NASA's Unexplained Files (2012–…): Season 3, Episode 3 - Rise of the Ice Creatures - full transcript

NASA'S MISSION
IS TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN.

THERE'S MORE THAT WE
DON'T KNOW THAN WE DO KNOW.

THAT'S JUST THE NATURE
OF THE UNIVERSE.

IN THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS,

IT LAUNCHES ITS SCIENTISTS
INTO SPACE,

ITS CRAFT BEYOND THE LIMITS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

TAKING RISK IS PART
OF MAKING DISCOVERIES.

SPACE EXPLORATION
IS LIKE LIGHTING A MATCH.

AND WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT LURKS IN THE SHADOWS.

THERE COULD BE ANYTHING
OUT THERE.

NEIL ARMSTRONG
FACES A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL.



WITHOUT MAKING THE RIGHT
DECISION WITHIN A FEW SECONDS,

THEY WERE GOING TO DIE.

A SKYDIVER SURVIVES
A DANGEROUS CLOSE ENCOUNTER.

IT'S SOME SORT
OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL OBJECT

THAT'S FALLING DOWN
INTO THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

AND DECLASSIFIED
DOCUMENTS REVEAL PLANS

FOR A U.S. MILITARY BASE
ON THE MOON.

IT SOUNDS CRAZY,
BUT IT'S THERE IN BLACK AND WHITE.

NASA'S MISSIONS HAVE UNCOVERED

Okay, we're seeing
three or four objects.

Yeah, there are three objects.

...THAT CONTINUE TO PERPLEX
OUR FINEST SCIENTIFIC MINDS.

THESE ARE
"NASA'S UNEXPLAINED FILES."

NASA's Unexplained Files - SEASON 3
EP - 3 - Rise of the Ice Creatures



200 MILES ABOVE EARTH,

A GEMINI SPACECRAFT
LURCHES OUT OF CONTROL.

THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE
ABOUT TO GO THROUGH.

THE SPACECRAFT WAS LITERALLY
BEGINNING TO TUMBLE.

WHAT SHOULD BE A ROUTINE MISSION

BECOMES A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

FOR THE MOST FAMOUS ASTRONAUT
OF ALL TIME.

IT'S GETTING WORSE AND WORSE.

IT'S LIKE THE FAIRGROUND RIDE
FROM HELL.

WITHIN MINUTES,
GEMINI 8 WILL TRANSFORM

FROM A PERFECT MISSION
TO A STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL.

MARCH, 1966.

ASTRONAUTS NEIL ARMSTRONG
AND DAVE SCOTT

TAKE A VITAL STEP
IN THE RACE TO THE MOON.

GEMINI 8
WAS DESIGNED TO PRACTICE ONE

OF THE PROCEDURES THAT WOULD
BE NEEDED TO GO TO THE MOON,

AND THAT WAS TO DOCK IN SPACE.

THE TARGET
FOR THE DOCKING MANEUVER

IS AN UNMANNED
AGENA ROCKET BOOSTER.

THIS IS
THE FIRST TIME SPACECRAFT

WILL ACTUALLY DOCK TOGETHER.

ARMSTRONG AND SCOTT
ARE BOTH ROOKIE ASTRONAUTS,

AND THE MISSIONS TAKE THEM
INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY

FOR SPACE FLIGHT.

THE GEMINI SPACECRAFT
AND THE AGENA

ARE BOTH TRAVELING
AT OVER 17,000 MILES AN HOUR.

THAT'S 300 MILES
A MINUTE, 5 MILES A SECOND.

AND YOU'RE NOT SURE OF WHERE
YOU ARE BECAUSE THE ROCKET NEVER

PUTS YOUR PRECISELY
WHERE YOU'RE AIMING.

THE FUTURE
OF THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM

HANGS ON THE SUCCESS
OF THIS MISSION.

THERE'S NOTHING AUTOMATIC
ABOUT MAKING A DOCKING.

ONE WRONG MANEUVER,

AND THESE TWO SPACECRAFTS
COULD CRASH TOGETHER.

THAT'S CATASTROPHIC.

YOU CAN DO A VERY, VERY TINY,
LITTLE MANEUVER.

YOU DON'T MAKE ANY BIG MOVES.

THEY PUSH ON IN,
PUT THE NOSE INTO THE COLLAR

ON THE AGENA AND LATCH.

INITIALLY, IT APPEARS

THE MISSION
IS GOING LIKE CLOCKWORK.

INSIDE THE CABIN OF GEMINI 8,

NEIL ARMSTRONG
TURNED TO DAVE SCOTT,

AND HE SAID, "IT'S EASY."

HISTORIC MOMENT HAS PASSED.

MISSION CONTROL CHEERS.

BUT IT'S THE CALM
BEFORE THE STORM.

SHORTLY AFTER DOCKING,
ARMSTRONG AND SCOTT

LOSE CONTACT
WITH MISSION CONTROL.

THEY DO THEIR LAST RADIO CHECK

WITH MISSION CONTROL,
AND EVERYTHING SEEMS A-OKAY.

THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE
ABOUT TO GO THROUGH.

JUST MINUTES LATER,

DAVE SCOTT MAKES
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

DAVE HAPPENS TO GLANCE
AT A PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT

ON THE CONTROL PANEL.

AND HE SAID TO NEIL...
HE SAID, "WE'RE IN A BANG."

THEY WEREN'T
FLYING LEVEL ANYMORE.

FOR SOME REASON,
THEY WERE DIPPED.

THE SPACECRAFT WAS
LITERALLY BEGINNING TO TUMBLE.

WITHIN MINUTES,
GEMINI 8 WILL TRANSFORM

FROM A PERFECT MISSION
TO A STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL.

CUT OFF FROM MISSION CONTROL,

ARMSTRONG AND SCOTT
HAVE TO FIGURE OUT

WHY THEY HAVE STARTED
TO ROLL BY THEMSELVES.

THEIR FIRST THOUGHT WOULD BE,

"IT MUST BE THAT UNMANNED
THING WE DOCKED WITH.

OUR SPACECRAFT HAS BEEN
WORKING GREAT SINCE LAUNCH."

THEY'VE GOT TO SEPARATE
THE TWO SPACECRAFT.

BOTH OF THEM ARE SPINNING FAST.

IF THEY SO MUCH AS TOUCH
DURING THE UNDOCKING MANEUVER,

THE IMPACT WILL DESTROY
BOTH OF THEM.

ARMSTRONG INITIATES THE EME

NEIL SAID TO DAVE,
"ARE YOU READY?

PUSH UNDOCK."

THEY BACKED AWAY FROM THE AGENA,

BUT TO THEIR HORROR,
THE ROLL RATE INCREASED.

INSTEAD OF CORRECTING THE
GEMINI SPACECRAFT'S ROLL,

UNDOCKING FROM THE BOOSTER

ACCELERATES IT
INTO A VIOLENT SPIN.

