NASA's Unexplained Files (2012–…): Season 3, Episode 6 - NASA's Unexplained Files - 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.

A MYSTERY KILLER
CLAIMS THE LIVES



OF THREE COSMONAUTS.

THEY'RE ALL JUST LYING THERE.

THERE'S NOT A MARK ON THEM,
NOT A SIGN OF ANY STRUGGLE.

A DECLASSIFIED CIA DOCUMENT
REVEALS A SINISTER PLAN

FOR AMERICA'S FIRST
MANNED SPACE MISSION.

THE PLAN IS
IF FRIENDSHIP 7 FAILS,

THE CIA IS GOING
TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE

THAT ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE
FROM CUBA CAUSED IT.

AND A SERIES OF STRANGE
EVENTS AROUND THE ISS

SPARKS FEARS OF A CYBERATTACK.

A HACK COULD BE A DEADLY
DISASTER UP THERE.

NASA's MISSIONS HAVE UNCOVERED
DISTURBING ANOMALIES...

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 - 6 - Curse of the Red Planet

Subtitles Diego Moraes

SOVIET COSMONAUTS
SET A NEW RECORD

FOR THE LONGEST
MANNED MISSION IN SPACE.

THEY WERE GONNA COME HOME
TO A HERO'S WELCOME.

THE MODULE LANDS
RIGHT ON SCHEDULE,

BUT THE RETRIEVAL TEAM
MAKES A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

ALL THREE COSMONAUTS ARE
MOTIONLESS AND UNRESPONSIVE.

JUNE, 1971,

GEORGY DOBROVOLKSY,

VLADISLAV VOLKOV,
AND VIKTOR PATSAYEV,

ARE ABOUT TO COMPLETE
A RECORDBREAKING MISSION

ON RUSSIA'S
SALYUT SPACE STATION.

IT'S A GREAT PROPAGANDA SUCCESS

FOR THE SOVIET UNION:

RECORDSETTING DURATION
IN SPACE: 23 DAYS.

AT 9:28 PM,
THE SOYUZ 11 CAPSULE UNDOCKS

FROM THE SPACE STATION TO
BEGIN ITS 4-HOUR JOURNEY HOME.

IT'S A TEXTBOOK MISSION.

EVERYTHING IS RUNNING
LIKE CLOCKWORK.

THE ENTIRE REENTRY
AND LANDING PROCEDURE

IS OUT OF THE COSMONAUTS' HANDS.

RUSSIANS DO EVERYTHING REMOTELY.

THEY CONTROL THE SPACECRAFT
FROM THE GROUND.

THEY FELT LIKE THEY COULD DO
A BETTER JOB FROM THE GROUND

THAN THE PILOTS COULD ONBOARD.

TECHNICIANS AT MISSION CONTROL

MONITOR EVERY ASPECT
OF THE SPACECRAFT,

INCLUDING THE COSMONAUTS
THEMSELVES.

THERE'S A CONFIDENTIAL
NUMBERING SYSTEM IN PLACE

TO REPORT THE INDIVIDUAL
HEALTH STATUS

OF EACH CREW MEMBER BACK
TO MISSION CONTROL.

5 MEANS THE COSMONAUTS ARE
IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.

4 MEANS THEY'RE
IN GOOD CONDITION.

3 MEANS THAT THE COSMONAUTS
HAVE SUSTAINED INJURIES.

2 MEANS THAT THE INJURIES
ARE SERIOUS.

AND 1 IS THE NUMBER
THAT NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR.

MISSION CONTROL HAS BEEN
IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION

WITH THE CAPSULE AND THE
HEALTH CONDITION REPORTS

ON EACH OF THE COSMONAUTS
HAS BEEN AT 5.

79 MINUTES

BEFORE REENTERING
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,

THE COSMONAUTS
MAKE THEIR FINAL RADIO CONTACT

WITH MISSION CONTROL
AND SIGN OFF.

