October 11, 2017πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈProgram
ScienceCongressionalMediaOrganization

To The Stars Academy Founded

Blink-182 co-founder Tom DeLonge launched To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science in October 2017, assembling former intelligence and defense officials to pursue UAP research and public disclosure.

Date
October 11, 2017
Location / Country
Type
Program

Background

On October 11, 2017, musician and entrepreneur Tom DeLonge formally unveiled To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science in a live-streamed press conference. The organization brought together former government insiders and played a key role in UAP disclosure.

Founding and Announcement

Tom DeLonge presented To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science in a live-streamed press conference.

The organisation brought together a notable line-up of former government insiders:
- Luis Elizondo, who had recently given up his Pentagon role running AATIP
- Chris Mellon, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence
- Hal Puthoff, physicist, known for his earlier work on the CIA's remote viewing programme

Structure and Objectives

The academy operated as a hybrid entity.

It combined:
- an entertainment division for film and media productions
- an aerospace research division of its own

This unusual structure reflected DeLonge's conviction that public engagement through storytelling could accelerate the disclosure process.

Role in Video Release

Through its government contacts the organisation played a decisive part.

It facilitated the release of three now iconic Navy encounter videos.

These accompanied the New York Times reporting in December 2017.

Further Development

In the years that followed, the research and government services division was spun off into a separate defence company.

Critics questioned whether mixing entertainment with serious research damaged the organisation's credibility.

Significance

The academy's early work indisputably shifted the window of public discourse on UAP.

It moved the subject from fringe speculation to something addressed in Senate hearings and in national defence legislation.

Significance

TTSA served as the critical bridge between classified government UAP knowledge and public awareness. By assembling credentialed former officials willing to speak openly, the organization catalyzed the media breakthrough of December 2017 and helped establish UAP as a legitimate policy concern rather than a cultural curiosity.