THEY WERE SPINNING
IN ALL DIRECTIONS,

AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY.

THE SITUATION IS PERILOUS.

THEY MADE IT UP
TO 60 REVOLUTIONS A MINUTE.

IT'S SPINNING
ABOUT ONCE PER SECOND,

LIKE BEING
INSIDE A WASHING MACHINE.

THIS THING
IS GOING CRAZY ON THEM.

WHAT LOOKED
LIKE A ROUTINE MISSION

HAS BECOME A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL.

IF THE SPIN RATE JUST
KEEPS GETTING FASTER

AND FASTER AND FASTER,
THEY WILL LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS.

IF YOU BLACK OUT,
YOU CAN'T CONTROL YOUR CRAFT.

YOU'RE LOST IN ORBIT.

THEY WILL HAVE NOTHING
TO STOP THIS SPACECRAFT

JUST SPINNING COMPLETELY
UNTIL IT BREAKS APART.

SCOTT AND ARMSTRONG
USE MUSCLE-TENSING TECHNIQUES

TO RESIST THE EFFECTS
OF G-FORCES ON THEIR BODIES,

BUT THE SPIN IS MORE INTENSE

THAN ANYTHING
THEY'VE TRAINED FOR.

THEY'RE SPINNING SO FAST

THAT THEY'RE BEGINNING
TO LOSE THEIR VISION.

DAVE SCOTT SEES HIS VISION

HAS BEGUN TO CLOSE IN
FROM THE G-FORCES.

DISORIENTED
AND STRUGGLING TO SEE,

ARMSTRONG REASONS THE GEMINI'S
MANEUVERING THRUSTERS

MIGHT BE CAUSING THE SPIN.

HE DECIDES TO SHUT THEM DOWN.

IT'S A SITUATION
IN WHICH YOU CAN'T COUNT

ON YOUR BRAIN WORKING RIGHT.

YOU CAN'T COUNT
ON YOUR HAND WORKING RIGHT.

YOU KNOW WHERE
ALL THE SWITCHES ARE.

GETTING TO THEM
COULD BE A PROBLEM.

ARMSTRONG HAS TO,
BY MEMORY AND TOUCH,

FIGURE OUT
WHICH SWITCHES TO THROW.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE VERY
CAREFUL TO GET THE RIGHT SWITCH.

ARMSTRONG FIGHTS
AGAINST THE G-FORCE

TO TURN OFF
THE MANEUVERING THRUSTERS,

BUT THE GEMINI CRAFT
IS STILL SPINNING.

WITHOUT MAKING
THE RIGHT DECISION

WITHIN A FEW SECONDS,
THEY WERE GOING TO DIE.

YOU'VE GOT TO STOP
THAT ROTATION.

HE REALIZES THEY HAVE
ONE LAST SHOT AT SURVIVAL...

THE UNUSED REENTRY THRUSTERS.

HE KNEW THE ONLY THING HE HAD
WAS THE REENTRY CONTROL SYSTEM.

MAYBE THAT WOULD BE
STRONG ENOUGH TO STOP IT.

HE'S PURELY FLYING BY THE SEAT
OF HIS PANTS AT THAT POINT.

IF ARMSTRONG CAN FIRE
THE REENTRY THRUSTERS

IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION
OF THE SPIN,

HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STOP IT.

THE WORST THING
YOU CAN DO IS PANIC.

YOU ANALYZE THE SITUATION

AND YOU TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION
AND YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN.

IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, YOU DIE.

ARMSTRONG TURNS
ON THESE REENTRY THRUSTERS

AND BEGINS VERY CAREFULLY
TO FIRE THRUSTERS

AGAINST THE ROTATION
OF THE GEMINI.

AND IT BEGINS TO WORK.

HE GETS THE SPIN STOPPED,

BUT IT TOLD THEM NEVER
LET DOWN YOUR GUARD,

BECAUSE SOMETHING CAN STRIKE
AT ANY MOMENT.

FIRING THE REENTRY
THRUSTERS SAVES THEIR LIVES,

BUT IT CREATES ANOTHER PROBLEM.

HE USED UP ALL OF HIS FUEL
TO STOP THE ROTATION,

AND THEN THEY HAD
TO COME BACK TO EARTH.

UNFORTUNATELY,
THAT'S THE END OF THE MISSION.

THEY HAVE TO COME HOME.

NASA'S FLIGHT CONTROLLER

AND JUST OVER 10 HOURS
AFTER THEY LAUNCHED,

ARMSTRONG AND SCOTT
SPLASH DOWN IN THE PACIFIC

500 MILES OFF THE COAST
OF JAPAN.

THEY HAVE ESCAPED.
THEY'VE CHEATED DEATH.

AND THE BEST FEELING OF ALL IS
WHEN YOU OPEN A HATCH

AND YOU SMELL
THAT SOUTH PACIFIC AIR

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

NASA LAUNCHES
AN URGENT INVESTIGATION

INTO THE CAUSE
OF THE NEAR-FATAL SPIN.

IT'S LATER FOUND THAT ONE
OF THE MODULE'S THRUSTERS

HAS BASICALLY MALFUNCTIONED

AND GOT STUCK
IN THE ON POSITION,

MEANING IT CONTINUED TO FIRE

WHEN IT SHOULD'VE
BEEN SWITCHED OFF.

THE CREW DIDN'T HAVE INDICATOR
LIGHTS FOR THRUSTERS ON.

NO ONE HAD THOUGHT
THAT THE WIRES

COULD SHORT-CIRCUIT IN THAT WAY.

NASA'S FUTURE MISSIONS
CORRECTED THIS DEADLY OVERSIGHT.

AND 3 YEARS LATER,
NEIL ARMSTRONG

BECOMES THE FIRST MAN
ON THE MOON.

NEIL'S A PRETTY COOL GUY.

HE DOESN'T GET RATTLED.

HE WAS SUCH THE PERFECT GUY
TO MAKE THAT FIRST LANDING.

IT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN,

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.

YA-HOO!

UP NEXT, NASA INVESTIGATES

A SCANDINAVIAN SKYDIVER'S
CLOSE ENCOUNTER.

IT'S SOME SORT
OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL OBJECT.

I WAS JUST MIND-BLOWN.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.

I WAS SO CERTAIN
THAT THIS WAS A METEORITE.

A NEAR-DEATH
EXPERIENCE 12,000 FEET UP...

A FEW INCHES CLOSER,
THAT WOULD'VE HIT HIM.

...TURNS INTO A SCIENCE
MYSTERY THAT GOES VIRAL.

WHERE DID IT COME FROM,
AND HOW CAN IT BE GOING THAT FAST?

NASA SCIENTISTS
LOOK DEEP INTO SPACE

TO GRAPPLE WITH THE MYSTERIES
OF THE UNIVERSE.

