secure a copy of the CRADA agreement; and then publish it the next day. Now, the U.S. Army seems to be a bit less forthcoming about releasing detail, as they denied the release of numerous documents that were requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that may have shed additional light on the research.
The U.S. Army’s 2019 release of the CRADA to The Black Vault offered a glimpse into what it was about. “To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science is a company with material and technology innovations that offer capability advancements for Army ground vehicles,” the agreement outlined. “[TTSA] will share their discoveries with CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center Ground Vehicle Survivability and Protection (GVSP), who will use Government laboratories and resources to characterize the technologies and find applications on ground vehicles.”
Metamaterial Mystery
The ‘material’ referenced in the agreement ties into the acquisition of numerous pieces of metamaterial by TTSA. On September 27, 2018, TTSA issued a press release outlining that they had, “… collected seven pieces of material, from multiple sources, to study for The ADAM Research Project. Each sample represents different elements of potential Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and how they operate.” (It should be noted that the number of pieces acquired by TTSA has grown since the original publication of their 2018 press release.)
Metamaterials are defined as material that is structured and does not resemble anything that naturally occurs. There are many uses of metamaterials being explored today, which include them being used for medical devices, aerospace applications, solar power, communication and even invisibility cloaking.
There are mixed feelings by investors about the collaboration with the Army. Danny Silva, an investor who blogs about TTSA related issues, including metamaterials, posts his work on his site called the Silva Record and is fully supportive of the agreement. “Many of us are disclosure advocates and we don’t care if disclosure comes from the government, TTSA, the invisible college, The Black Vault or anywhere else. We just want the truth out, no matter what it is. No matter how great or how ugly it is,” Silva told The Black Vault. “It’s amazing that the Army is interested in seeing what TTSA can come up with. It’s positive movement for the UFO subject as a whole.”
Arthur Iglesias, an investor from the United Kingdom, told The Black Vault, “[I’m] very happy with it. CRADAs were designed to speed the commercialization of technology,” he said. “It provides a support network that will empower TTSA and it’s efforts.”
Attorney and TTSA investor Nathan Hendrickson has also has kept a close eye on TTSA and the developments with their acquired pieces of metamaterial. He was not surprised that they wanted to analyze the pieces they had collected in a professional manner; however, he was dismayed at the involvement of the Army. “TTSA sending metamaterials to the Army isn’t what they implied they were going to do a couple of years back,” Hendrickson opined. “The inference was all of this stuff, their research, their technology, was going to be for the public good and benefit.”
TTSA appears to understand the concerns of the general public, and their shareholders, but they stand by their decision that the Army will provide them exactly what they need to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The Black Vault spoke directly with the team of spokespeople at TTSA about these concerns, and in response, they referenced their “Frequently Asked Questions” section of their website to alleviate any worry the general public may have. “The U.S. Army’s positive response to the high-profile nature of this agreement and To The Stars Academy’s mutual approval to publicly release the details of the CRADA displays the willingness and desire to be transparent with the public,” the page reads. “As a technology leader, the U.S. Government can provide exceptional resources to accelerate testing and analysis that otherwise would be cost-prohibitive to a start-up the size of To The Stars Academy.”
The FOIA and Corporate Secrecy
Immediately after the CRADA was published by The Black Vault in 2019, multiple FOIA requests were filed to dig deeper into what it was all about. This included seeking communications between TTSA and the Army about the agreement. A second asked for e-mails that were sent either to or from Dr. Joseph Cannon, one of the principal investigators for the Government, which talked about TTSA. These requests would likely offer insight into the full objectives behind the agreement, including potentially new revelations or even clues about the material testing.
However, each document discovered by the Army as responsive to these requests; were denied in full.
“There are twenty-nine (29) emails totaling one hundred (100) pages,” CCDC FOIA Officer and Records Manager Joy L. Linton told The Black Vault. Linton cited FOIA exemptions (b)(4) and (b)(5) to withhold the records, which are respectively explained as “trade secrets and commercial or financial information” and “privileged communications with or between agencies, including those protected by deliberative process privilege.”
