Brandon Fugal, who purchased Utah's UFO", covering any airborne object that cannot be immediately identified.">UAP sightings, cattle mutilations, and poltergeist activity; studied under the AATIP that studied advanced aerospace concepts and anomalous phenomena at Skinwalker Ranch.">AAWSAP program.">Skinwalker Ranch in 2016, outlined his research team's scientific methodology during a July 2024 interview with Open Minds. The discussion preceded the July 23 Season 5 finale of History Channel's "The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch."
Fugal's team has deployed ground-penetrating radar, radiation sensors, and continuous monitoring equipment across the 512-acre Uintah Basin property. The ranch entered public discourse following journalist George Knapp's 2005 documentation of reported anomalies spanning multiple decades.
Previous Investigations
Aerospace entrepreneur Robert Bigelow owned the property from 1996 to 2016, with his National Institute for Discovery Science conducting investigations during the first eight years of ownership. The Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Application Program also conducted research at the location.
Fugal stated his team prioritizes systematic data collection over sensationalism. However, findings from the current research program have not been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, with the History Channel series serving as the primary documentation of their work.
The property has attracted UAP research attention due to reported aerial phenomena and unexplained electromagnetic readings, though independent verification of claimed anomalies remains limited.