Frances Luoange, PhD – 2013 MUFON Symposium

GEIPAN INSIGHTS AND UFO PHOTO ANALYSIS

FRANCOIS LOUANGE was born in Versailles in 1945. After scientific studies in Grenoble, he qualified as a Doctor-Engineer (Ph.D.) in signal processing, in 1968. He joined the European Space Agency, first in Darmstadt (Germany), where he worked on satellite data processing, then in 1977 in Madrid (Spain), as Computer Manager in the frame of the NASA/ESA astronomical space project IUE, processing images of ultraviolet spectra.

He left ESA in 1980 and set up in Paris as an independent consultant for French Defense, for a reconnaissance satellites programme. There, he developed a new Computer-Aided Photo- Interpretation technique, materialized through the OCAPI operational software, and founded in 1989 the FLEXIMAGE company, specialized in the analysis of space imagery for Intelligence purposes. He sells OCAPI in several countries worldwide. Later, François Louange sells his company to the EADS Group, which will finally integrate it into Cassidian at the end of 2006.

Since 2007, he has returned to the status of independent consultant, and collaborates mostly with CNES/GEIPAN on the analysis of alleged UFO photos/videos.

Regarding the UFO phenomenon, François Louange became seriously interested in 1975, and tries – without success – to create an official department within ESA. As soon as he returns to France in 1980, he collaborates actively with the UFO department (GEPAN) of the French Space Agency (CNES), as a consultant on photo analysis, as well as on detection network projects. He takes part in the Pocantico workshop, on a panel of scientists.

In 2001, FLEXIMAGE is officially contracted by CNES to audit GEPAN, which is about to be suppressed, and his positive recommendations are followed, leading to the new GEIPAN. For CNES, François Louange has contractually produced a dozen technical reports, and he has developed IPACO, dedicated UFO Photo/video analysis software derived from the OCAPI operational Image Intelligence software.

Currently, he continues his work on IPACO, as well as on his dedicated www.ipaco.fr website.