TTSA investor Hendrickson is let down at the Army’s response to The Black Vault’s FOIA request, but not surprised. “I don’t like it, but that’s the nature of the military beast. While I’m glad that these mysterious metamaterials are being looked at by professionals, it’s frustrating in that it looks like [TTSA has] a five year contract with the Army, so we aren’t going to get any information on these materials for at least five years, if not more, if ever.”
Silva also felt it was nothing out of the ordinary, but believes TTSA will be forthcoming about the results in the end. “The FOIA denials stating the ball is in TTSA’s court I would assume are somewhat standard. That doesn’t surprise me,” he explained. “Plus, the CRADA has just begun. Only time will tell how TTSA chooses to proceed IF the tests come back positive, anomalous, or whatever they might be. I don’t think it’s fair to speculate, but eventually I would expect the public would hear something from TTSA if the results are interesting.”
Iglesias is positive, but actually feels secrecy may be warranted if TTSA shields the results. “I feel like they would share relevant scientific information with the public and the scientific community,” he outlined. “[But I] don’t think they will share information that could empower potential competitors in the future.”
When TTSA was asked by The Black Vault about sharing the results with the public; details were not forthcoming. “We cannot comment on when and where results will be published in the future, but TTSA is committed to responsible reporting that upholds the highest standards of reliability and integrity,” they said in a statement.
Whatever is found during the testing of the metamaterials, it may take years until it is revealed to the public. According to Army Regulation 70–57, which governs all actions taken when it comes to CRADAs, “… the results of tests performed with services made available by an Army laboratory, center, range, or other testing facility for the testing of materials, equipment, models, computer software, and other items are confidential and may not be disclosed outside the Federal Government without the consent of the persons for whom the tests are performed.”
Doug Halleaux, Public Affairs Officer for the Army’s CCDC GVSC, reinforced the fact that the Army would not be releasing information any time soon. In a statement to The Black Vault, Halleaux said that, “As a general rule, we try not to release details on collaborative work until the work itself has reached a conclusion. This keeps us from giving a false impression about the work being done, or what results may develop.”
This means that the Army won’t be releasing any additional information through FOIA, or their public affairs office, on the CRADA. The release of additional details, test results or even the long-shot possibility that at least one piece of metamaterial is a piece of an extraterrestrial spacecraft will all rely on TTSA’s willingness to release it to the general public.
To add to the increasing level of secrecy surrounding the agreement, those investigators and first-hand witnesses who own the pieces of metamaterial that are currently in the possession of TTSA, have found themselves under an oath of silence. It was discovered that when The Black Vault reached out to at least one person related to the metamaterial(s) in 2019 for comment, they were unable to speak on the record regarding anything related to their agreement. Anything related to the testing results on their piece(s); the updates on where it was at; or facts about the full arrangement were all locked down as they were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). It is believed that most, if not all, of those individuals involved with supplying pieces of the metamaterial have signed the same.
According to TTSA, prohibiting the owners/witnesses of the metamaterial from talking is a “common practice” to protect respective Intellectual Property (IP). TTSA told The Black Vault in a statement that, “NDAs are common practice for organizations to protect intellectual property, including the prevention of premature announcements or proclamations by third parties that are yet to be thoroughly analyzed, independently verified and responsibly communicated.”
The CRADA Today
It has now been nearly 5 months since the CRADA was first announced by TTSA. With a planned five year arrangement between the Army and TTSA, it is unclear what the actual timetable for testing is.
Out of the number of pieces TTSA has acquired, will all of them be tested? When will they be tested? When will the results be available? Many questions linger.
At this point, the public is being told very little. FOIA channels; Army public affairs; and TTSA itself have not produced anything about the testing or the results (if any exist). According to the CRADA, it is not until September of 2020, when the first milestone review takes place, but it is still unknown when the actual testing will occur prior to that date.
