Key figures
The former deputy assistant secretary of defense who helped bring the Navy videos to light. 9 events, newest first.
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Open Christopher Mellon as a timeline
Government12 Apr 2024
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon published a long rebuttal to AARO's March 2024 Historical Record Report, arguing it was error-ridden, too narrow and dismissive of unresolved cases. AARO stood by its finding of no evidence of alien technology.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
Media18 Oct 2022
James Fox's documentary on the 1996 Varginha, Brazil reports was released digitally by 1091 Pictures. Narrated by Peter Coyote, it presents townspeople, former military personnel and figures such as Christopher Mellon; the 1996 creature reports it revisits remain disputed.
Photo: Felipe Trombini, CC BY 3.0
Media30 Oct 2021
Harvard's Galileo Project, led by Avi Loeb, named former Pentagon intelligence official Christopher Mellon and former AATIP figure Luis Elizondo as research affiliates, to help choose sites for its sky-watching instruments and weigh the implications of any findings.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
WhistleblowersOct 2020
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon said in the documentary The Phenomenon that he received the three Navy videos from a Defense Department contact and gave them to the Times for its 2017 story. The Times said DoD was its on-record source.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
Media11 Jul 2020
History began the second season of Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation. Former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo and former defense official Chris Mellon examined military and civilian sightings and argued the objects warrant serious government study.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
Whistleblowers2020
Former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo and former intelligence official Christopher Mellon, who joined Tom DeLonge's To The Stars Academy in 2017, left the company at the end of 2020. They later said the firm's science mission was losing out to entertainment.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
Media31 May 2019
History premiered a six-part series following Luis Elizondo, Tom DeLonge's To The Stars Academy and former Pentagon official Chris Mellon. It featured Navy pilot David Fravor describing his 2004 encounter and other accounts tied to the Navy cases.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
Media9 Mar 2018
Former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence Christopher Mellon argued in the Washington Post that military UAP encounters were going largely unanalyzed and urged a serious collection effort. Later commentary credited the piece with helping move the topic into mainstream news.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
MediaAug 2017
To The Stars Academy's August 2017 SEC filing lists Christopher Mellon, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence and Senate Intelligence Committee staff director, on its advisory board. He was presented with the team at its October launch.
Photo: Max Moszkowicz, CC BY 3.0