SOMETIMES, THE MYSTERIES
COME TO THEM.

JUNE 17th, 2012.

WOO-HOO-HOO!

HIGH ABOVE
THE NORWEGIAN COUNTRYSIDE,

SKYDIVER ANDERS HELSTRUP
IS FALLING THROUGH THE AIR

AT MORE
THAN 100 MILES PER HOUR...

...WHEN HE FEELS AN
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT WHIP PAST HIM.

YOU'RE FALLING THROUGH THE SKY,
AND SOMETHING WHIZZES PAST YOU.

THAT WOULD REALLY
GET YOUR ATTENTION.

BACK ON EARTH,

ANDERS REVIEWS THE FOOTAGE
FROM HIS HELMET CAM

TO FIND OUT WHAT ALMOST HIT HIM.

IT LOOKS LIKE A ROCK,

BUT ANDERS STRUGGLES TO IDENTIFY
WHERE IT COULD'VE COME FROM.

HIS FIRST IDEA IS THAT IT
COULD'VE FALLEN FROM THE PLANE.

MAYBE IT WAS ATTACHED
UNDERNEATH TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE.

BUT NO ONE
SAW ANYTHING FALL OUT.

THE NEXT THEORY IS THAT
SOMEONE THREW IT TOWARDS HIM.

EVEN IF THE PLANE HAD
BEEN JUST OUT OF THE FRAME,

IT WOULD'VE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE
FOR ANYONE

TO TIME THE THROW JUST RIGHT.

IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS,
ANDERS REACHES OUT

TO A NASA SCIENTIST BASED
IN OSLO, HANS AMUNDSEN.

AMUNDSEN ANALYZES
THE FOOTAGE FRAME BY FRAME

AND COMES
TO ASTONISHING CONCLUSION

THE OBJECT IS A METEORITE...
A ROCK FALLING FROM SPACE.

I WAS MIND-BLOWN.

I THOUGHT,
"THIS MUST BE A METEORITE."

I WAS JUST... "WOW."

IT WAS, LIKE, LIGHT GRAY
ON THE CLEAR, FRESH SURFACE.

AND THEN SORT OF
DARKISH GRAY, BLACK

AROUND THE SURFACE,
WHICH IS WHAT A METEORITE

IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE
WHEN IT BREAKS UP.

USING THE FOOTAGE,

AMUNDSEN ESTIMATES THE SIZE
OF THE METEORITE.

ANDERS IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.

WE ENDED UP WITH THE ROCK BEING

AROUND THE SIZE
OF AN ORANGE OR A GRAPEFRUIT.

AND IF THAT KIND OF ROCK
AT 150 MILES AN HOUR HITS YOU,

YOU'RE DEAD.

COULD ANDERS HAVE JUST HAD

HIS VERY OWN CLOSE ENCOUNTER
WITH A ROCK FROM OUTER SPACE?

METEORITES USUALLY
ARRIVE AS A REALLY BRIGHT,

IMPRESSIVE FIREBALL
SOMETIMES ASSOCIATED

WITH SONIC BOOMS
AND ELECTRICAL CRACKLINGS.

BUT THE OBJECT
IN THE VIDEO IS DULL AND DARK.

IT LOOKS NOTHING
LIKE A TYPICAL METEOR.

ALL THE PEOPLE
THAT SAW THIS SAID, "OH,

IT CAN'T BE A METEORITE."

BUT AMUNDSEN THINKS
THIS COULD BE A METEOR

IN THE LAST STAGES OF FLIGHT,
WHEN THE GLOW STOPS.

THE METEORS YOU SEE IN THE SKY
THAT REALLY GLOW,

THEY COME IN AT, YOU KNOW,

MAYBE FIVE TIMES THE SPEED
OF A RIFLE BULLET.

BUT THEN IT HITS THE ATMOSPHERE,
AND THAT'S THE GLOWING YOU SEE.

IT'S THE FRICTION.
IT PUTS ON THE BRAKES.

IT'S ALREADY
SLOWED DOWN IN THE ATMOSPHERE,

SO IT'S NOW SIMPLY FALLING.

IT'S WHAT WE CALL DARK FLIGHT.

A METEOR IN DARK FLIGHT IS
JUST A ROCK DROPPING TO EARTH

AT ABOUT 200
TO 300 MILES PER HOUR.

THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME

ANYONE HAS EVER WITNESSED
A METEOR IN DARK FLIGHT,

BUT NOT EVERYONE
BUYS AMUNDSEN'S THEORY.

NASA PUTS THE ODDS OF THIS
HAPPENING AT 1 IN 500 BILLION.

THAT MAKES
IT VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

THE ONLY WAY FOR AMUNDSEN

TO PROVE HIS THEORY
IS TO FIND THE METEORITE.

IF IT REALLY IS
THE GRAPEFRUIT-SIZED ROCK

THEIR CALCULATION SUGGESTS,

IT COULD BE WORTH MORE
THAN A MILLION DOLLARS.

METEORITES ARE RARE,
AND THEY'RE WORTH A LOT OF MONEY.

THIS PARTICULAR METEORITE
WOULD HAVE BEEN

THE FIRST ONE EVER FILMED
DURING DARK FLIGHTS.

IT WOULD BE A CELEBRITY,
SO IF WE FOUND IT,

WE THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE WORTH A LOT.

FOR A WHOLE YEAR,
TEAMS OF PEOPLE

SCOUR AN AREA
OF NORWEGIAN COUNTRYSIDE

NOT MUCH BIGGER
THAN A CITY BLOCK.

WE TRIED EVERYTHING.

WE SEARCHED IN THE RIVER

WITH, YOU KNOW,
LIKE, DIVING EQUIPMENT.

WE SEARCHED
WITH METAL DETECTORS.

AND WE LOOKED AND WE LOOKED
AND WE LOOKED,

AND WE FOUND NOTHING.

FINALLY, THE TEAM
DECIDES TO RELEASE THE VIDEO

TO THE WIDER PUBLIC.

I THINK THAT PHOTO JUMPS UP

TO LIKE 5 MILLION HITS
IN A FEW DAYS.

YOU COULD FOLLOW THE TIME
ZONES AS IT WENT AROUND THE WORLD.

EVERYONE WAS TRYING
TO SOLVE WHAT THIS WAS.

ONE OF THE 5 MILLION IS
NASA PHYSICIST PHIL METZGER.

AS SOON AS I READ ABOUT IT,

I KNEW THAT THE SOFTWARE
THAT I HAD DEVELOPED AT NASA

OVER THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS
WOULD BE ABLE TO SOLVE THIS.

METZGER'S CUTTING-EDGE SOFTWARE

IS USED DURING NASA'S
SHUTTLE LAUNCHES

TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL
DANGER OF ANY DEBRIS.

IT CAN CALCULATE THE FLIGHT
PATH OF AIRBORNE PARTICLES

WITH INCREDIBLE ACCURACY.

