Astronaut Believes Aliens Exist, Warns of Space Warfare

Winston Scott, a veteran NASA astronaut who completed two space shuttle missions in the 1990s, has expressed his conviction that intelligent extraterrestrial life exists, attributing this belief to the sheer scale of the universe.

"I do believe there is life someplace else out there in the universe," Scott stated in a recent interview. "Now, whether or not it’s visiting us here on Earth or not is a topic of discussion. I think E.T. is out there some place." He explained that the mathematical probabilities, given the billions of planets, strongly suggest that life similar to that on Earth must have evolved elsewhere.

Scott's remarks follow the Pentagon's release of declassified UFO files, which included witness accounts of phenomena such as 'skinwalkers' and the tracking of an unidentified craft over the United States. The astronaut also issued a stark warning regarding the burgeoning space race between the U.S. and other global powers, particularly China and Russia. He noted that weapons have already been deployed in Earth's orbit, raising the possibility of future conflict.

"We live in a world where we have to be prepared to defend ourselves militarily. We hope we don’t see conflict and combat in space but I would not rule it out," Scott admitted. While he expressed hope for space exploration to be a unifying endeavor, he acknowledged the existing geopolitical tensions. "Russia is our partner in terms of the International Space Station, but they are not our ally," he said, describing the relationship with China as more "military-oriented."

The U.S. Space Force has reportedly deployed weapons into orbit this year specifically to counter actions by China. A military spokesperson indicated that the U.S. faces increasing threats from hostile satellites and views the space above Earth as a potential battlefield. The U.S. has been warning about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007, with officials stating that space is unequivocally a warfighting domain.

In September, coinciding with the Space Force's launch of multiple top-secret payloads, the Pentagon unveiled a plan to ensure military bases can operate independently for at least 90 days in the event of a major attack on the U.S. This plan, known as FORTRESS America, is seen as a response to the threat of a significant nuclear strike.

While the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the placement of nuclear devices in orbit, it does not ban conventional weapons, signal jammers, missile interceptors, or military satellites. Scott acknowledged the potential for space to become a battleground, with capabilities like missile interceptors being deployed from orbit. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the future of space exploration, including the commercial race to the moon. He endorsed the competition between private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, stating, "Competition is the American way." He noted that private companies have made space exploration more cost-effective, efficient, and productive compared to the era when NASA was the sole U.S. entity building spacecraft.

The U.S. government officially maintains that no conclusive proof of UFOs or extraterrestrial life has been found on Earth. However, former military personnel, NASA astronauts, and scientists have claimed firsthand encounters with alien life and evidence of extraterrestrial craft, including alleged accounts related to the 1947 Roswell incident.