I genuinely believe this, despite the lack of evidence (largely because it is a fun belief if sobering to hold). You can push the concept way further still, for

I genuinely believe this, despite the lack of evidence (largely because it is a fun belief if sobering to hold). You can push the concept way further still, for example we had a technocratic elite last time as well, and they sent us peasants to earth first to colonize it. Genetics wasn't as well developed last time and for some fluke inbreeding wasn't known about, and so, the technocratic elite ended up inbred AF as they orbited earth. They continue to come down and abduct humans from time to time to gather genetic material to bolster their own failing gene pools while also measuring terrestrial qualities to check if it is time to land and lay claim to the peasantry once more, except this time there is a new landed elite that they'll have to fight it out with in one way or another.