Within To The Stars
What Did the Army Deal Actually Prove?
The Army CRADA gave TTSA a serious collaboration signal without proving that its materials came from alien technology.
On this page
- What a CRADA is and why it matters
- What the Army agreement said TTSA might provide
- Why collaboration is not the same as endorsement
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Introduction
To The Stars Academy (TTSA) gained an unusual degree of institutional credibility in October 2019 when it announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. For many observers, the agreement appeared to signal that the US military had validated TTSA’s broader claims about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and purported “exotic” materials. That interpretation goes further than the evidence supports.
The Army agreement was real and significant. It showed that a government research organisation considered TTSA worth collaborating with on specific technical questions. However, it did not establish that TTSA possessed alien technology, that the Army believed extraterrestrial explanations, or that any extraordinary material had already been authenticated. Understanding this distinction—the gap between collaboration and endorsement—is essential for interpreting one of the most frequently cited episodes in celebrity-led UFO advocacy.
What a CRADA is and why it matters
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement is a legal framework allowing a federal laboratory to collaborate with non-government organisations on research and development. Rather than being a procurement contract or grant, a CRADA enables both parties to share expertise, facilities and intellectual property while pursuing mutually defined research goals. The Army describes CRADAs as mechanisms for advancing research and potentially generating new intellectual property, not as certifications that a collaborator’s claims are already proven. [DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory]arl.devcom.army.milDEVCOM Army Research LaboratoryCooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CR…
This distinction matters because CRADAs are designed to explore uncertainty. Government laboratories frequently enter them with universities, start-ups and established companies to evaluate promising technologies. Agreeing to investigate a claim is fundamentally different from concluding that the claim is correct.
Within the context of TTSA, the CRADA therefore represented an opportunity for technical evaluation rather than an official declaration that the organisation’s more ambitious public narratives had been confirmed.
What the Army agreement said TTSA might provide
The 2019 agreement focused on potential applications for Army ground systems rather than UFO disclosure. According to TTSA’s announcement, the collaboration would examine materials and technologies that might improve vehicle survivability and protection. Areas mentioned included advanced materials, active camouflage and related engineering concepts. [To The Stars*]tothestars.mediaTo The Stars*TTSA Announces CRADA with U.SArmy CCDCOctober 18, 2019 — Oct 17, 2019 — TTSA announced today a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army…
The publicly released CRADA itself is more cautious than many headlines suggested. It states that the Army would work with TTSA to characterise and assess various “novel materials” and associated technologies. The agreement repeatedly frames these as subjects for investigation and verification rather than established breakthroughs. [documents2.theblackvault.com]documents2.theblackvault.comTTSA ARMY CRADATTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdf1 Oct 2019 — The CRADA Work will have the following marking: "This Work wascreat!!d in the Performance of a Cooperativ…
One reason the announcement attracted such attention was TTSA’s earlier public discussion of so-called “metamaterials” allegedly connected to unusual aerospace phenomena. Some supporters interpreted the Army’s willingness to examine these materials as indirect confirmation that they were extraordinary. The actual agreement, however, treats them as research objects whose properties remained to be evaluated.
Why collaboration was not the same as endorsement
The key misunderstanding arose because many readers blurred three separate questions:
- Did the Army sign a real agreement with TTSA? Yes. [documents2.theblackvault.com]documents2.theblackvault.comTTSA ARMY CRADATTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdf1 Oct 2019 — The CRADA Work will have the following marking: "This Work wascreat!!d in the Performance of a Cooperativ… * Did the Army agree to examine materials and technologies TTSA presented? Yes. [documents2.theblackvault.com]documents2.theblackvault.comTTSA ARMY CRADATTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdf1 Oct 2019 — The CRADA Work will have the following marking: "This Work wascreat!!d in the Performance of a Cooperativ…
- Did the Army conclude those materials originated from non-human or extraterrestrial technology? No.
The CRADA contains no statement that the Army accepted TTSA’s interpretations about the origin of any material. Instead, it reflects a willingness to determine whether reported properties could be independently verified. That is exactly the sort of uncertainty collaborative research agreements are designed to address. [documents2.theblackvault.com]documents2.theblackvault.comTTSA ARMY CRADATTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdf1 Oct 2019 — The CRADA Work will have the following marking: "This Work wascreat!!d in the Performance of a Cooperativ…
This distinction is easy to lose in public debate because institutional collaboration carries symbolic weight. When a respected defence research organisation partners with a controversial organisation, many observers naturally infer that officials have already completed extensive validation. In reality, the validation process is often the reason the collaboration exists in the first place.
