(This article also appears on the Joint Recon Study Group site.)

When we think about space travel and activities in space, two general categories may come to mind: the conventional and unconventional.

In some ways, these two categories seem to overlap when it comes to certain scientific studies and speculation.

In the conventional category, we often first think of NASA – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

A long series of NASA projects and endeavors over the decades has been followed closely by many Americans and people around the world.

Private companies with communications satellites in Earth orbit also come to mind when talking about conventional space activities. And now, some companies are involved in Earth-to-orbit space planes, orbiting space stations or habitats and a variety of other commercial and scientific space activities.

Unconventional space-related ideas and discussions may include theories about UFOs and intelligent visitors from other worlds.

There is also speculation that secret U.S. space activities might be much more advanced than what appears on the surface in NASA missions.

COMMON DENOMINATORS

What are useful and constructive ways to reconcile and integrate the conventional and unconventional elements of our perceptions about, and the realities of space-related operations?

It is probably fundamental to accept the fact that there are U.S. space activities that are secret and will remain secret. It is likely that many advanced technologies, aircraft and spacecraft have been developed and these will remain classified.

The idea that the U.S. might have advanced aircraft and spacecraft is not much of a stretch. In fact, if we see a UFO, it might be one of ours.

When we take this a step further in a certain direction – such as ideas about the integration of extraterrestrial technology and knowledge in secret space programs – we seem to be firmly on the unconventional wavelength and really thinking outside the box.

It may be helpful to remember that even without advanced knowledge from exotic visitors, our own human scientific knowledge, including in the aerospace field, is most likely decades ahead of where the general public thinks it is.

Advanced technologies and knowledge might be common denominators that link speculation about things like UFOs and advanced secret U.S. space activities with more conventional space projects.

These kinds of discussions touch on issues such as anti-gravity technologies and exotic methods of space travel and propulsion.

Further ideas from the unconventional realm include theories about multiple dimensions and a multiverse around us, as well as mysterious energies and forces that we do not understand.

Our scientific understanding about gravity, dark energy, wormholes, zero point energy and similar phenomena appears to be making progress, but is still quite incomplete.