When the Army was asked by The Black Vault about the status of metamaterial testing, or if testing began, the answer was simple: “I don’t know…” Halleaux told The Black Vault.
When TTSA was asked the same; they had nothing to add either. “TTSA doesn’t have any new information to share at this time on the testing of the materials, outside of what was included in the CRADA FAQ,” they said. “That’s the latest.”
But What If?
But what if the testing results turn out to show irrefutably, that at least one of the pieces being tested is extraterrestrial? Some investigators and researchers within the “UFO Community” have long believed that the military is complicit and they play a large role in the overall UFO cover-up. So, it seems strange that a corporation aiming to end that secrecy, would choose the military as one of the first outside their own organization, to be privy to the test results.
In other words, if this all really does turn out to be “alien”; how will the Army react?
According to the Army, they are not even interested in the potential “alien” aspect. The Army sent statements to The Black Vault in 2019, and reiterated the same sentiment for this article in 2020, that it just doesn’t matter to them about the origin; they just want to see if it will benefit them.
Army spokesperson Hallieux said, “As far as the materials — the Army’s interest is in the potential for novel materials and exploring the edges of materials science, any speculation as to their origin is (pardon the pun) immaterial. Our team is always excited to look at something new, whether it’s materials or technologies, capabilities or processes.”
If you’re reading this and have a budding concern that if that “what if?” scenario plays out, then the U.S. Army will take the metamaterials and classify it in the interest of national security; you’re probably not alone. When TTSA was asked to respond to that concern; they declined. Rather, they referred again to their FAQ page on the website, which reinforces the intent of transparency, but does not address any potential risk of classification or confiscation should a national security concern arise on the side of Uncle Sam.
Regardless of that risk, it may not even matter. In the eyes of the FOIA and Army regulation, we likely will not be hearing anything from the Army any time soon. For now, it all seems to be solely reliant on TTSA’s willingness to share their information with the public.
The question now — is will they?
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“We cannot comment on when and where results will be published in the future, but TTSA is committed to responsible reporting that upholds the highest standards of reliability and integrity.”
2) I did learn about the non-disclosure agreements that those had to sign who loaned and/or sold pieces of metamaterials to TTSA. Is there a reason why TTSA required NDA’s?
“NDAs are common practice for organizations to protect intellectual property, including the prevention of premature announcements or proclamations by third parties that are yet to be thoroughly analyzed, independently verified and responsibly communicated.”
3) I believe the consensus at TTSA is that the military is part of a) ignoring the UAP threat (I am in full agreement) and b) part of essentially a cover-up regarding the topic. That said, can I ask why TTSA feels the U.S. Army is the best place to take the metamaterials for testing and “showing your cards” so to speak to the military first?
“This topic is covered by TTSA’s CRADA FAQ here: http://dpo.tothestarsacademy.com/blog/crada-faq”
4) Is there a concern that if the material tested at the CCDC comes back with indications that it is extraterrestrial – the US Army may classify the finding in the interest of national security?
“This topic is covered by TTSA’s CRADA FAQ here: http://dpo.tothestarsacademy.com/blog/crada-faq”
5) Has TTSA begun testing on materials? If so, can any details or test results be shared?
“TTSA doesn’t have any new information to share at this time on the testing of the materials, outside of what was included in the CRADA FAQ. That’s the latest.”
(Quotes were submitted after a telephone conversation. No written questions were submitted to Mr. Hendrickson.)
“I’ve known since before last year’s shareholder meeting that one of TTSA’s goals was to get their own lab. They said as much at the meeting itself, so the CRADA announcement came as no surprise.”
“While I wish that any metamaterials could be analyzed by ‘one of us’ so to speak with any results immediately released to the public, The fact is that none of us own our own lab capable of doing sophisticated metallurgical research, along with the research staff and infrastructure to support it. We also don’t own our own space and air radars, sonars, etc. The very nature of what we are talking about almost requires some type of state sponsorship unless a major private university is willing to step up.”