HE APPLIES IT
TO ANDER'S VIDEO EVIDENCE.

THE TEAM IN NORWAY
HAD CALCULATED

THAT IT WAS ABOUT THAT BIG,

WHICH MEANT IT WAS
A SIGNIFICANT ROCK.

THE SOFTWARE WE USE FOR NASA
REDID THOSE CALCULATIONS

USING A LOT MORE DETAILS
IN THE PHYSICS.

AND WE WERE ABLE
TO REFINE THE ESTIMATE

OF THE SIZE OF THE PARTICLE.

THE NASA SOFTWARE REVEALS

THAN THE NORWEGIAN TEAM
HAD INITIALLY THOUGHT.

IT'S ABOUT THE SIZE
OF A GRAPE, NOT A GRAPEFRUIT.

THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, COULD

WHY DID IT HAPPEN TO GO BY
THE SKYDIVER RIGHT WHEN IT DID?

METZGER LOOKS AT THE
SKYDIVER'S FLIGHT PA

THE SKYDIVER
WAS USING A WINGSUIT.

SO HE WAS FLYING HORIZONTALLY
LIKE A BAT.

WHEN THE SKYDIVER
OPENED HIS PARACHUTE,

THAT STOPPED
HIS HORIZONTAL FLIGHT,

AND HE BEGAN FALLING VERTICALLY.

THE VIDEO SHOWS THAT THE ROCK

FLEW PAST ANDERS 12 SECONDS
AFTER HE OPENED HIS PARACHUTE.

ACCORDING TO OUR CALCULATIONS,

A ROCK THAT HAD COME
OUT OF THE PARACHUTE

WOULD HAVE CONTINUED
TRAVELING HORIZONTALLY

UNTIL IT SLOWED DOWN.

AND THEN IT WOULD'VE FALLEN
STRAIGHT VERTICALLY

AND FALLEN RIGHT
WHERE THE SKYDIVER WAS.

THE NASA SOFTWARE
POINTS TO ONE CONCLUSION...

ANDERS' CLOSE ENCOUNTER WAS
NOT A ROCK FROM OUTER SPACE.

IT WAS A PIECE OF GRAVEL
FROM HIS OWN PARACHUTE.

IT WAS RELEASED
WHEN THE PARACHUTE OPENED,

AND BECAUSE OF
THE AERODYNAMIC FORCES,

IT FLEW RIGHT PAST THE CAMERA.

I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW,
WHEN I FOUND THAT OUT.

"OH, MY GOD.

EVERYBODY IS GOING TO THINK
THAT ME AND EVERYBODY ELSE

WORKING ON THIS ARE TOTALLY
JUST STUPID IDIOTS."

BUT NO.

THE MATHEMATICS
THAT THE NORWEGIAN TEAM DID

WAS ENTIRELY CORRECT.

THE ONLY REASON
WE WERE ABLE TO GET

A MORE ACCURATE CALCULATION
IS BECAUSE NASA

HAD SPENT 10 YEARS
DEVELOPING THIS SOFTWARE.

SO WE WENT OUT IN THE END AND SAID,
"OKAY, WE WERE WRONG.

IT'S GRAVEL. NASA SOLVED IT."

AND PEOPLE WERE APPLAUDING.

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT...
YOU KNOW, GOOD SCIENCE.

YOU WERE WRONG. YOU ADMITTED IT.

HEY, THIS IS COOL.

STILL TO COME,
A DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENT

REVEALS DETAILED PLANS TO
BUILD A MILITARY BASE ON THE MOON.

THIS WAS A PLACE
FROM WHICH WE MIGHT BE ABLE

TO BOMBARD OUR ENEMIES ON
EARTH WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

IT SOUNDS CRAZY,

BUT THE U.S. ARMY
DIDN'T THINK SO.

AN APOLLO 17 PHOTOGRAPH CAPTURES

A STRANGE TRIANGLE ON THE MOON.

SUDDENLY, OUT OF A DARK SPACE,

YOU START TO SEE
WHAT LOOKS LIKE A PYRAMID.

AND RECENTLY,
DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS REVEAL

U.S. MILITARY PLANS FOR A SECRET
LUNAR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

A MILITARY SPACE PROGRAM
CAPTURED ON CAMERA.

IT SOUNDS CRAZY,
BUT IT'S THERE IN BLACK AND WHITE.

NASA WAS FOUNDED
AS A CIVILIAN AGENCY

FOR THE PEACEFUL
EXPLORATION OF SPACE,

BUT THE SPACE AGENCY'S TIES

TO THE U.S. MILITARY
HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE.

DECEMBER, 1972.

OKAY, STAND BY FOR PITCH OVER.

OH, ARE WE COMING IN.

THE APOLLO 17 LUNAR MODULE

TOUCHES DOWN IN AN UNEXPLORED
REGION OF THE MOON

KNOWN AS
THE TAURUS LITTROW VALLEY.

APOLLO 17 WAS THE LAST
MANNED MISSION TO THE MOON.

IT WAS GOING
INTO DARK TERRITORY.

THIS HAS GOT TO BE ONE
OF THE MOST PROUD MOMENTS

IN MY LIFE.

GEOLOGIST HARRISON SCHMITT

ONLY SCIENTIST TO SET FOOT
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.

WE WERE VERY AWARE

THAT THIS WAS THE LAST
OF THE APOLLO MISSIONS.

WE DID AN AWFUL LOT
OF TAKING PICTURES.

WITH FOUR CAMERAS,
THEY CAPTURED THOUSANDS

OF IMAGES OF A PLACE NEVER
BEFORE SEEN BY HUMAN EYES.

BASED ON THE PHOTOGRAPHY
WE HAD AT THE TIME,

THE APOLLO PHOTOGRAPHS
ARE REALLY QUITE REMARKABLE.

SOME OF THE IMAGES
THEY TAKE BECOME ICONIC.

OTHERS FADE INTO OBSCURITY
FOR DECADES.

EVERY NOW AND THEN,

A PHOTO SHOWS UP THAT REALLY
STANDS OUT AS ODD.

THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

IN 2008,

AMATEUR INVESTIGATORS
UNCOVER ONE IMAGE

FROM APOLLO 17
THAT SEEMS BLANK...

UNTIL THEY LOOK CLOSER.

SUDDENLY OUT OF A DARK SPACE,

YOU START TO SEE
WHAT LOOKS LIKE A PYRAMID.

IMAGE ANALYST MARK D'ANTONIO

HAS STUDIED
THE MYSTIFYING PHOTOGRAPH.

HERE'S THE FAINT OUTLINE
THAT LOOKS LIKE THE PYRAMID.

NOW WE CAN ACTUALLY
MODIFY THIS PHOTO,

INCREASE THE CONTRAST,
AND CHANGE SOME PARAMETERS.