DURING REENTRY,
AN ENVELOPE OF IONIZED AIR

AROUND THE CAPSULE BLOCKS
ALL RADIO TRANSMISSIONS.

WAITING TV CAMERAS
CAPTURE THE MOMENT

THE CAPSULE APPEARS
IN THE SKIES ABOVE KAZAKHSTAN.

SPECTACULAR SHOT FOR THE MEDIA.

THE PARACHUTES OPEN SUCCESSFULLY
AND IT DESCENDS TO EARTH.

25 MINUTES AFTER
BEGINNING THEIR REENTRY BURN,

SOYUZ 11 LANDS
AT ITS DESIGNATED SITE.

IT SETS DOWN IN KAZAKHSTAN
RIGHT ON TIME.

THE RECOVERY TEAM
REACHES THE CAPSULE

AND POPS THE HATCH.

THEY'RE COMPLETELY UNPREPARED
FOR WHAT THEY FIND.

BACK AT MISSION CONTROL,

THEY GET THE THREE NUMBERS
THAT THEY DO NOT WANNA HEAR:

1, 1, 1.

ALL THREE CREW MEMBERS ARE DEAD.

THAT MOMENT IN MISSION CONTROL

WHEN YOU KNOW SOMEONE HAS DIED,

IT HAS TO FEEL
LIKE A STONE IN YOUR GUT.

THE CAUSE OF THE
COSMONAUTS' DEATH IS A MYSTERY.

IN THE INTERVENING MOMENTS
BETWEEN SIGNING OFF ON THE RADIO

AND THE RECOVERING
TEAM'S ARRIVAL,

SOMETHING HAS KILLED
THREE PEOPLE.

THEY'RE ALL JUST LYING THERE.

THERE'S NOT A MARK ON THEM,
NOT A SIGN OF ANY STRUGGLE.

NEWS OF THE DISASTER
SOON REACHES NASA.

NASA KEEPS A VERY CLOSE EYE

ON THE SOVIET SPACE PROGRAM.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT RIVALRY,

BUT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS,
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

THE AGENCY IS JUST 2 YEARS AWAY

FROM EMBARKING
ON ITS OWN LONG-TERM MISSION

WITH THE LAUNCH
OF THE SPACE STATION SKYLAB.

SKYLAB MISSION IS JUST
AROUND THE CORNER FOR NASA

AND IT'S GOING INTO A LOT
OF UNKNOWN TERRITORY.

AT THIS TIME,
NASA DOCTORS KNOW LITTLE

ABOUT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF
SPACE TRAVEL ON THE HUMAN BODY.

THEY NEED TO KNOW THE
COSMONAUTS' CAUSE OF DEATH,

OR NASA's OWN ASTRONAUTS
COULD SHARE THE SAME FATE.

WE WANTED AND WE NEEDED
TO FIND OUT

WHAT THE COSMONAUTS
HAD GONE THROUGH.

NASA FEARS THAT HEART FAILURE

COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE LOSS OF THE COSMONAUTS.

ONE OF THE EARLY MEDICAL
CONCERNS ABOUT SPACE TRAVEL

WAS THAT YOUR HEART
COULD BECOME SO DECONDITIONED

AFTER YOU ADAPTED
TO ZERO GRAVITY,

'CAUSE THE HEART
DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK AS HARD,

THAT, ONCE YOU CAME BACK DOWN

AND WERE SUBJECTED
TO HIGHER LEVELS OF G,

THAT YOUR HEART ACTUALLY
COULDN'T HANDLE IT

AND IT WAS AN OPEN QUESTION

OF HOW LONG COULD HUMANS
SURVIVE IN SPACE?

THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 13
DAYS AND THIS MISSION WAS 23.

MAYBE THIS WAS THE LIMIT.

AUTOPSIES REVEAL

THAT THE COSMONAUTS DID
NOT DIE FROM HEART FAILURE.

THE SOVIET STATE COMMISSION
LAUNCHES AN INQUIRY.