Why the agreement strengthened TTSA’s public credibility
Although the CRADA did not prove TTSA’s larger claims, it undeniably changed public perception.
Several factors contributed:
- It involved an identifiable Army research organisation rather than anonymous sources.
- It was documented through an official government agreement rather than rumour.
- It focused on engineering and materials science, making the discussion appear more technical than speculative.
- It allowed TTSA to present itself as working alongside established defence researchers rather than operating solely within UFO culture.
This institutional association fit TTSA’s broader strategy of framing unidentified aerial phenomena as questions involving national security, aerospace engineering and scientific investigation rather than only paranormal belief. For supporters, the agreement became evidence that the organisation deserved to be taken seriously even if its more extraordinary conclusions remained unproven.
What the evidence does—and does not—show
The CRADA demonstrates several things with confidence.
It shows that Army researchers believed TTSA’s proposed technologies were sufficiently interesting to justify collaborative investigation. It also shows that government laboratories are willing to engage with unconventional external partners when there is a plausible research question.
It does not demonstrate:
- that any examined material possessed non-human origins;
- that the Army authenticated claims of alien technology; [factcheck.afp.com]factcheck.afp.comand technologyAI image used in baseless claims on purported collusion to arrest ex-Philippine president's drug war enforcer · AI videos s…
- that TTSA’s public statements about recovered materials were independently verified;
- or that the collaboration produced publicly released findings confirming extraordinary performance.
The absence of such evidence is important because the public discussion often skips directly from “the Army studied it” to “the Army confirmed it.” Those are different propositions, and the available documentation supports only the first.
The endorsement gap in celebrity-led UFO advocacy
The TTSA Army collaboration illustrates a broader pattern in celebrity-driven UFO advocacy: institutional contact can create an impression of validation that exceeds what official documents actually say.
Tom DeLonge’s public profile ensured that news of the CRADA reached audiences well beyond aerospace and defence circles. Headlines emphasising “the Army” and “UFO researchers” encouraged many readers to interpret the agreement as an endorsement of TTSA’s wider narrative. Yet the documentary record consistently frames the collaboration as exploratory research into proposed materials and technologies, not acceptance of extraordinary origin claims. [documents2.theblackvault.com+2To The Stars*]documents2.theblackvault.comTTSA ARMY CRADATTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdf1 Oct 2019 — The CRADA Work will have the following marking: "This Work wascreat!!d in the Performance of a Cooperativ…
For readers assessing claims about unidentified aerial phenomena, this episode provides an important lesson. Government collaboration can be meaningful without resolving the central evidential question. The Army’s willingness to investigate TTSA’s proposed materials made the organisation harder to dismiss outright, but it did not close the gap between scientific curiosity and proof. That endorsement gap remains one of the defining features of TTSA’s role in the modern public conversation about UFOs.
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Endnotes
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Source: arl.devcom.army.mil
Link: https://arl.devcom.army.mil/collaborate-with-us/opportunity/crada/Source snippet
DEVCOM Army Research LaboratoryCooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CR...
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Source: media.defense.gov
Title: 20230405 CRADA 101 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Link: https://media.defense.gov/2023/Jul/11/2003256650/-1/-1/0/20230405__CRADA%20101__FOR%20PUBLIC%20RELEASE.PDFSource snippet
Department of WarU.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT...Jul 11, 2023 — CRADAs can be used to offset the costs of an acquisition as...
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Source: documents2.theblackvault.com
Title: TTSA ARMY CRADA
Link: https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/army/TTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdfSource snippet
TTSA-ARMY-CRADA.pdf1 Oct 2019 — The CRADA Work will have the following marking: "This Work wascreat!!d in the Performance of a Cooperativ...
