Origins and Context
The Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program began in 2007 under Defense Intelligence Agency oversight with a $22 million budget.1 Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) received the contract to manage research activities.2
Program Structure
AAWSAP investigated advanced aerospace technologies through multiple research tracks including field investigations, technical studies, and analysis of historical reports.3 The program examined exotic propulsion concepts, breakthrough technologies, and novel materials science applications.4
Research Focus
Key areas of investigation included:
- Lift and propulsion technologies
- Space-time metric engineering
- Human interface studies
- Quantum physics applications
- Advanced materials properties
Program Evolution
In 2008, AAWSAP's focus shifted toward investigating unidentified aerial phenomena, leading to the creation of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).5 The original AAWSAP contract concluded in 2012.6
Research has revealed that AAWSAP was the official program name for the $22 million DIA-funded initiative managed by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) from 2008-2010. AATIP was initially created as an unclassified nickname for a 2009 Special Access Program (SAP) request to the Pentagon. The publicly known AATIP emerged later as a separate, unfunded Pentagon initiative, though media reports often conflated the two programs and misattributed the funding.7
Legacy
AAWSAP produced 38 technical reports examining advanced aerospace technologies and their theoretical foundations.8 The program established methodologies later adopted by subsequent UAP investigation efforts.9