“TTSA sending metamaterials to the Army isn’t what they implied they were going to do a couple of years back. The inference was all of this stuff, their research, their technology, was going to be for the public good and benefit. It seems that as time has gone on, TTSA has now morphed their primary mission into being a defense sub-contractor, at least as far as metamaterials goes.”
“While I’m glad that these mysterious metamaterials are being looked at by professionals, it’s frustrating in that it looks like they have a five year contract with the Army, we aren’t going to get any information on these materials for at least five years, if not more, if ever.”
“It’s not surprising that the Army FOIA responses are flaccid. I don’t like it, but that’s the nature of the military beast. I do wish that TTSA had a better public and/or investor relations team to better communicate the current state of the various projects within TTSA, including the metamaterials.”
1) As an investor, are you happy about the agreement with the Army and TTSA?
“I invested minimally in TTSA. More as a donation than as an investment. Some may say that effects my reporting, but to think I have spent all this time, including blood sweat and tears, just to get a return on a small investment is ridiculous. I’d invest in Vallee/Nolan (who are also testing materials) if I was able to. Many of us are disclosure advocates and we don’t care if disclosure comes from the government, TTSA, the invisible college, The Black Vault or anywhere else. We just want the truth out, no matter what it is. No matter how great or how ugly it is.
Before the CRADA some critics were saying TTSA was only an entertainment company. It’s amazing that the Army is interested in seeing what TTSA can come up with. It’s positive movement for the UFO subject as a whole.”
2) Do you feel the Army / military is the best place to take potential pieces of a UFO that may turn out to be one of the biggest discoveries of mankind?
“TTSA may be trying to utilize what resources they can. Since the Army has in essence offered to share or donate resources, I think that’s great. We have to remember how much money and effort it takes to do what they are attempting. Since all of us…reporters, bloggers, fans, investors and members of the UFO community (etc.) are not running similar endeavors, trying to test multiple samples comprehensively, or spending the lump sums to do so, I’m not sure we would have an accurate idea of where the best place to take potential or alleged pieces of a UFO would be. Most people and groups don’t have the access, money, time and support. Even some scientists seem to struggle with this.
I think a fair question to ask is, “Would TTSA have entered the CRADA if they had billions of dollars to invest on their own?” I don’t know the answer to that, but will try to find out in the future. I don’t, and neither do many of us, know the pluses and minuses the CRADA brings from an intimate standpoint. We are looking in as outsiders.”
3) Do you have concerns that *IF* there is an extraterrestrial connection behind any of the pieces, do you fear the Army may classify it in the interest of national security and confiscate it?
“It’s a general concern for people, however, when you dig deeper I believe there is wording in the CRADA and in TTSA public statements guarding against this. I would hope it’s not the case. TTSA seems to be in control of the findings on their end. Let me get a little conspiratorial and speculate. If the goal was to swallow this up, why enter a public CRADA in the first place? Wouldn’t this research have been done quietly behind the scenes from the get go? I’m aware of different critiques and (conspiracy?) theories about why the CRADA has happened. They range from unfair to valid questions. Listening to everything helps me know what avenues to explore. Maybe more concerns will be addressed in time.”
4) I recently received denials seeking information from the Army under the Freedom of Information Act. They denied all communications with TTSA, about TTSA, and information about the CRADA as privliged information and corporate secrets. I also have quotes from the Army backed up by official regulation, that test results will not be released without the permission of who the agreement is with. In this case, TTSA has to make the call to release information, it appears. Do you feel TTSA will immediately share the information with the public? In what way?
“The FOIA denials stating the ball is in TTSA’s court I would assume are somewhat standard. That doesn’t surprise me. Plus, the CRADA has just begun. Only time will tell how TTSA chooses to proceed IF the tests come back positive, anomalous, or whatever they might be. I don’t think it’s fair to speculate, but eventually I would expect the public would hear something from TTSA if the results are interesting.”