NOW WE SEE THIS
A LITTLE MORE CLEARLY.

WHAT EVER IS THAT?

WE SEEM TO HAVE
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

SUGGESTING PYRAMIDAL
STRUCTURES ON THE MOON.

HOW COULD THERE BE ARTIFICIAL
STRUCTURES ON THE MOON?

AND WHO OR WHAT WOULD BE
CAPABLE OF PUTTING THEM THERE?

AN INTRIGUING EXPLANATION

COMES IN JULY, 2014,
WHEN THE U.S. MILITARY

DECLASSIFIES A DOSSIER
OF TOP-SECRET DOCUMENTS.

ONE OF THEM IS A 118-PAGE
REPORT CALLED PROJECT HORIZON.

IT REVEALS A DETAILED PLAN TO
BUILD A FORTRESS ON THE MOON.

THIS IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST COLD WAR STORIES

THAT WE'VE EVER HEARD.

AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT
SHOWING INTENTIONS

TO PUT A MILITARY BASE
ON THE MOON.

THE PLAN IS THE BRAINCHILD

OF A U.S. ARMY GENERAL,
ARTHUR TRUDEAU.

IN 1959, HE SUBMITS THE
DOCUMENT FOR PENTAGON APPROVAL.

HE SAYS, "IMAGINE
WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE

FOR US IN THE UNITED STATES

IF THE SOVIET UNION MILITARY
COULD RAIN MISSILES

DOWN ON THE UNITED STATES
FROM THE MOON.

NO! THIS CANNOT BE.

WE MUST FORTIFY THE MOON FIRST."

WE'VE GOT A U.S. ARMY DOCUMENT

SAYING THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A LUNAR BASE

SHOULD BE AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY

AS THE MANHATTAN PROJECT
WAS DURING WORLD WAR II.

THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

WHEN A U.S. MILITARY
MAKES SOMETHING A PRIORITY

LIKE THEY DID
WITH THE MANHATTAN PROJECT,

THERE'S REALLY NOTHING
THEY CAN'T DO.

TRUDEAU WRITES THAT IT
CAN BE DONE IN JUST 7 YEARS.

THE CONCLUSION SAYS THAT,
"THE UNITED STATES

CAN ESTABLISH AN OPERATIONAL
LUNAR OUTPOST BY 1966."

YOU HAVE TO ASK, "HOW FAR
DID THIS PROJECT GO?"

OFFICIALLY, THE SENATE

REFUSES TO FUND
TRUDEAU'S AMBITIOUS PLAN.

WHAT WE KNOW OR BELIEVE WE KNOW

IS THAT PROJECT HORIZON
WAS SHELVED.

IT NEVER HAPPENED.

WHAT IF THAT'S NOT TRUE?

AT THE SAME TIME
THAT NASA IS FLYING

ITS FINAL MISSIONS TO THE MOON,
THE U.S. MILITARY

IS BUILDING HIGHLY-CLASSIFIED
PYRAMID STRUCTURES ON EARTH.

THE NEKOMA MISSILE SITE
IN NORTH DAKOTA

WAS HOME TO 46 NUCLEAR WARHEADS.

COULD THIS TECHNOLOGY
BE TRANSPLANTED TO THE MOON?

IT'S RIGHT THERE
IN BLACK AND WHITE.

"THERE ARE NO KNOWN
TECHNICAL BARRIERS

TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A MANNED BASE ON THE MOON."

A SECRET MILITARY MOON BASE

COULD'VE OFFERED A DECISIVE
ADVANTAGE IN THE COLD WAR.

THE IDEA OF PUTTING A BASE

IT'S A VERY TYPICALLY
MILITARY IDEA.

A PLACE FROM WHICH WE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO BOMBARD

OUR ENEMIES ON EARTH
WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

THE DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

PROVIDE A COMPELLING VISION
OF A MILITARY MOON BASE,

BUT DETAILED ANALYSIS
OF THE APOLLO 17 PICTURE

REFUTES THE IDEA
THAT THE BASE EVER GOT

BEYOND THE PLANNING STAGE.

THE PYRAMID PHOTOGRAPH
IS ONE OF A SERIES

OF PHOTOS TAKEN CONSECUTIVELY.

IF WE LOOK AT OTHERS
IN THE SEQUENCE,

WE ALSO SEE SHAPES LIKE THIS.

HERE'S A SQUARE PIECE
RIGHT THERE.

SEEN IN CONTEXT,
THERE IS ONLY ONE CONCLUSION.

THIS IS A PIECE
OF THE LUNAR ROVER.

THE PYRAMID APPEARS
TO BE JUST A DARK SHADOW

ACROSS THE SEAT OF THE ROVER.

WITH APOLLO 17, WE HAD
TO DEPLOY THE LUNAR ROVER.

AND WE DROVE FOR A TOTAL
OF ABOUT 32 KILOMETERS.

THESE ARE ALL PART
OF THE SAME SEQUENCE.

ONE IS JUST A BADLY-TAKEN,
UNDEREXPOSED PHOTO.

THE PROJECT HORIZON
BASE NEVER BECAME A REALITY.

BUT NASA HAS NOT GIVEN UP
ON THE IDEA

OF A PERMANENT PRESENCE
ON THE MOON.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO.

WE KNOW WE CAN DO IT.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN.

NASA COMMISSIONED A NEW STUDY
IN JULY, 2015,

TO LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY

OF ESTABLISHING
A PERMANENT LUNAR OUTPOST.

WHAT THEY FOUND IS,
AT BEST CASE,

THE OUTPOST WOULDN'T
BE FINISHED UNTIL 2030.

SO WE'RE A LONG WAY OFF.

COMING UP,
NASA ASTRONAUTS DISCOVER

A LIFE-FORM THAT HAS TAKEN
OVER A RUSSIAN SPACE STATION.

ONCE IT STARTS, IT MAY MUTATE,
IT MAY GROW FAST.

AND IT MAY BECOME
IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP.

A NASA ASTRONAUT
FINDS A SPACE STATION OVERRUN

WITH LIFE-FORMS THAT THREATEN
THE ENTIRE SPACE PROGRAM.

THERE ARE THINGS GROWING
ALL OVER THE SPACE STATION.

IT'S OUT OF CONTROL,
AND NOBODY KNOWS WHY.

JANUARY 15th, 1998.

NASA ASTRONAUT DAVE WOLF

IS ONBOARD RUSSIA'S
MIR SPACE STATION.

HE'S COLLECTING
ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES

TO CHECK FOR BACTERIA
AND PARASITES.

NASA IS STARTING TO BUILD
ITS OWN SPACE STATION.

AND THEY NEED TO KNOW
IF MICROORGANISMS

POSE A THREAT TO THE ASTRONAUTS.

SO THEY LOOK TO SEE
WHAT'S HAPPENING

ON THE MIR SPACE STATION,

BUT HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THEM.

