This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) |
Formerly | To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences Inc. |
---|---|
Company type | Private |
Industry | Entertainment, science, aerospace |
Founded | 2017 |
Founder | Tom DeLonge Harold E. Puthoff Jim Semivan |
Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Luis Elizondo Steve Justice Chris Mizer Christopher Mellon |
Products | Books, TV shows, films, albums, information, research |
Website | tothestars |
To The Stars Inc., [1] formerly known as To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences Inc., is a San Diego-based company co-founded by Tom DeLonge (guitarist of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves), Harold E. Puthoff (engineer), and Jim Semivan (retired CIA senior intelligence officer). The company, which is composed of aerospace, science, and entertainment divisions, has produced music recordings, books, television shows and films. A focus of the company is the promotion of UFOs and other fringe science. [2] [3]
The company was founded in 2017 as a public benefit corporation by Jim Semivan, a former senior Intelligence Officer with the CIA; Harold E. Puthoff; and Tom DeLonge. [2] [4] The Entertainment Division was created by acquiring DeLonge's previous media company, To the Stars, Inc. [4] [5]
In September 2017, the company began offering $50 million worth of public stock through a Regulation A+ equity crowdfunding campaign. [4] [6] According to SEC filings, as of October 2018 only $1 million of those shares had been sold and the company had a $37.4 million deficit, largely from a stock incentive plan for its employees, prompting Ars Technica and Vice to question its financial sustainability. [6] [7]
In 2022, the company rebranded from To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science and became known more simply as To The Stars. [8]
The entertainment leg of To the Stars, often referred to as To the Stars Media, publishes albums, books, TV shows and films.
To the Stars, Inc., the original company folded into the current entity in 2017, was announced in 2014 as a record label which debuted with Angels & Airwaves' fifth studio album The Dream Walker and DeLonge's first solo album, To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends .
To the Stars began releasing books, graphic novels and children's picture books in 2015, many of which were co-published by Simon & Schuster. Most of the company's books deal with topics of the supernatural, ufology and science fiction. The publishing division most prominently publishes novels in the Sekret Machines fictional series, co-authored by DeLonge and A. J. Hartley, as well as the Sekret Machines non-fiction companion series Gods, Man & War co-authored by DeLonge and Peter Levenda. It also publishes the space-based series Cathedrals of Glass by Hartley, the young adult series Poet Anderson by DeLonge and Suzanne Young, and the young adult adventure series Strange Times by DeLonge and Geoff Herbach.
The company co-released the short animated film Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker in 2014, but its first major project was the History Channel series Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation in 2019. A feature film based on the Strange Times book series was in production, but it was repurposed into a television series for Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). [9] To the Stars has also started production on a documentary TV series and a feature film for the Sekret Machines franchise. [10]
Most recently, the company produced Tom DeLonge's feature directorial debut, Monsters of California (2023). Upcoming projects include the animated series Breaking Bear for Tubi, [11] and Sekret Machines for TV with Legendary. [12]
The science and aerospace divisions are devoted to the "outer edges of science" such as investigating unidentified flying objects. [2] Harold E. Puthoff described their goals as "imagine having 25th-century science this century." [2] One of their potential projects is an "electromagnetic vehicle." [2] [13]
Vice reported that the company would participate "in the investigation of UFOs and other fringe science projects" and that "many of the technologies or phenomena being researched by the company are based on highly speculative theories that toe the line of pseudoscience". [3] To the Stars has detailed the risks involved with this research to potential investors, including possible failure to produce results in areas such as beamed energy propulsion launch systems and telepathy. [3]
Some sources have opined that To the Stars is responsible for reinvigorating public imagination of UFOs, including Jan Harzan of Mutual UFO Network [14] and Dan Zak of The Washington Post . [15] For his work at To the Stars, Tom DeLonge was named UFO Researcher of the Year in 2017 by the UFO hunting organization Open Minds. [16] [17]
Despite the company's work being primarily associated with ufology, Luis Elizondo stated: "None of us at TTSA consider ourselves ‘Ufologists’ or part of the ‘Ufology culture,’ in fact, most of us come from a U.S. government background (both Defense and Intelligence)." [18] Vice reported that the company's "partnership with the U.S. Army may mean that it fancies itself as a military contractor", but that the organization "swings between being contenders for military contracts and a UFO research organization". [18] Elizondo left the company in late 2020. [19]
The "Virtual Analytics UAP Learning Tool" (VAULT) is a public-facing database of UFO sightings. The VAULT team collects, analyses and provides their authentication of UFO sightings, most famously reported in the media as having been obtained through declassified government materials.