5) In the process of covering TTSA, I learned they made all of the ‘owners’ of the metamaterials sign non-disclosure agreements, so none of them can talk about results or go on the record about their piece(s) they have acquired. Do you agree with that level of secrecy?
“I haven’t heard this is the case, however, I haven’t looked into it, so it may be accurate. I can try to look into this in the future on my end. If people are asked to sign NDAs, some seem to be breaking them. I’ve reported on people claiming to have given TTSA material samples and these people are talking about it publicly, on the record. I’ve later been able to confirm their claims. If they are signing NDAs, not everyone is following them. If NDAs are being signed, since I’m not in the position of carrying out a similar endeavor, I wouldn’t expect to have an accurate opinion on this and be in a place to say whether I agree or disagree with it. I would speculate that TTSA, and possibly the Army, might not want parties making announcements on their behalf. They could be trying to safe guard against this. Although like I said, it doesn’t seem to be working in every case.”
6) How do you think this entire saga will turn out? What do you feel the test results on the metamaterials will reveal, if we are to learn what they are?
“The individuals behind the aliases in Dr. Pasulka’s book “American Cosmic” seemed to be somewhat confident the artifacts they had were special. Right or wrong, that level of confidence is exciting. Minus Tom DeLonge, we haven’t seen statements that blatant coming from the rest of TTSA. TTSA have stayed pretty conservative.
Overall, I’m not sure how it’s going to play out. I can only speak about what some of the UFO community are hoping for. First, we have to remember that TTSA isn’t the only group testing material. I think that’s great. If TTSA doesn’t succeed, then maybe Vallee/Nolan or some other group will, or vice versa. What the UFO community wants is this to be some sort of proof that “we” can take to the public to convince them of the phenomenon, or at least that something odd is going on. A secondary hope is that it can be back engineered or otherwise utilized for good. If the Army gets access to this and possibly also uses it to strengthen, or give an edge to our military, I don’t think it should be viewed as a bad thing. Especially if it saves lives of our troops. If the United States doesn’t do it, surely other countries won’t think twice before they do. And on the other side TTSA can release findings on their own.
I am concerned that test results will come back what some consider positive and the public still won’t accept it. Somewhat similar to what we have seen with the Nimitz encounters. Overall, the Nimitz encounters have had an amazing effect on the world and changed everything, but they weren’t the smoking gun, “game over” scenario they should have been, as far as public perception goes. Too many people have never heard of the Nimitz encounters. (But the battle to get the public aware of the Nimitz encounters is far from over.)
We know from the history of the UFO community, politics, and current human behavior in general, when the results come back everyone will be debating what they mean.
There is another very possible scenario; none of the materials come back as special. Or they come back odd/interesting but inconclusive. At least with multiple groups testing materials it seems we may be getting the best of all worlds, as far as the approaches go. This is an exciting time. If the results come back inconclusive it will be disappointing, but not a dealbreaker. However, if the results come back positive…we are living in a new world.”
1) As an investor, are you happy about the agreement with the Army and TTSA?
“Yes, very happy with it. C.R.A.D.A.S were designed to speed the commercialization of technology, it provides a support network that will empower TTSA and it’s efforts.”
2) Do you feel the Army / military is the best place to take potential pieces of a UFO that may turn out to be one of the biggest discoveries of mankind?
“Yes I do. The army answers to the President and the president answers to the People (at least in principle, right). So if you want to keep this democratic, you got to go through Government. If there’s potentially a National Security issue to the topic, then the military is the right place to go.”
3) Do you have concerns that *IF* there is an extraterrestrial connection behind any of the pieces, do you fear the Army may classify it in the interest of national security and confiscate it?
“Not really. The army would not go at it with a CRADA if it had intentions of concealing this. If they suspect it might be ET, then they seem to be ok with bringing that forward. Surely not every little sordid detail about it, but the CRADA tells me they’re ok with having that conversation.”
