Ben Rich (Skunk Works) — 'We now have the technology to take ET home' · ESP Propulsion · Black Projects

BEN RICH: Director Lockheed Skunk Works 1975–1991. Successor to Kelly Johnson. Developed U-2, SR-71, F-117, F-22. Died January 1995 of cancer. CORE STATEMENTS (verified): (1) 'ET home' joke: Since 1983 (following Spielberg's ET film) Rich showed a black disc as his final slide and consistently said: 'We just received a contract to take ET home.' — A recurring joke at dozens of lectures (UCLA 1993, Wright-Patterson AFB, Naval Academy, etc.). Jan Harzan (MUFON) and Tom Keller confirm: After the UCLA lecture in 1993, Harzan asked about propulsion technology. Rich replied: 'How does ESP work? All points in space and time are connected? That's how it works.' Then he left. (2) Letter to John Andrews (1986): 'I'm a believer in both categories [man-made + ET UFOs]. I feel everything is possible.' He cautioned, however: 'There are a lot of kooks and charlatans — be cautious.' (3) 'We already have the means to travel among the stars, but these technologies are locked up in black projects and it would take an Act of God to ever get them out to benefit humanity. Anything you can imagine, we already know how to do.' (Source: Timothy Good — authenticity disputed.) EXTRATERRESTRIAL SURVIVOR: Rich reportedly said via friend Bill McDonald: 'There are two types of UFOs — the ones we build and the ones that are not from here.' And: 'We had outside help in understanding the technology.' — Not verified through primary sources, but passed down by several independent sources. SPIELBERG CONNECTION: The 'ET home' joke arose directly as a reaction to Spielberg's ET (1982). Rich deliberately used the Spielberg context as cover — whether as a joke or as a message is disputed. ASSESSMENT: The ESP response and the letter to Andrews are confirmed. The stronger statements (reverse engineering, survivor) cannot be substantiated through primary sources, but have been passed down by credible witnesses. Score 85 reflects this ambiguity.