Roswell, NM: AARO debunks 1947 UFO alloy
AARO released reports on July 11, 2024, analyzing a metallic fragment claimed from a 1947 Roswell UFO crash. Tests showed it is terrestrial magnesium alloy from mid-20th-century research, not exotic technology.
Background
Background
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) published two reports on the examination of a metal artefact designated Artifact A1. It had been handed by To The Stars Academy to the US Army and is said to have been recovered from an object that crashed near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Its provenance is disputed: it reached the radio host Art Bell in 1996 from the grandson of a military officer, who named an area between the San Mateo Mountains and Sierra Blanca — not the classic Corona site.
Investigation
In June 2021 the Army commissioned Oak Ridge National Laboratory to carry out tests: isotope ratios, elemental composition, microscopy, and spectrometry. The results showed normal terrestrial values for magnesium and lead. The bismuth layers were mixed with lead, which rules out a waveguide function. The properties match magnesium alloys with zinc, lead, and bismuth additives used in the mid-20th century for corrosion protection. The structures are consistent with vapour deposition techniques.
Assessment
AARO concluded: probably a test object, a manufacturing product, or a component from aerospace magnesium alloy studies. Claims of terahertz waveguiding or antigravity were refuted. The uncertain provenance further weakens its credibility. Linda Moulton Howe later reported on further analyses. The episode is an example of scientific debunking of Roswell claims.