WHEN THE CREW OPENS
A RARELY-USED SERVICE PANEL,

WHAT THEY FIND IS TERRIFYING.

THEY FIND A HUGE GLOBULE,
ESSENTIALLY,

OF WATER THAT'S JUST
TEEMING WITH ORGANISMS.

IF YOU OPEN UP A SERVICE HATCH

AND ARE CONFRONTED
WITH A BASKETBALL-SIZED LUMP

OF LIVING THING,
IT WOULD FREAK YOU OUT.

THE CREW DISCOVERS
THAT THE SITUATION

IS WORSE THAN ANYONE
HAD IMAGINED POSSIBLE.

THEY FIND LIVING ORGANISMS
EVERYWHERE...

ON THE WINDOW GASKETS,
ON THE CABLE BUNDLES, ON THE PIPES.

IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY,
THEY FIND SOMETHING ALIVE.

THIS RARE RUSSIAN
FOOTAGE SHOT ABOARD THE MIR

SHOWS THE FRIGHTENING EXTENT
OF THE INFESTATION.

SOMEHOW, THE SPACE STATION

HAS BECOME A VERITABLE ZOO
OF MICROORGANISMS.

THE PROFUSION OF LIFE
FORMS ON THE SPACE STATION

POSES A THREAT
TO THE ASTRONAUTS.

U.S. AND RUSSIAN
SCIENTISTS STRUGGLE

TO EXPLAIN HOW MIR
WAS TAKEN OVER SO QUICKLY.

WHAT'S CAUSING

THIS INCREASED ACCELERATION
OF THE GROWTH, YOU KNOW?

IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S
SOME SORT OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCE

OR SOMETHING UNKNOWN
THAT'S CAUSING THIS.

SCIENTISTS POINT
TO THE MIR'S LONG HISTORY

OF TECHNICAL PROBLEMS.

MIR SUFFERED POWER OUTAGES
AND HAD HUGE PROBLEMS

WITH AIR TEMPERATURE
AND HUMIDITY...

BOTH FACTORS
THAT WOULD HELP THINGS GROW.

BUT IT STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN
JUST WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE.

NASA NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND

MICROORGANISMS CAN ACTUALLY
DAMAGE AND CORRODE

CERTAIN MATERIALS AND WIRES.

UNCHECKED AND UNCONTROLLED
BACTERIAL GROWTH

ON A SPACE MISSION COULD
COMPROMISE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.

12 YEARS LATER,
A NASA EXPERIMENT

PROVIDES A CLUE TO THE CAUSE
OF MIR'S INFESTATION.

IN MAY, 2010,
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS

CARRIES AN EXPERIMENT
CALLED MICRO-2

TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.

AN IDENTICAL EXPERIMENT

WILL BE CARRIED OUT
SIMULTANEOUSLY ON EARTH.

THE TWIN EXPERIMENTS
BOTH GROW SAMPLES

OF IDENTICAL DISEASE CELLS.

THE RESULTS ARE ASTONISHING.

THE CELLS IN SPACE
GROW FASTER AND BIGGER

THAN THE ONES ON EARTH.

THIS COULD HELP EXPLAIN
MIR'S OUTBREAK.

YOU'D THINK THAT IF YOU
TOOK THESE MICROORGANISMS

AWAY FROM THEIR NATURAL HABITAT
THAT THEY'D JUST WITHER AND DIE.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'D THINK
WOULD HAPPEN,

BUT YOU'D BE WRONG.

THE ORGANISM'S
RAPID AND UNEXPECTED GROWTH

MEANS THAT IF THEY WERE
TO ESCAPE INTO THE ISS,

THEY WOULD POSE AN IMMINENT
THREAT TO EVERYONE ONBOARD.

WHEN CONSIDERING PROLONGED
MANNED SPACE MISSIONS,

THE THREAT OF A MICROORGANISM
CAUSING DISEASE

BECOMES ALL THAT MORE
CONCERNING.

HUMANS ARE AT THEIR
MOST VULNERABLE IN SPACE.

OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS SHUT DOWN

WHEN WE LEAVE
OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

IF THE ORGANISM IS MORE LETHAL,

AND THE ASTRONAUT
BECOMES COMPROMISED

IN HIS OR HER IMMUNE RESPONSE,
THIS IS A PERFECT STORM

AND RECIPE
FOR A DISASTROUS MISSION.

BUT THE GREATEST
THREAT THE ORGANISMS POSE

IS NOT TO THE ASTRONAUTS.

IT IS TO US.

ONE OF OUR MAJOR
CONCERNS HAS ALWAYS BEEN

THE POSSIBILITY
OF BRINGING THAT MODIFIED

HYPER-VIRULENT ORGANISM
BACK TO EARTH

AND HAVING THAT ACTUALLY
CAUSE DISEASE HERE.

IT'S LIKE SOMETHING
OUT OF "THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN."

A BACTERIA ARRIVES FROM SPACE

AND OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE
COMPLETELY UNABLE TO HANDLE IT

AND WE ARE WIPED OUT.

TO DATE,
NASA HAS YET TO FIND A WAY

TO PREVENT THE SHUTDOWN

OF THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM
DURING SPACE TRAVEL.

RESEARCH IS ONGOING.

UP NEXT, A NASA PROBE FINDS
BIZARRE, MULTILAYERED OCEANS

BENEATH THE SURFACE
OF ONE OF JUPITER'S MOONS.

WHENEVER YOU DISCOVER
WATER ON ANOTHER PLANET,

THE FIRST THING
YOU THINK OF IS LIFE.

CREATURES WITH VERY SHARP TEETH

AND WIDE EYES BEAMING DOWN,
AND... BAM!

A SPACECRAFT SURVEYING AN

MAKES A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

AN ENTIRE WORLD
COVERED WITH ICE,

BUT IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING.

SOMETHING IS STIRRING
BENEATH THE FROZEN SURFACE

OF THE WORLD WE CALL GANYMEDE.

LONG RIBBON-LIKE CREATURES,

PREDATORS COMING
RIGHT UP BEHIND THEM AND SNAP!

JUNE, 1996.

NASA'S GALILEO SPACECRAFT
IS 6 MONTHS

INTO ITS EXPLORATION
OF THE JUPITER SYSTEM.

AS IT PASSES JUPITER,
ITS ELECTRONIC GAZE

TURNS TO ONE OF THE GAS GIANT'S
ICE-COVERED MOONS, GANYMEDE.

THE PROBE'S MAGNETIC READINGS

REVEAL SOMETHING
TOTALLY UNEXPECTED.

AN ENTIRE WORLD
COVERED WITH ICE,

BUT UNDERNEATH THAT ICE...
AN OCEAN.

THE OCEAN CONTAINS
MORE WATER THAN THE PACIFIC,

DESPITE THE FACT THAT GANYMEDE
IS SMALLER THAN THE EARTH.