INVESTIGATORS CARRY OUT
A DETAILED EXAMINATION

OF THE LANDING CAPSULE.

THE DISCOVERY OF A
RUPTURED VENTILATION VALVE

ALLOWS THEM TO PIECE TOGETHER
THE COSMONAUTS' FINAL MOMENTS.

THEY GET READY TO UNDOCK
AND, AS THEY UNDOCK,

THE HATCH THAT CLOSES
THE PRESSURE OFF

FROM THE SPACECRAFT TO THE
SPACE STATION COMES LOOSE.

THE COSMONAUTS EXPERIENCED
RAPID DECOMPRESSION

AND THEY VERY QUICKLY
LOST THE PRESSURE

INSIDE OF THEIR CAPSULE.

THEY DIDN'T WEAR
THEIR SPACESUITS.

THEY JUST HAD ON COVERALLS.

THEY QUICKLY LOST CONSCIOUSNESS

AND THE COSMONAUTS
ACTUALLY SUFFOCATED.

AFTER THE LOSS
OF THE SOYUZ 11 COSMONAUTS,

THE SOVIET SPACE AGENCY
MADE IT MANDATORY

FOR ALL CREW MEMBERS TO WEAR
SPACESUITS DURING REENTRY.

WE ALL KNOW THE DANGER.

WE'RE ALL READY
TO GO INTO SPACE,

BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S
A DANGEROUS OCCUPATION.

I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION
THAT THEY WOULD GLADLY

GIVE THEIR LIVES IN THE PURSUIT
OF SPACE FOR THEIR COUNTRY.

STILL TO COME...

A SECRET CIA PLAN
TO USE A SPACE DISASTER

AS COVER TO START WORLD WAR III.

IT'S KIND OF CRAZY,
TO THINK THAT

ONE SPACE FLIGHT GOING WRONG

COULD'VE ALTERED
THE PLANET'S HISTORY.

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR,

NASA RACES TO GET
THE FIRST AMERICAN INTO ORBIT.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

10, 9...

THE SOVIET UNION
AND THE UNITED STATES

BOTH NEEDED THE SPACE RACE

AS A WAY OF PROVING
THEIR SOCIETIES WERE SUPERIOR,

THAT THEIR ECONOMIES
WERE SUPERIOR,

THAT THEIR RESEARCH WAS BETTER.

RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED
DOCUMENTS REVEAL A CIA PLOT

TO USE THE SPACE MISSION AS
COVER TO START WORLD WAR III.

THESE MANUFACTURED ACTS
OF TERRORISM

WOULD BE THE PERFECT EXCUSE

FOR THE UNITED STATES
TO INVADE CUBA.

NASA IS A CIVILIAN SPACE AGENCY,

BUT IT HAS ALWAYS HAD
A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE U.S. MILITARY
AND INTELLIGENCE SERVICES.

SOMETIMES, PERHAPS, TOO CLOSE.

FEBRUARY 20, 1962.

AN ATLAS LV-3B ROCKET

RISES FROM CAPE CANAVERAL'S
LAUNCH SITE 14.

IT CARRIES AMERICA'S
FIRST ASTRONAUT.

Roger, loud and clear,
flight path is good.

Six nine.

JOHN GLENN'S MISSION,
FRIENDSHIP 7,

WAS DESIGNED TO BE
THE FIRST ORBITAL FLIGHT

OF A U.S. ASTRONAUT.

102, 101.

- 78, 100.
- TWO SEVEN.

THE WHOLE OBJECT OF THE
MISSION WAS TO SUCCESSFULLY

GO INTO ORBIT
AND RETURN BACK TO EARTH.

THE PRESSURE ON NASA

FOR JOHN GLENN'S MISSION
TO SUCCEED IS INTENSE.

9 MONTHS EARLIER, YURI GAGARIN

HAD BECOME THE FIRST MAN
TO ORBIT THE PLANET.