Three videos from the VAULT taken during the USS Nimitz UFO incident and the USS Theodore Roosevelt UFO incidents were publicly confirmed by the US Navy in September 2019 as authentic videos taken by Navy pilots. [20] [21] The videos were part of a campaign by former intelligence officer Luis Elizondo, who at the time was associated with To the Stars, who said that he wanted to shed light on the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, a secretive Department of Defense operation to analyze reported UFO sightings. [22] [23] [24] In April 2020, the same footage released by the company was subsequently declassified and officially released by the Navy. [25]
The company, with assistance from Chris Mellon, who worked formerly for the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Department of Defense, engaged congress and arranged classified congressional hearings with the pilots involved in the incidents aimed at understanding potential threats to aviators. [26] [27] [28] [29]
The company's ADAM Research Project is promoting what they believe to be an "extraterrestrial" metal for commercial and military applications. [30] [31]
In July 2019 the company stated it had acquired and was studying "potentially exotic materials" as part of its Acquisition & Data Analysis of Materials (ADAM) research project. [32] [33] Steve Justice, To The Stars's COO and former head of Advanced Systems at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works said in a statement that "the structure and composition of these materials are not from any known existing military or commercial application” and that the materials would be studied in an attempt to reverse engineer them. [32] Regarding the origin of the materials he stated: “they've been collected from sources with varying levels of chain-of-custody documentation, so we are focusing on verifiable facts and working to develop independent scientific proof of the materials' properties and attributes." [32] In its SEC filing, the company is recorded as having paid $35,000 for several items including "six pieces of Bismuth/Magnesium-Zinc metal" and a piece of aluminum. [34]
According to the company, the metals are believed to be from an unidentified flying object, and were previously "retained and studied" by ufologist Linda Moulton Howe. [34] Moulton Howe claimed in 2004 that the metals become a “lifting body” when subjected to electromagnetic radiation, [34] but TTS recognized this claim was not substantiated and stated they were working on "[verifying] facts and working to develop independent scientific proof of the materials' properties and attributes." [35] Today, however, she claims she has had the samples tested by Carnegie Science's Department of Technical Magnetism in 1996 and again by Harold E. Puthoff and others on several occasions. [36] According to a letter from Puthoff in 2012 the tests were unable to prove the alien origin of the samples or any "interesting/anomalous outcome" but suggested that one additional test was remaining that required special equipment which was not readily available. [36] The company has partnered with research labs founded by Puthoff to study the materials further. [6] Critics say there is no evidence to support the claim that the materials are "otherworldly in origin" or that they may be "scientifically important". Commenting on similar reports of "Alien Alloys", American Chemical Society expert panel member Richard Sachleben considers such claims "quite impossible". According to Sachleben, "I don't think it's plausible that there's any alloys that we can't identify". May Nyman of Oregon State University Department of Chemistry criticized claims of extensive research to identify an unknown alloy, saying, "if we had such mysterious metals, you could take it to any university where research is done, and they could tell you what are the elements and something about the crystalline phase within a few hours." [37] [38] [34] Chris Cogswell, who holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and hosts the Mad Scientist Podcast, states that “the chances of it being important scientifically are extremely slim" and suggested that the Bismuth/Magnesium-Zinc pieces may be slag from an industrial process such as the Betterton-Kroll process. [34]
On October 17, 2019, the company announced it entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. [39] The five-year contract will focus on "inertial mass reduction, mechanical/structural meta materials, electromagnetic meta material wave guides, quantum physics, quantum communications, and beamed energy propulsion." According to the U.S. Army, no public funding will go to the group, [40] but at least $750,000 will be provided in support and resources for developing and testing To the Stars technologies. [41] [42] The contract states that To the Stars will provide samples in its possession of “metamaterials”, any data or “obtained vehicles" that use “beamed energy propulsion,” and any information or technology related to “active camouflage” for testing and analysis of potential application on Army ground vehicles. [41] [42] Doug Halleaux, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center, has stated that the US government has approached To the Stars since “If materials represented in the TTSA ADAM project are scientifically evaluated and presented with supporting data as having military utility by the TTSA, it makes sense to look deeper here.” [18] According to Halleaux, the Army is also interested in the results of a collaboration between To the Stars and TruClear Global, a company that creates custom video screen billboards, aimed at providing "advanced technology solutions to United States Government clientele." [18]
Sekret Machines
Cathedrals of Glass
Poet Anderson
Strange Times
Other
"First Date" is a song recorded by American rock band Blink-182 for their fourth studio album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001). It was released as the second single from the album on October 8, 2001. It was written primarily by guitarist Tom DeLonge, with additional songwriting credit to bassist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker. "First Date" centers on the awkwardness and complicated emotions two individuals can experience upon initial meeting. DeLonge based the song on memories of his initial courtship with then-spouse Jennifer Jenkins.
Thomas Matthew DeLonge is an American musician best known as the co-founder, co-lead vocalist, and guitarist of the rock band Blink-182 across three stints: 1992 to 2005, 2009 to 2015, and again since 2022. He is also the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Angels & Airwaves, which he formed in 2005 after his first departure from Blink-182. DeLonge is noted for his distinctive nasal singing voice.
Matthew Thomas Skiba is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist and guitarist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, and served as the co-lead vocalist and guitarist of Blink-182 from 2015 to 2022. Skiba's lyrical content commonly involves dark romantic themes.
Angels & Airwaves is an American rock band, comprising lead vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge, guitarist David Kennedy, drummer Ilan Rubin, and bassist Matt Rubano.
