F-01Unresolved in source
What the official record supports
GEIPAN's March 2026 statistics list 3,336 published cases, with about 3.2 percent classified D after investigation.
Published by Vastward
Official record / Source-led archive
What does France's Category D actually mean?
Only a small share of published cases remain unidentified after investigation, but the category still does not assign an exotic origin.
Editorial disclosure
Vastward connects public archives across countries while preserving each institution's evidence standard and historical context.
01
30-second briefing
Start with what the primary record actually says.
Only a small share of published cases remain unidentified after investigation, but the category still does not assign an exotic origin.
Reading rule
An official record establishes what was documented. It does not automatically validate every interpretation or claim contained around it.
02
Evidence ledger
Trace every finding back to the record.
F-02Data limitation
Where the evidence stops
Category D means unidentified under GEIPAN's current record and method, not extraterrestrial or physically extraordinary.
03
Conclusion boundary
Know exactly where the evidence stops.
What the primary record establishes
- GEIPAN's March 2026 statistics list 3,336 published cases, with about 3.2 percent classified D after investigation.
What it does not establish
- Category D means unidentified under GEIPAN's current record and method, not extraterrestrial or physically extraordinary.
04
Method and limits
How this case was assembled.
This chapter follows official records outside one national system. It compares what each archive preserved, what its investigators could test, and what remains inaccessible or incomplete.
- 01
Use the responsible national archive or scientific agency as the primary source.
- 02
Keep local terminology and classification rules attached to the institution that used them.
- 03
Compare systems without pretending that their categories measure exactly the same thing.
Methodological caution
Official records preserve provenance, observations, assessments, and testimony at different evidence levels. Later data may revise how the same record is understood.
05
Historical thread
Follow the record as it changes.
- 2026
A percentage gains a precise definition
GEIPAN periodically updates its public totals as cases are added and classifications change.
Official source ↗
06
Vastward interpretation
Stay curious without outrunning the evidence.
Independent editorial layer
The notes below are Vastward’s interpretation. They are not statements written by the source agency or witnesses.
The excitement survives precision. A small, carefully labeled unknown is more valuable than a large pile created by missing data.
Ask what a category means before treating its percentage as evidence.
- Archive provenance
- The traceable path showing which institution created, held, transferred, and published a record.
- Classification system
- The local rules an organization uses to describe whether a report is identified, insufficiently documented, or unresolved.
07
Source index