AMERICANS BELIEVED THAT,
EVEN THOUGH WE WERE BEHIND,

THIS WAS SHOWING

THAT THINGS WERE GONNA
GET BETTER IN THE FUTURE.

GLENN'S MISSION HAS THE PRIDE
OF THE WHOLE NATION

RIDING ON IT.

OH, THAT VIEW IS TREMENDOUS.

THE MISSION COMES AT A MOMENT

WHEN TENSIONS BETWEEN
THE U.S. AND THE SOVIET UNION

ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

THE WHOLE WORLD
IS ON A KNIFE'S EDGE.

THE BAY OF PIGS INVASION
WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING
FOR AN EXCUSE

TO TAKE ANOTHER SHOT AT CUBA.

WHILE THE HOPES OF AMERICA HANG

ON JOHN GLENN'S MISSION,

SOME WITHIN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
ARE PREPARING FOR IT TO FAIL.

A RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED
CIA DOCUMENT

REVEALED THERE COULD'VE BEEN
A WHOLE LOT MORE RIDING

ON JOHN GLENN'S MISSION.

IF IT FAILED, IT COULD'VE
TRIGGERED WORLD WAR III.

THE DOCUMENT IS PART
OF A SCHEME CALLED

OPERATION MONGOOSE.

IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST

BY U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL
ROBERT KENNEDY,

THE CIA PRODUCES
SEVERAL PROPOSALS

TO DISPOSE OF CASTRO'S
REGIME IN CUBA.

ONE, OPERATION DIRTY TRICK,
INVOLVES JOHN GLENN'S MISSION.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT,
IF JOHN GLENN'S MISSION

FAILED, IN SOME WAY,
THAT IT COULD BE BLAMED ON CUBA

AND, AS A RESULT,
HELP THE UNITED STATES

IN DISCREDITING CASTRO
AND POSSIBLY RESULT

IN HIS REMOVAL
FROM POWER FROM CUBA.

THE PLAN REMAINS
CLASSIFIED UNTIL 1997.

THE DOCUMENT CLEARLY STATES
THAT THE CIA

WOULD MANUFACTURE EVIDENCE
TO IMPLICATE CUBA.

THESE MANUFACTURED ACTS
OF TERRORISM

WOULD BE THE PERFECT EXCUSE

FOR THE UNITED STATES
TO INVADE CUBA.

NSA ANALYSTS
CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT

OF THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES.

NSA EXPERTS ARE WARNING THAT,

IF THE U.S. MOVES ON CUBA,
THE SOVIETS ARE READY

TO RETALIATE
WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

THIS COULD BE IT.

U.S. OFFICIALS ESTIMATE

THAT A NUCLEAR WAR WITH RUSSIA

COULD LEAD TO THE DEATHS
OF 150 MILLION PEOPLE.

YOU'VE GOTTA WONDER WHETHER
GLENN KNOWS ANY OF THIS

AS HE FLIES OUT
OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

GLENN'S MERCURY SPACECRAFT

SUCCESSFULLY ENTERS
EARTH'S ORBIT,

TRAVELING AT A SPEED
OF OVER 17,000 MILES PER HOUR.

BUT SOMETHING GOES WRONG.

AS THE FLIGHT GOES ON,

JOHN GLENN GETS THE SIGNAL
FROM GROUND CONTROL

THAT THE CLAMPS
ON THE HEAT SHIELDS ARE LOOSE.

IF THE HEAT SHIELD GOES OFF,
HE'LL BURN UP ON REENTRY.

THE DAMN THING WAS FLOATING

ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SPACECRAFT.

IF IT COMES OFF, YOU'RE DEAD.

THE MISSION IS
ON THE BRINK OF FAILURE

AND, OF COURSE,
NEITHER THE SOVIETS

NOR THE CUBANS
HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO IT.

NASA STAFF AT MISSION CONTROL

BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS
TO THE HEAT-SHIELD PROBLEM.