4) I recently received denials seeking information from the Army under the Freedom of Information Act. They denied all communications with TTSA, about TTSA, and information about the CRADA as privliged information and corporate secrets. I also have quotes from the Army backed up by official regulation, that test results will not be released without the permission of who the agreement is with. In this case, TTSA has to make the call to release information, it appears. Do you feel TTSA will immediately share the information with the public? In what way?
“I feel like they would share relevant scientific information with the public and the scientific community, as that is one of the points of CRADA deals. I wouldn’t expect them to address the E,T. question tho, as they can’t answer for the government. And don’t think they will share information that could empower potential competitors in the future also.”
5) In the process of covering TTSA, I learned they made all of the ‘owners’ of the metamaterials sign non-disclosure agreements, so none of them can talk about results or go on the record about their piece(s) they have acquired. Do you agree with that level of secrecy?
“I agree. Once TTSA endorses a material, it has to protect itself as a company. If the properties of these materials are of proprietary value, then it makes sense they would be under NDAs.”
6) How do you think this entire saga will turn out? What do you feel the test results on the metamaterials will reveal, if we are to learn what they are?
“I think this will end up with TTSA demonstrating antigravity. That’s what they expect to be able to do with this CRADA. They have a decent physics theory that explains it and allows for it to exist (courtesy of Hal Puthoff) to go along with their findings. From that point on, the ball is down in Trump’s court.”
1) The denial from the Army essentially locks the public out of seeing anything relating to the agreement via FOIA. Can you comment on these types of (b)(4) and (b)(5) denials? (I am not framing this as any type of cover-up. Rather, I am showing it’s rather normal to protect corporate secrets. I just am seeking a line or two from the Army justifying it).
“I really have to defer to my colleague and the FOIA officer who actioned your request, Joy Linton, on this one. As a general rule in Public Affairs, we try to release everything that’s applicable that we can (and have in our possession) that would otherwise be releasable under FOIA. For us, transparency is no small issue, and it saves everyone time, to boot. Again, none of this is intended to directly address information that wasn’t releasable through the FOIA, but to provide context to the FOIA release exemptions.”
2) Have there been any tests done yet under this CRADA? Is there any update the Army can share about the agreement? When results are available, does the Army have any plans to release information on how the test results will be/can be applied to Army technology? If so, how?
“I’ll address each in turn.. Have there been any tests done yet under this CRADA? I don’t know yet. As a general rule, we try not to release details on collaborative work until the work itself has reached a conclusion. This keeps us from giving a false impression about the work being done, or what results may develop.
Is there any update the Army can share about the agreement? The CRADA itself remains unchanged since its signing.
When results are available, does the Army have any plans to release information on how the test results will be/can be applied to Army technology? I don’t have an answer to this, and I probably won’t know what we’ll be able to release, if anything, until the conclusion of the collaboration. If we do have information to release, it’ll be through our standard mechanisms– we develop a news release, post it to DVIDS (www.dvidshub.net), Army.mil (www.army.mil), and direct-send to our media lists (which you’re on). From a Public Affairs perspective, it doesn’t do us a whole lot of good to release information, hoping that nobody sees it!”
3) The material being tested at the Army’s labs is continued to be touted as pieces from UFOs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). This, obviously, has created a lot of controversy and questions. Previously, you had stated: ” As far as the materials– the Army’s interest is in the potential for novel materials and exploring the edges of materials science, any speculation as to their origin is (pardon the pun) immaterial. Our team is always excited to look at something new, whether it’s materials or technologies, capabilities or processes.” Is there any update/amendment/addition I can add as to the Army’s stance of such claims. Again, the speculation comes not from the public or media, but rather, the organization that the Army has the CRADA with, which is why I am seeking the Army’s stance on the claims of origin. (One source of the claim from TTSA: https://dpo.tothestarsacademy.com/blog/material-of-interest-magnesium-zinc-bismuth)
“No change here– our position remains the same. As a general statement, our scientists and engineers have a passionate curiosity that serves the Army, and their disciplines, extremely well.”
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This post was published on March 12, 2020 12:57 pm
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