Scott Believes Aliens Exist, but Fears Space Warfare More

Former NASA astronaut Winston Scott is convinced that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. Given the vast number of planets, he finds it hard to believe that intelligent beings evolved only on Earth. Walla reported on an interview with Scott on Jesse Watters' Fox News program, where he said, "I think there are aliens out there somewhere."

Scott, 76, flew on the space shuttles Endeavour in 1996 and Columbia in 1997, spending more than 24 days in space. He has not claimed to have seen aliens on his missions or offered evidence that they have visited Earth. His belief is based on probability: "We can't be the only ones who have intelligent life."

Pentagon Documents and UFO Reports

Scott spoke just days after the Pentagon released a batch of documents on unidentified flying objects. The documents include accounts from people who said they had encountered mysterious phenomena, including an affidavit by Walter Haut, a former U.S. Army officer. Haut claimed to have seen the remains of an unidentified aircraft in the 1947 Roswell incident. He offered testimony, not a finding. NASA says no reliable scientific evidence of extraterrestrial life has been found to date.

What Worries Him More?

After discussing aliens, Scott turned to the issue that concerns him more: military conflict between nations spilling into space.

"We live in a world where we have to be prepared to defend ourselves," he said. Satellites and weapons in orbit, he added, could become targets. Russia, he said, is a partner in the International Space Station, but not an ally.

The concern is not merely theoretical. In September, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed that the United States already has weapons in orbit around Earth. Meink did not say what the weapons are, how they work, or what targets they can attack. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but does not broadly prohibit conventional weapons, such as systems that jam satellites.

Scott welcomed the competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin, but said he hoped space would not become a battlefield. "I certainly hope that space can be a unifying place, bringing people together," he said. "But we'll see what happens."