SO THE CONCERN WAS,
WHEN JOHN FIRED HIS RETROROCKETS

TO SLOW DOWN,
IF THIS WAS, IN FACT, LOOSE,

THAT, WHEN HE JETTISONED
THE RETROROCKETS,

THAT, ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
THIS HEAT SHIELD WOULD DEPLOY.

THAT WOULD BE A FATAL SITUATION.

We have decided
to reenter with the pack on.

MISSION CONTROL ORDERS GLENN

NOT TO EJECT HIS RETROROCKETS,
AS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED.

Roger. Understand.

THE HEAT SHIELD HOLDS.

GLENN SAFELY SPLASHES DOWN
IN THE MERCURY MODULE,

800 MILES OFF THE COAST
OF BERMUDA.

JOHN GLENN
BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN

TO ORBIT THE EARTH,
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING HIS MISSION.

WE SHOULD ALL BE VERY GLAD
THAT NASA PULLED THIS ONE OFF.

JOHN GLENN
BECOMES AN AMERICAN HERO.

THE CIA NEVER HAS THE CHANCE
TO EXECUTE OPERATION DIRTY TRICK.

THIS WAS ONLY A PLAN.

THERE'S NO CERTAINTY

THAT ANYTHING LIKE THIS WOULD'VE
EVER BEEN ACTUALLY EXECUTED.

WAS OPERATION
DIRTY TRICK JUST HYPOTHETICAL?

MOST PROBABLY.

YOU HAVE TO HOPE NOBODY WAS
GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT.

STILL TO COME...

NASA's MARS CLIMATE ORBITER

DISAPPEARS ON FINAL APPROACH
TO THE RED PLANET.

THIS IS THE SECOND NASA PROBE

TO DIE JUST AS
IT APPROACHES MARS.

THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE
GOING ON HERE.

A NASA PROBE DISAPPEARS

AS IT APPROACHES THE RED PLANET.

THE LAST THING WE EXPECTED
WAS TO LOSE THE SPACECRAFT.

COULD A RUSSIAN PHOTOGRAPH
OF AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT

IN MARS'S ORBIT
REVEAL THE CAUSE?

THERE'S SOMETHING THERE
AND IT'S HUGE.

THE RED PLANET
HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED MANKIND,

BUT IT IS A DANGEROUS OBSESSION.

TO DATE,
OVER HALF THE MISSIONS TO MARS HAVE FAILED.

T-minus 20 seconds.

DECEMBER 11, 1998.

We have ignition
and we have liftoff.

We continue to explore the
mysteries of the Red Planet.

A DELTA II ROCKET CARRIES NASA's

$125 MILLION
MARS CLIMATE ORBITER

ON THE FIRST LEG OF ITS
JOURNEY TO THE RED PLANET.

THERE'S A LOT OF ANTICIPATION
THAT THIS MISSION

IS GONNA SUCCEED,
GET AN ORBIT AROUND MARS,

AND HELP US UNDERSTAND

THE GLOBAL PROPERTIES
OF THAT PLANET.

WE'VE BEEN WAITING
FOR MONTHS FOR THIS.

EVERYTHING IS IN THE GO.

And liftoff.

SIX YEARS AGO,
WE LOST MARS OBSERVER.

NOW WE'RE TAKING THOSE
INSTRUMENTS, REFLYING THEM.

CLIMATE ORBITER IS THE WAY
TO GET THAT DATA NOW.

SO WE'VE GOT A LOT RIDING ON IT.

WE REALLY DON'T WANNA HAVE
ANOTHER FAILURE.

THE PROBE TRAVELS
OVER 100 MILLION MILES

TO REACH ITS TARGET.

CLIMATE ORBITER IS DOING
EXACTLY WHAT WE TELL IT.

IT'S FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS
BEAUTIFULLY.

ON SEPTEMBER 23rd,
9 MONTHS AFTER ITS LAUNCH,

THE PROBE BEGINS TO DECELERATE
AS IT ENTERS MARS'S ORBIT

AND DISAPPEARS
BEHIND THE RED PLANET.

