The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday that it will soon no longer give out commercial astronaut wings due to the rise in popularity of space tourism.

Starting in 2022, people who reach space will be recognized with their names on the FAA website.

The FAA says the Astronaut Wings program was created "to recognize pilots and flight crew who furthered the FAA’s mission to promote the development of vehicles designed to carry humans into space."

Now that three companies are licensed by the FAA to provide commercial spaceflights, the agency says the vision of the program's creator is "largely fulfilled."

Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and William Shatner are among those receiving their wings for taking part in flights this year.

People who travel to space prior to the end of 2021 will also receive their wings.

Good Morning America co-host Michael Strahan is scheduled to be among the crew in a Blue Origin rocket that is scheduled to reach space on Saturday. The flight was originally scheduled for Thursday, but it was delayed due to high winds in Texas.

Whether it was people spending more time looking skyward during the pandemic, the effect of its decreased pollution and visibility, or a Pentagon investigation announced this summer, more people reported UFO sightings in 2020.

According to the National UFO Reporting Center, sightings increased by 1,000 over the year nationally, with 7,200 total calls about UFOs. Calls to their hotline in New York state alone doubled in 2020.

In Michigan, Bill Konkolesky, state director of the Mutual UFO Network, says their office got about 233 calls in 2020, up from about 200 the previous year. But before you get too excited, Konkolesky says he’s not really in the business of mystery.

“Even on a bad year, we can identify about 85% of what comes into us, most years closer to 95%,” he said. “Our credibility is on the line. We’re in it for the truth of what may be out there.”

Konkolesky says different types of aircraft, celestial objects like bright stars and planets, weather phenomena, drones and satellites are the typical culprits.

“I don’t think the increase in sightings has anything to do with that small percentage that fall into the anomalous category,” he said. “I think it’s all explainable.”

Konkolesky says about a third of calls to their branch of MUFO last year turned out to be Space-X Star Link satellites, launched into near orbit to improve internet connection worldwide. The satellites take on eerie formations when visible: Space-X Sky Link Video

“When you see these satellites, they travel in a chain,” said Konkolesky. “You’ll see several satellites flying in a row, and they look pretty spooky when you see them.”

The influx of calls may also have something to do with renewed interest and renewed legitimacy in the topic of UFOs in the form of a Pentagon investigation, announced last summer. The Department of Defense also recently commented on a series of declassified videos taken by Navy pilots, who were confused over an unidentified object they spotted mid-air.

“They’re seeing things they can’t identify either,” said Konkolesky. “It takes sort of the giggle factor away from discussing the topic.”

While he waits anxiously for the Pentagon report, reportedly due out sometime next month, Konkolesky says he doesn’t want to burst anyone’s bubble. He’s still excited at the prospect of one day discovering new life in the universe.

“It’s thrilling to be on that cutting edge,” he said, “to be living in an age where we discover that there is intelligent life in outer space.”

If you want to report any sightings to MUFON, click here.

To see national reports of UFOs, check UFO Stalker here.

The National UFO Reporting Center also catalogs sightings by month here.

This story was originally published by Doug Reardon at WXMI.