[FONT="]Initial funding came largely at the request of former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat long known for his enthusiasm for space phenomena, the newspaper said.
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[FONT="]Most of the money went to an aerospace research company ran by Robert Bigelow, a billionaire entrepreneur and longtime friend of Mr Reid. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“I’m not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this thing going,” Mr Reid told the New York Times.
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[FONT="]But according to its backers, the programme remains in existence and officials continue to investigate UFO episodes brought to their attention by service members alongside their other duties, the paper said. [/FONT]