WE EXPECT IT TO BE
OUT OF COMMUNICATION

AS IT BREAKS AROUND
THE FAR SIDE OF THE PLANET.

IT'S A PERIOD
OF NERVOUSNESS, THOUGH.

WE WILL ALL BREATHE
A SIGH OF RELIEF

WHEN WE FINALLY HEAR FROM IT.

THE TEAM EXPECTS THE
ORBITER TO BE OUT OF CONTACT

WITH MISSION CONTROL
FOR JUST ONE HOUR.

THE ENTIRE MARS COMMUNITY
IS HOLDING ITS BREATH.

BUT, AFTER 90 MINUTES,
THERE IS STILL NO SIGN OF THE PROBE.

YOU WAIT AND YOU WAIT.

THE DEADLINE PASSED.

WE STILL DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING.

YOU'RE HOPING AGAINST LOGIC

THAT THE SIGNAL WILL COME IN
A FEW MINUTES LATE,

BUT SPACECRAFT
DON'T WORK THAT WAY.

THE LAWS OF PHYSICS
ARE IMMUTABLE.

IT'S NOT GONNA
GET DELAYED IN TRAFFIC.

IT DOES NOT SHOW UP.

YOU COULD FEEL
THE ENTIRE MARS COMMUNITY

UNDERSTANDING IMMEDIATELY

THAT SOMETHING VERY WRONG
HAD GONE ON.

THE PROBE IS DEAD.

IT'S HUMBLING, I THINK,
IS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT.

IT'S A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE
AND WE REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT

IT IS FOR US TO EXTEND
THE HUMAN PRESENCE

OUT TO THESE OTHER WORLDS.

IN ONE INSTANT, WHAT WAS
GOING TO BE THE BEGINNING

OF A WONDERFUL MISSION
TURNS INTO A TRAGIC LOSS.

AFTER LOSING THE MARS OBSERVER,

THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF THE CLIMATE ORBITER

IS ANOTHER CRUSHING BLOW
FOR NASA.

THIS IS THE SECOND NASA PROBE

TO DIE JUST AS
IT APPROACHES MARS.

THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE
GOING ON HERE.

I'M SORRY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE

A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH
THE MARS CLIMATE ORBITER.

SINCE EARTH'S BEEN
SENDING PROBES TOWARD MARS,

THERE'S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY
AMOUNT OF FAILURES.

NO FEWER THAN 15 PROBES
HAVE BEEN LOST.

THEY'VE COME FROM NASA,
RUSSIA, CHINA, AND THE UK.

THEY'VE ALL FAILED.

THE DISTURBING
FREQUENCY OF FAILED MISSIONS

LEADS SOME TO SPECULATE
THAT SOMETHING COULD BE

INTERFERING WITH SPACECRAFT
NEAR THE RED PLANET.

WHEN WE LOSE PROBES,
PARTICULARLY ORBITERS,

JUST BEFORE THEY REACH MARS,
IT CAN BUILD UP

A SUPERSTITION OF SOME KIND
OF SPACE MONSTER AROUND MARS.

AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH
FROM A SOVIET-ERA SPACE PROBE

OFFERS INVESTIGATORS
A POTENTIAL CLUE

ABOUT WHAT COULD BE HAPPENING
IN MARS'S ORBIT.

IN 1989,
THE RUSSIAN PHOBOS 2 PROBE

IS TAKING PICTURES OF THE
MARTIAN SURFACE WHEN BAM!

SOMETHING HITS IT
AND IT SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL.

THE SOVIET SPACE AGENCY

LOSES ALL CONTACT
WITH THE PROBE.

BUT NO BEFORE IT BEAMS BACK
THE IMAGE FROM ITS FINAL MOMENTS.

THERE'S NO MISTAKING IT.