THE DISCOVERY RAISES
EXCITEMENT AMONG S

WHENEVER YOU DISCOVER
WATER ON ANOTHER PLANET,

THE FIRST THING
YOU THINK OF IS LIFE.

HOW COULD THERE NOT BE
EXTENSIVE LIFE

IN THAT BIG OCEAN?

BUT IF LIFE EXISTS IN THE DEPTHS

OF GANYMEDE'S SEAS,
IT FACES MANY CHALLENGES.

GANYMEDE HAS OCEANS,
BUT THEY'RE NOT LIKE THE OCEANS ON EARTH.

PERHAPS THE GREATEST
CHALLENGE LIFE THERE

WOULD FACE IS THE THICK ICE
THAT COVERS THE WATER.

GANYMEDE'S A DIFFERENT WORLD.

WE IMAGINE THE HABITAT
ON GANYMEDE

IS GONNA BE
A THICK LAYER OF ICE...

TOO MUCH ICE AT THE TOP
FOR SUNLIGHT TO GET DOWN.

PITCH BLACK.
THERE'S NO SUNLIGHT.

IT'S FREEZING COLD,
AND THERE'S NO OXYGEN.

HOW CAN LIFE POSSIBLY THRIVE?

FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS

AFTER THE GALILEO PROBE'S
FIRST SCANS,

SCIENTISTS BELIEVED GANYMEDE
CANNOT SUPPORT LIFE.

THEN IN 2014,
AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY

IN ANTARCTICA
CHANGES EVERYTHING.

MICROBIOLOGIST JILL MIKUCKI
IS EXPLORING

WHAT IS PERHAPS
THE MOST BIZARRE FEATURE

OF THE FROZEN LANDSCAPE...

A PLACE CALLED BLOOD FALLS.

YOU'RE ON THIS CRAGGY,
CRAZY ICE COVER,

AND THEN IT JUST...
IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.

JILL DISCOVERS THAT
THE FALLS HOLD A DARK SECRET.

THIS UNIQUE,
LITTLE FEATURE OF BLOOD FALLS

WAS REALLY A WINDOW
INTO A SUBSURFACE WORLD

THAT WAS MUCH DEEPER AND THAT
WE COULDN'T SEE AT THE SURFACE.

SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED LIQUID
WATER BURIED BENEATH THE ICE.

THE SUBSURFACE OCEANS
ARE DEEP BENEATH THE GLACIER,

WHERE THERE IS NO SUNLIGHT AND
TEMPERATURES ARE DEADLY COLD.

ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES

FROM THE ICY OCEAN
REVEALS SOMETHING SHOCKING.

I LOOKED AT THE SAMPLES
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE,

AND THERE WERE CELLS THERE...

A WHOLE LITTLE WORLD
JUST IN THIS DROP OF BRINE.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S PITCH
BLACK ... THERE'S NO SUNLIGHT,

THERE'S NO OXYGEN,
AND IT'S FREEZING COLD,

THEY FOUND 17 DIFFERENT KINDS
OF MICROBE

LIVING IN THIS
EXTREME ENVIRONMENT.

THE DISCOVERY PROMPTS
SCIENTISTS TO QUESTION

HOW LIFE CAN EXIST
IN SUCH EXTREME CONDITIONS.

AT BLOOD FALLS
IN ANTARCTICA, LIVING THINGS

HAVE FOUND ANOTHER WAY
OF SUSTAINING THEMSELVES.

THEY USE MINERAL SULFATES
TO REACT WITH IRON,

AND IT'S THAT IRON THAT
PRODUCES THIS BLOOD-RED COLOR.

AND THEY ESSENTIALLY
FEED THEMSELVES ON MINERALS.

THE REVELATION THAT LIFE

CAN EXIST
WITH NO OBVIOUS FOOD SOURCE

IN A DARK OCEAN
BURIED BENEATH THE ICE

HAS STUNNING IMPLICATIONS
FOR GANYMEDE.

SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING
OURSELVES IS,

"COULD THESE OCEANS ON
GANYMEDE BE FULL OF MICROBES,

JUST LIKE AT BLOOD FALLS?"

MAYBE BECAUSE I STUDY LIFE
IN ANTARCTICA,

I'M MORE OF AN OPTIMIST
ABOUT THE ABILITY OF LIFE

TO SURVIVE HARSH CONDITIONS.

SURPRISINGLY,
GANYMEDE'S DEEPEST WATERS

OFFER THE BEST HOPE
FOR FINDING LIFE.

THIS IS A WORLD
THAT HAS OCEANS IN LAYERS.

IT HAS ICE, WATER, ICE,
WATER, ICE, WATER.

IT LOOKS LIKE A STRIPED CAKE.

TO HAVE LIFE,
YOU REALLY WANT ROCKS AND WATER TOGETHER

BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE
THE ELEMENTS

THAT LIVING THINGS NEED.

WHERE YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR LIFE

IS GOING TO BE
IN THAT LAST OCEAN LEVEL,

BECAUSE IT'S IN CONTACT
WITH ROCK.

SO IF WE'RE LOOKING
FOR LIFE ON GANYMEDE,

WE'RE GOING ALL THE WAY
TO THE BOTTOM.

WITH ALL THE ELEMENTS
NECESSARY FOR LIFE PRESENT,

THERE IS GOOD REASON TO HOPE
THAT THE ICE WATER OF GANYMEDE

COULD BE HOME
TO MORE THAN JUST MICROBES.

WE COULD GO TO GANYMEDE
EXPECTING ONLY SIMPLE LIFE,

BUT I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP
OUR EYES OPEN JUST

IN CASE THERE'S SOMETHING
MORE INTERESTING, AS WELL.

IT'S HAD
4 1/2 BILLION YEARS TO EVOLVE.

THERE COULD BE
LONG, RIBBON-LIKE CREATURES

30 METERS LONG, 2 METERS WIDE
MOVING ACROSS THE BOTTOM,

PREDATORS COMING RIGHT UP
BEHIND THEM

SENSING THESE TRAILS MOVING
AND... SNAP!

WHATEVER FORM LIFE
TAKES ON GANYMEDE,

WE COULD ENCOUNTER IT
WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE.

SO THE NEXT STEP
IS THE JUICE MISSION,

WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED
TO GO AND STUDY THOSE OCEANS

OF THE ICY MOONS OF JUPITER.

THE TRUTH IS
THERE COULD BE NO LIMIT

TO THE LIFE
THAT LIVES ON GANYMEDE.

IT'S REALLY UP TO US TO GO
INVESTIGATE AND FIND OUT.

STILL TO COME,

CAMERAS ON THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION

CAPTURE A LASER BEAM
STRIKING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE.

IT LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE
A "STAR WARS" DEATH RAY.

IF THIS IS TRUE,
THEN SCIENCE FICTION

WOULD BECOME... OVERNIGHT...
SCIENCE FACT.