Blink-182 is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Poway, California. Their current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has diversified throughout their career, their musical style, described as pop-punk, blends catchy pop melodies with fast-paced punk rock. Their lyrics primarily focus on relationships, adolescent frustration, and maturity—or lack thereof. The group emerged from a suburban, Southern California skate punk scene and first gained notoriety for high-energy live shows and irreverent humour.
"Aliens Exist" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 from the band's third studio album, Enema of the State (1999). It was written primarily by guitarist Tom DeLonge, with additional songwriting credit to bassist Mark Hoppus. "Aliens Exist" is a goofy tune about the existence of extraterrestrials. DeLonge's longtime fascination with the topic was the basis of the song's foundation. The song invokes several references in UFO phenomena, including CIA interference and the Majestic 12.
Andrew James Hartley is a British-born American novelist, who writes fiction for children and adults. He also writes thrillers as Andrew Hart.
Christopher Karl Mellon, is a private equity investor, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations and later for Security and Information Operations. He formerly served as the Staff Director of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He is a member of the influential Mellon family out of the Greater Pittsburgh area. Mellon has lobbied for U.S. government investigations into UFO/UAP.
Chasing Shadows is the third EP by American alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves, released on April 8, 2016, through To the Stars. Similar to the ...Of Nightmares EP, Chasing Shadows is a companion piece to the first book in the Sekret Machines series, co-written by Tom DeLonge and A. J. Hartley. Along with the EP is a planned documentary series. It was the second EP released by the band following DeLonge's exit from Blink-182, before his return in late 2022.
The Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) was an unclassified but unpublicized investigatory effort funded by the United States Government to study unidentified flying objects (UFOs) or unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP). The program was first made public on December 16, 2017. The program began in 2007, with funding of $22 million over the five years until the available appropriations were ended in 2012. The program began in the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
Luis Elizondo is a media personality and former U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and former employee of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.
Timothy Good is a British author on UFOs. His books include Above Top Secret: The Worldwide U.F.O. Cover-up (1987), Alien Liaison (1991) and Beyond Top Secret (1996), all published by Sidgwick & Jackson. Good has made many television and documentary appearances. Critics challenged the reliability of his writings. Good was born in London. He has also had a career as a violinist.
Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation is a History Channel television series purportedly exposing the US government's secret programs investigating unidentified flying objects (UFOs). It features former military counter-intelligence officer Luis Elizondo, who directed the Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, and Christopher Mellon, former United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Elizondo says that he resigned after he became frustrated that the government was not taking UFOs, which he considered to be a national security threat, seriously enough.
"Kiss & Tell" is a song by the American rock band, Angels & Airwaves. The song was released on August 29, 2019, as a promotional single for the band's 2019 North American Tour, and appears as the final track on their sixth album, Lifeforms. The song was written by DeLonge, Ilan Rubin, and Aaron Rubin.
Sekret Machines: Book 1 – Chasing Shadows is a science-fiction thriller novel based on actual events created by Tom DeLonge, American guitarist of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves, and British-American novelist A. J. Hartley. The first edition was released on April 5, 2016 through DeLonge's To the Stars company. Chasing Shadows is the first book in the Sekret Machines series of both fiction and non-fiction books. The 2017 paperback second edition includes a new foreword written by Jim Semivan, former member of the CIA's National Clandestine Service.
Sekret Machines: Book 2 – A Fire Within is a science-fiction thriller novel based on actual events, created by Tom DeLonge, American musician, co-lead vocalist/guitarist of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves and British-American novelist A. J. Hartley. The first edition was released through DeLonge's To the Stars company on September 18, 2018. It's the second novel in the fictional Sekret Machines series following 2016's Sekret Machines: Book 1 – Chasing Shadows, and third book in the broader franchise following 2017's non-fiction novel Sekret Machines: Gods.
Sekret Machines: Gods is a non-fiction ufology book created by Tom DeLonge, American musician, co-lead vocalist/guitarist of Blink-182, and Angels & Airwaves, and American occult novelist Peter Levenda. The book was co-published by DeLonge's own To the Stars company and Simon & Schuster on March 7, 2017. Gods is the second book in the overall Sekret Machines franchise following 2016's Sekret Machines: Book 1 – Chasing Shadows, and the first volume in the series' companion non-fiction trilogy Gods, Man & War. The first edition includes a foreword written by Jacques Vallée, who previously worked for NASA, worked on ARPANET and has become a prominent figure in UFO research.
The Pentagon UFO videos are selected visual recordings of Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) targeting from United States Navy fighter jets based aboard aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2004, 2014 and 2015, with additional footage taken by other Navy personnel in 2019. The four grainy, monochromic videos, widely characterized as officially documenting UFOs, have received extensive coverage in the media since 2017. The Pentagon later addressed and officially released the first three videos of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) in 2020, and confirmed the provenance of the leaked 2019 videos in two statements made in 2021. Footage of UAPs was also released in 2023, sourced from MQ-9 military drones.
Lifeforms is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves. The album was released on September 24, 2021, and marks the longest gap between albums for the band following 2014's The Dream Walker. It is the band's first album with bassist Matt Rubano, who replaced Matt Wachter in 2019, and the first with guitarist David Kennedy since 2011's Love: Part Two.