Hear about SkyWatch on Coast to Coast
Check out Mitch Randall being interviewed by Cheryll Jones on Coast to Coast on Sept 28, 2023.
What is the SkyWatch Radar?
Introduction
SkyWatch is a nationwide network of inexpensive citizen-owned radar receivers that work together to map the paths of unnaturally fast or agile objects in the air. SkyWatch makes it possible for ordinary people to own and deploy radar technology, working with others across the country to make citizen-driven UFO disclosure happen.
What is SkyWatch?
SkyWatch radar receivers listen for signals that are first broadcast from normal radio stations and then reflected from objects that accelerate quickly or that make science-defying turns in flight. By connecting these receivers so they can combine their data, the speed and direction of unordinary objects in the air can be drawn on a map that’s shared by everyone who participates. SkyWatch erases normal airplane traffic from the map when it analyzes data — what’s left is either meteors falling to earth or flying machines that are of unknown origin.
Radar systems usually determine the distance and velocity of an object in the sky by sending out electromagnetic waves to bounce off of it, then measuring how long that signal takes to return to the radar receiver. Military and airport radar systems usually create, broadcast and receive their own radio signal.
SkyWatch works differently. Using technology that was first demonstrated in the 1940s, the SkyWatch radar receivers don’t send a radio signal outward. Instead, they passively receive signals from normal radio stations. Those radio station signals fill the sky across the country every day. A SkyWatch receiver compares a signal that arrives directly from a radio station with a signal from the same radio station that has bounced from an object in the sky. When three or more regional SkyWatch radar receivers merge the data from these comparisons, a complete picture of the location, path and speed of an object in the air can be mapped. SkyWatch, made from many passive radar receivers that share their data over a network, can be called a ‘decentralized passive multistatic radar mesh network.’
For a technical description of SkyWatch, see the paper ‘SkyWatch: A Passive Multistatic Radar Network for the Measurement of Object Position and Velocity,’ below.
Who does SkyWatch Serve?
For many decades, evidence has been surfacing that we might not be alone on this planet. Throughout modern times, flying craft have been witnessed defying the laws of nature. They don’t have obvious engines or even wings; they hover, accelerate or change direction instantly and fly at speeds that are faster than any airplanes ever made. Whatever these flying objects might be, they’re up there. SkyWatch serves anyone curious about the mystery of what these are, where they came from, and why they’re here.
These unidentified flying objects have flown fast and surprisingly close to military planes and appeared in so many numbers they’ve made the skies unsafe for pilots. The community of responsible, experienced aviators is now seeking the same answers about what these “unidentified anomalous phenomena” are. SkyWatch will help make America’s skies safer.
SkyWatch identifies fast-moving objects in the air, including falling objects like meteors. Astronomers and other scientists can follow the speed and direction of meteors more easily than ever before, giving them an even better chance of recovering rocks from space that hit the ground. Data about meteors that explode in the air will be recorded, too.
Beyond the UFO community, pilots, and scientists, SkyWatch benefits everyone. It’s a citizen-organized project that shows off the best qualities of an independent-thinking, freedom-loving country: Our skillful pursuit of knowledge and cooperation to achieve great things, and our bold willingness to write the next chapter of the human story. Without standing by for official answers, we can accomplish Civic Disclosure.
Who is creating SkyWatch?
The concept of passive radar for UFO detection was originally proposed by Peter Davenport, Director of the National UFO Reporting Center. SkyWatch is an implementation of that concept led by Mitch Randall, an expert in radar, artificial intelligence, machine vision, deep learning, neural networks, and more. Mitch is an inventor, researcher and entrepreneur, responsible for the design of multiple radar systems that set new international standards. His designs are integral to radar systems operated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He pioneered wireless charging and software defined radio receivers and his work was used in the development of the 5G cell phone network. He is now CEO of Ascendant Artificial Intelligence, serving customers from around the world.
Early support and endorsement of SkyWatch came from The Galileo Project for the Systematic Scientific Search for Evidence of Extraterrestrial Technological Artifacts at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University. The Galileo Project, like SkyWatch, has a goal of discovering and revealing extraterrestrial technology through transparent, scientifically valid research.
SkyWatch gives everyone a way to be a part of the adventure. As a resource that examines the skies from many locations — thanks to people like you — it demonstrates the exponential power of crowdsourcing. In the NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team report released in September 2023, one conclusion was the recommendation “that NASA explore the viability of developing or acquiring a crowdsourcing system, such as open-source smartphone-based apps, to gather imaging data and other smartphone sensor data from multiple citizen observers as part of a wider effort to more systematically gather public UAP reports.” Even NASA recognizes how powerful this kind of information-gathering can be!
What are the next steps to make it real?
The foundation of SkyWatch is radar technology that has existed for decades. Other existing technologies bring SkyWatch to life, too, but require professional designing that’s specific to SkyWatch. These include the physical engineering of the radar receivers; signal filtering and processing of the data; and creating a user interface — the animated map that displays information about objects that SkyWatch finds. An associated mobile app will leverage SkyWatch data to give SkyWatch participants a heads-up so they can be ready to capture video of approaching anomalous objects - the coveted "multi-sensor data" that scientists seek.
These next steps involve technologies that are already established, but require the labor of specialized technicians like mechanical and software engineers. Philanthropic or grant support is needed to make SkyWatch complete, with inexpensive radar receivers, centralized data processing, and a strategy for sustaining the network of privately-owned SkyWatch receivers. If you might have capacity to support this important project, please contact Mitch Randall at mitchrandall@ascendantai.com.