THE CAMERAS ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

REVEAL AN ENERGY BEAM
STREAKING DOWN TOWARDS EARTH.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY
FIRED PHASERS.

THE IMAGES
CAUSED GLOBAL EXCITEMENT.

WHERE DOES THE BEAM HIT?
WHAT'S THE TARGET?

DECEMBER 5th, 2014.

THE CREW OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

IS CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT

TO STUDY THE BEHAVIOR
OF FIRE IN MICROGRAVITY.

BUT SOMETHING ELSE IS ABOUT TO
CAPTURE THE WORLD'S ATTENTION.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
WATCHING THE LIVE VIDEO FEED

FROM THE ISS SEES SOMETHING

EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENING
OUTSIDE THE SPACE STATION...

SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE
A LASER BEAM FIRES INTO SPACE.

THIS IS LIKE SOMETHING
OUT OF THE MOVIES.

THE REMARKABLE FOOTAGE
POSES A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.

WHERE DOES THE BEAM
HIT? WHAT'S THE TARGET?

NASA DOES NOT COMMENT
ON THE UNUSUAL PHENOMENON.

OF COURSE IT GOES VIRAL
ON THE INTERNET.

IT'S ON FACEBOOK,
IT'S ON YouTube,

AND EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN
IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

SOME OBSERVERS
SPECULATE THAT THE FOOTAGE

COULD SHOW SPACE WEAPONRY
IN ACTION.

YOU SEE SOMETHING
THAT LOOKS LIKE A LASER BEAM,

SO IT'S NATURAL TO ASK.

IS THIS SOME SORT OF WEAPON?

THE ISS IS HOME TO ONE

OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED
SCIENTIFIC LABORATORIES.

IT WAS BUILT
TO SERVE PEACEFUL PURPOSES.

ADVANCES IN PURE SCIENCE
AND ADVANCES

IN MILITARY TECHNOLOGY
OFTEN GO HAND-IN-HAND.

AND OF COURSE, THE MAJOR POWERS

ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO PUSH
THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE

TO TRY TO GAIN A MILITARY
EDGE OVER EACH OTHER.

IF THE ENERGY BEAM FROM THE ISS

WAS A TEST OF SPACE WEAPONRY,
IT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST.

DURING THE COLD WAR,
THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION

LAUNCHED AN AMBITIOUS
SCHEME CALLED

THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE
INITIATIVE,

BETTER KNOWN AS "STAR WARS."

THERE WERE IDEAS
ABOUT PUTTING LASERS IN SPACE

TO DEFEND AGAINST INCOMING
NUCLEAR WARHEADS.

IN TESTS,
STANDARD OPTICAL LASERS

SUCCESSFULLY SHOT
DOWN INCOMING MISSILES,

BUT COULD ONLY INTERCEPT
ONE MISSILE AT A TIME.

THE NEXT STEP WAS A MORE
ADVANCED LASER USING X-RAYS.

THE LASER FOCUSED BEAMS
OF X-RAY RADIATION

FROM A THERMONUCLEAR WARHEAD,

SHOOTING THEM
IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

TO OBLITERATE MULTIPLE TARGETS.

THE SYSTEM HAD THE POTENTIAL

TO NEUTRALIZE THE ENTIRE
SOVIET NUCLEAR ARSENAL.

THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS
THAT SPACE CAN

FEATURE WEAPONS
OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER.

BUT WHILE SPACE WEAPONRY H

DEFENSE EXPERTS POINT OUT
THAT THE ISS

IS NOT A SUITABLE LOCATION
FOR WEAPONS TESTING.

IF YOU WERE GOING TO TEST A
SPACE LASER WEAPON FROM EARTH,

WHY IN THE WORLD
WOULD YOU AIM IT

AT OR NEAR THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,

WHICH HAS CAMERAS RUNNING
ALL THE TIME

AND THEREBY REVEAL
WHAT YOU'RE DOING?

AFTER DAYS OF SPECULATION,

NASA RELEASES
A STATEMENT EXPLAINING

THAT THE BEAM EVERYONE
SAW WAS A LASER.

BUT IT'S NOT A WEAPON.

IT'S PART OF AN ADVANCED
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

DEVELOPED BY THE JET PROPULSION
LABORATORY IN CALIFORNIA.

ITS CODE NAME... OPALS.

RIGHT NOW,
PRIMARILY WE COMMUNICATE

WITH OUR SPACECRAFT
USING RADIO WAVES.

BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE
THE INTERNET HAS GROWN...

WE STARTED OFF WITH DIAL-UP,
AND NOW WE HAVE BROADBAND.

WE WANT TO DO THE SAME THING
WITH OUR SPACECRAFT.

THE WAY YOU ENCODE INFORMATION
IS YOU ENCODE IT ON A WAVE.

RADIO WAVES ARE QUITE LARGE.

LIGHT WAVES, HOWEVER,
ARE MUCH, MUCH SMALLER.

AND THEREFORE, YOU CAN CODE
FAR MORE INFORMATION ON THEM.

SO LIGHT WAVES
HAVE THE POTENTIAL

FOR ENCODING
FAR MORE INFORMATION.

THE OPALS SYSTEM
CAN SEND MORE DATA

AT HIGHER SPEEDS,

WHICH ALLOWS FOR
THE TRANSMISSION OF HD VIDEO.

IN THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TEST
OF THE OPALS SYSTEM,

THE SPACE STATION
SENT DOWN A VIDEO

THAT SAID "HELLO, WORLD".

USING TRADITIONAL RADIO WAVES,

THAT VIDEO WOULD'VE TAKEN
10 MINUTES TO DOWNLINK.

BUT USING OPALS, IT TOOK
JUST 3 1/2 SECONDS.

THE EXPLANATION CALMS FEARS

THAT WE COULD BE ENTERING
AN ERA OF SPACE WARFARE

AND OPENS EXCITING POSSIBILITIES

FOR THE FUTURE
OF SPACE EXPLORATION.

THIS IS A BIG DEAL.

WITH THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY,

WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE
VAST AMOUNTS

OF INFORMATION
WITH DEEP SPACE MISSIONS

AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE
MUCH MORE INFORMATION MU

THIS IS A GAME CHANGER.

MANKIND'S FIRST HESITANT STEPS

INTO SPACE ARE FRAUGHT
WITH MANY DANGERS.

AND THERE ARE THINGS
IN THE DARKNESS

WHICH MAY YET POSE
A THREAT TO US ALL.

IN THE SPACE ABOVE OUR HEADS,

THE DREAMS OF SCIENCE FICTION
BECOME REALITY.

AND WITH EACH NEW DISCOVERY,

IT BECOMES CLEARER
WE HAVE ONLY BEGUN

TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE
OF WHAT MAY BE OUT THERE.

Subtitles Diego Moraes
www.oakisland.tk