Overview

• A 15-person Purdue University and Archaeological Legacy Institute team departs Nov. 4 for a three-week mission to Nikumaroro.
• The group will deploy drones, divers and remotely operated vehicles to examine a metallic-shaped anomaly known as the Taraia Object.
• The feature appears in newly highlighted 1938 aerial photos and later satellite imagery of the island’s lagoon in Kiribati.
• Purdue officials say the mission will document the site and, if feasible, recover material, with an eye toward ultimately bringing any confirmed Electra parts to West Lafayette.
• The effort follows President Trump’s order to release all Earhart-related records, though Purdue says it is unaware of any still-classified files and experts warn prior high-profile leads, including a 2024 sonar image later found to be a rock, proved inconclusive.