Reagan's diary entry of 11 June 1985
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Contents 7
Reagan's diary entry of 11 June 1985
| Date | 11 June 1985 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Secrecy & cover-up (topic) |
| People | Ronald Reagan, Edward Teller |
| Testimony | Shellenberger testimony, p. 98 |
| Year | 1985 in UFO history |
| Timeline | 1985 on the UAP Timeline |
| Sources | 7 |
On 11 June 1985 President Ronald Reagan had lunch at the White House with "5 top space scientists". That evening he wrote in his diary: "I learned that our shuttle capacity is such we could orbit 300 people."[1] Writers on "secret space programs" have read the line as a slip revealing a hidden fleet. Michael Shellenberger's 2024 UAP timeline lists it as Reagan alluding "to a secret space fleet".[7] The timeline names those at the lunch, among them Edward Teller, Thomas O. Paine, Gerard K. O'Neill and George A. Keyworth II.[7]
The diary entry
- Morning. Reagan began by recording a session in the Roosevelt Room with Democratic and Republican congressmen. It was on a bipartisan bill to give aid to "the Nicaraguan freedom fighters", and he wrote "I think we did some good".[1]
- The lunch. He then wrote: "Lunch was with 5 top space scientists. It was fascinating. Space truly is the last frontier and some of the developments there in astronomy etc. are like science fiction except they are real. I learned that our shuttle capacity is such we could orbit 300 people."[1]
- Teller. "Later in my office one of the guests Dr. Edward Teller reported on where we are on our Defense research for a way to halt Nuclear missiles."[1]
- Reagan complained that "our Congressional advocates of lower defense spending are cutting our research funds at a critical moment".[1]
- Evening. The entry ends with family house guests and a dinner ahead of the next night's state dinner for "P.M. Gandhi of India".[1]
- The foundation's summary. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation's "Key Facts" for the day describe a meeting "with members of the space and scientific communities to discuss the latest developments in space exploration and technology".[1][3]
Who was there
- Attendees. The diary itself does not name the scientists, apart from Teller.[1] The timeline lists the attendees as:[7]
- Thomas O. Paine.
- Riccardo Giaconni (as the timeline spells it).
- Gerard K. O'Neill.
- Laurel L. Wilkening.
- Edward Teller.
- Donald T. Regan.
- George A. Keyworth II.
- Alfred H. Kingon.
- John A. Svahn.
- Geostar. The timeline adds that the contractor Geostar Corp. "is also mentioned".[7]
- Records. The timeline's sources include the President's daily schedule as a PDF from the Reagan Foundation.[7]
- Correction note: the earlier version of this article said the entry "does not name the other scientists". That is true of the diary text, but the timeline names the attendees from the day's records.[1][7]
Interpretations
- The secret-fleet reading. Writers on secret space programs read the "300 people" line as revealing a hidden space fleet. The timeline presents it as Reagan alluding "to a secret space fleet".[7] See Tompkins's secret space program claims.
- Other readings. The diary gives no context for the figure.[1]
- The other readings in the earlier version of this article are not covered in the sources read here. It suggested the guests might have been describing what the shuttle fleet could achieve over time or in theory, or that Reagan might have misunderstood a figure.
- Context. The entry also records Teller's report on missile-defence research.[1] Reagan's wider presidency is covered in his biography.[2]
- Correction notes: two further statements in the earlier version are not covered in the sources read here.
- It said NASA's shuttles "carried at most about seven or eight people each".
- It said Reagan "spoke publicly several times about how an alien threat might unite humanity".
People and topics
- Ronald Reagan — 40th U.S. president whose diary and speeches touched on space and alien threats.
- Edward Teller — Physicist known as the father of the hydrogen bomb.
- NASA — The U.S. civilian space agency, created in 1958.
On the Timeline
- Puthoff leaves SRI (1985) (Summer 1985) — Hal Puthoff leaves SRI to explore alternative energy sources.
- Richard Niemtzow's Toulouse remarks (1985) (6 July 1985) — A retired Air Force colonel tells Vallée there is a secret government UAP project.
See every 1985 event on the UAP Timeline →
Further reading
- Edward Teller — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
References
- Ronald Reagan, White House diary entry for 11 June 1985, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation · reaganfoundation.org · archived copy
- Ronald Reagan — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Reagan diary entry, 11 June 1985 — Reagan Foundation · reaganfoundation.org · archived copy
- 'Lunch with space scientists', 11 June 1985 — Reagan Library photo record · reaganlibrary.gov · archived copy
- Reagan diary entry and the 'space fleet' claim — UFO Scans · ufoscans.com · archived copy
- reaganfoundation.org · reaganfoundation.org · archived copy
- Michael Shellenberger, written testimony to the House Oversight Committee (13 November 2024), p. 98 · oversight.house.gov
Facts in this article are drawn in part from the Wikipedia article “Ronald Reagan”, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
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