THE IMAGE IS OF A HUGE,
CYLINDRICAL OBJECT

ABOUT 12 MILES LONG.

THESE UNUSUAL PICTURES
JUST BEFORE THE FAILURE

APPEAR TO BE A VERY
SUGGESTIVE COINCIDENCE.

WHAT WAS THE SHAPE OF THE
OBJECT CASTING THE SHADOW?

THAT WAS THE CRUCIAL QUESTION.

DOES THE PICTURE
REVEAL SOMETHING

THAT SCARED THE RUSSIANS
INTO ENDING THEIR MARS PROGRAM?

IT WAS THE END
OF THEIR MARS PROGRAM,

NOT JUST THAT YEAR, BUT FOREVER.

THEY HAVEN'T BEEN BACK
TO MARS SINCE THEN.

NASA DOES NOT BELIEVE THE
MARS CLIMATE ORBITER's FATE

IS RELATED
TO ANY PREVIOUS INCIDENT.

THE SPACE AGENCY LAUNCHES
ITS OWN INVESTIGATION

TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THEIR
SPACECRAFT'S DISAPPEARANCE.

THE PROBLEM IS, ALL THIS IS
GOING ON MILLIONS OF MILES AWAY.

WHEN YOU LOSE A SPACECRAFT,

YOU CAN'T GO RECOVER IT AND
SOMEHOW PICK OUT THE BLACK BOX.

EVERYTHING LIES IN THE
TELEMETRY, IN THE INFORMATION

THAT THE SPACECRAFT
WAS SENDING BACK TO YOU,

ALL THE WAY TO THE LAST MINUTE.

AFTER 7 WEEKS OF INVESTIGATION,

NASA REVEALS THE CAUSE
OF THE PROBE'S DISAPPEARANCE

WAS HUMAN ERROR.

THE PROBE'S COMPUTER
GUIDANCE SYSTEM

WAS USING U.S. MEASUREMENTS

AND THE PROBE WAS BUILT TO
WORK WITH THE METRIC SYSTEM.

THE DIFFERENCE IN UNITS MEANT

THAT THE ROCKET ENGINES
FIRED FOR TOO LONG,

THE BRAKING WAS TOO HARD,
AND THE SPACECRAFT

DIPPED TOO LOW INTO THE
MARTIAN UPPER ATMOSPHERE

AND IT DISINTEGRATED.

IT WASN'T
THE SPACECRAFT'S FAULT.

IT WAS OUT FAULT.

SOMEWHERE ON MARS, RIGHT NOW,

THERE ARE BITS AND PIECES
OF MARS CLIMATE ORBITER.

MANY REFUSE TO ACCEPT
SUCH A SIMPLE EXPLANATION.

IT'S KINDA PUZZLING
THAT WE MADE THAT MISTAKE

BECAUSE, IN SPACE MISSIONS,
EVERYTHING IS CHECKED

AND DOUBLE-CHECKED
AND TRIPLE-CHECKED.

And liftoff, liftoff.
- SINCE THE LOSS

OF THE MARS CLIMATE ORBITER,
NEW REGULATIONS STATE

THAT ALL NEW HARDWARE
AND SOFTWARE

MUST BE DESIGNED AND BUILT
USING THE METRIC SYSTEM,

TO AVOID REPEATING THE INCIDENT.

EVEN WITH THE BRIGHTEST MINDS
BEHIND A SPACECRAFT MISSION,

YOU KNOW,
BASIC MISTAKES CAN BE MADE.

UNFORTUNATELY,
THIS PARTICULAR MISTAKE

TURNED OUT TO BE REALLY COSTLY.

UP NEXT...

NASA SATELLITE EXPERTS
INVESTIGATE

A TERRIFYING RED GLOW
IN THE SKIES OVER THE PACIFIC.

PEOPLE SEE A LOT OF
STRANGE THINGS FROM AIRCRAFT,

BUT THIS ONE ALSO APPEARS
ON NASA SATELLITES

AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME.

