Claude Poher
Created and first Director of GEIPAN, a research group funded by the French government, dedicated to investigating UFOs.
French scientist and engineer Claude Poher has made significant contributions to both the field of space exploration and the study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Poher graduated from the prestigious French engineering school, École Centrale Paris, and went on to work at the French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) for over 30 years. During his time at CNES, he played a crucial role in the development of various satellite programs and contributed to the advancement of French space research.
In addition to his work in the space industry, Poher was deeply involved in UFO research. In 1977, he founded GEIPAN (Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés), a unit within CNES tasked with collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about UFO sightings and other unexplained aerial phenomena. Under Poher's leadership, GEIPAN adopted a scientific approach to UFO investigations, working closely with experts from various disciplines to better understand these mysterious occurrences. Although Poher retired from CNES in the late 1980s, he remained active in UFO research, authoring numerous papers and presentations on the subject.