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Source: tothestars.media
Title: To The Stars*TTSA Announces CRADA with U.S
Link: https://tothestars.media/blogs/press-and-news/ttsa-announces-crada-with-u-s-army-ccdc?srsltid=AfmBOorfreCYAdLNxX5L_-g4VGleteznYEiVumr3z7gScYurWu7Psr31Source snippet
Army CCDCOctober 18, 2019 — Oct 17, 2019 — TTSA announced today a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army...
Published: October 18, 2019
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Source: prnewswire.com
Link: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/to-the-stars-academy-of-arts–science-announces-crada-with-the-us-army-combat-capabilities-development-command-to-advance-materiel-and-technology-innovations-300940211.htmlSource snippet
PR NewswireTo The Stars Academy of Arts & Science Announces...Oct 17, 2019 — To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science Announces CRADA with...
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Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/officialSource snippet
of official - Cambridge Dictionary...
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definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary5 days ago — in sports, a person who is in charge of making sure players follow the rules...
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Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OfficialSource snippet
OfficialAn official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with...
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Source: tothestars.media
Title: TTS A Announces CRADA with U.S
Link: https://tothestars.media/en-gb/blogs/press-and-news/ttsa-announces-crada-with-u-s-army-ccdc?srsltid=AfmBOorOL8s6o4VsETD8nHo0qsqriTXIdIK74svlQePU34gJbxRJg2S8Source snippet
Army CCDC17 Oct 2019 — TTSA announced today a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army Combat Capabilities...
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Source: vocabulary.com
Link: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/officialSource snippet
If Gatorade is the official drink of the Olympics, somebody with authority has signed some...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: to the stars academy of arts science ttsa
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/dj6edu/to_the_stars_academy_of_arts_science_ttsa/Source snippet
Army Combat...Read more...
Additional References
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Link: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/Source snippet
Reuters Fact CheckReuters Fact Check addresses online misinformation with coverage that maintains accuracy, integrity and impartiality. T...
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Link: https://factcheck.afp.com/science-and-technologySource snippet
and technologyAI image used in baseless claims on purported collusion to arrest ex-Philippine president's drug war enforcer · AI videos s...
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Source: law.cornell.edu
Link: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/officialSource snippet
Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information InstituteA public official is an individual elected or appointed to carry out a subset of the po...
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Source: cbsaustin.com
Link: https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/fact-check-team-pentagon-releases-new-ufo-files-but-no-evidence-of-aliens-found-extraterrestrial-military-space-nasa-particles-declassified-marsSource snippet
Fact Check Team: Pentagon releases new UFO files, but...29 May 2026 — Military officials say the central concern is not extraterrestrial...
Published: May 2026
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Link: https://www.nacconsortium.org/u-s-army-devcom-ac-and-national-armaments-consortium-expand-master-crada-to-collaborate-on-next-generation-uas-fuzing-technologies/Source snippet
Army DEVCOM AC and National Armaments Consortium...Mar 9, 2026 — The Master CRADA between NAC and DEVCOM AC was signed in May 2022 to st...
Published: May 2022
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Link: https://x.com/ReutersFacts -
Source: twz.com
Link: https://www.twz.com/30498/the-army-wants-to-verify-to-the-stars-academys-fantastic-ufo-mystery-material-claimsSource snippet
The Army Wants To Verify To The Stars Academy's...20 Oct 2019 — An official agreement makes it clear the Army wants to explore the possi...
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Source: nextgov.com
Title: army partners ufo researchers study active camouflage and other sci fi tech
Link: https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/10/army-partners-ufo-researchers-study-active-camouflage-and-other-sci-fi-tech/160787/Source snippet
Army Partners with UFO Researchers to Study Active...22 Oct 2019 — The cooperative research and development agreement is set to last fiv...
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Source: l3harris.com
Title: assist development modular open systems us army ground
Link: https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2023/03/l3harris-assist-development-modular-open-systems-us-army-groundSource snippet
L3Harris to Assist in Development of Modular Open...Mar 27, 2023 — L3Harris Technologies announced today a Cooperative Research and Deve...
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Source: investors.globalstar.com
Title: enters cooperative rd us army evaluate edge
Link: https://investors.globalstar.com/news-releases/news-release-details/globalstar-enters-cooperative-rd-us-army-evaluate-edgeSource snippet
Army to...Jul 15, 2025 — The primary focus of the CRADA is to assess Globalstar's ultra low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) device...
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