A PILOT SEES AN EERIE RED GLOW

ABOVE A REMOTE PART
OF THE PACIFIC.

THE PILOT, HIMSELF,
WAS FLABBERGASTED

AND HE WAS COMPLETELY
FREAKED OUT.

HE CALLS IN NASA SATELLITE
EXPERTS TO INVESTIGATE.

WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S NOT FAKE.

IT'S NOT A HALLUCINATION.

IT'S A THING.
SOMETHING HAPPENED.

AUGUST 24, 2014.

COMMERCIAL PILOT
JPC VAN HEIJST IS FLYING

OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN,
SOUTH OF RUSSIA'S KAMCHATKA PENINSULA,

WHEN HE SEES SOMETHING
HE CAN'T EXPLAIN.

A MASSIVE RED-AND-ORANGE GLOW

EMANATING FROM THE SKIES
BENEATH HIS PLANE.

IF YOU'RE 30,000 FEET
ABOVE THE OCEAN,

FLYING FROM JAPAN TO ALASKA,
EVERYTHING'S ORDINARY.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU SEE THESE
RED, GLOWING LIGHTS BELOW YOU,

THAT'S GONNA REALLY BE
A CONCERN.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING
THAT'S VERY DANGEROUS.

ACCORDING TO HIS CHARTS,

THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING
BUT OPEN OCEAN BENEATH THEM.

THIS PILOT HAS MANY YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE FLYING AT NIGHT

AND THIS THING THAT HE'S
SEEING IS FREAKING HIM OUT.

HEIJST PHOTOGRAPHS
THE BIZARRE ANOMALY.

WHEN HE REACHES THE U.S.,
HE TAKES HIS EVIDENCE

TO RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY.

I HEARD ABOUT THE STORY FROM
THIS PILOT, JPC VAN HEIJST,

AND FIGURED THAT WE COULD SHED
SOME LIGHT ON WHAT WAS GOING ON.

THE COLORADO TEAM USES NASA's

SUOMI WEATHER SATELLITE
TO INVESTIGATE THE ANOMALY.

IT CAN SEE CITY LIGHTS.

IT CAN SEE SHIP LIGHTS.

IT CAN SEE LIGHTNING FLASHES.

THERE'S A WHOLE MENAGERIE
OF LIGHTS AT NIGHT

THAT THIS SENSOR
IS CAPABLE OF SEEING.

THE SCIENTISTS LOOK
AT SUOMI IMAGES

FROM THE DATE
OF THE ORIGINAL SIGHTING.

PEOPLE SEE A LOT OF
STRANGE THINGS FROM AIRCRAFT,

BUT THIS ONE ALSO APPEARS
ON NASA SATELLITES

AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME.

THE FIRST THEORY
THEY INVESTIGATE

IS THAT THE GLOW COULD BE
SOME KIND OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION

HAPPENING ON THE DEPTHS
OF THE OCEAN FLOOR.

WE KNOW THAT THIS AREA
IS HIGHLY ACTIVE.

YOU KNOW, THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN,
THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA

RIGHT THERE,
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

COULD A VOLCANO
EXPLAIN THE LIGHTS?

AT THE TIME OF THE SIGHTING,

THERE ARE AT LEAST
FOUR MAJOR ERUPTIONS HAPPENING

IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC REGION.

BUT NEITHER THE SATELLITE IMAGES
NOR VAN HEIJST'S PHOTOGRAPHS

SHOW OTHER SIGNS OF ERUPTIONS.

WE SAW NO VOLCANO,
WE SAW NO ASH PLUME,

WE SAW NO HEAT SIGNATURES,
SO IT COULDNT'VE BEEN A VOLCANO.

SOME SCIENTISTS
SUGGEST THE STRANGLE GLOW

MIGHT BE A FORM OF LIGHTNING
HIGH IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

MY INITIAL REACTION,
ON SEEING THE FILM,

WAS THAT IT MIGHT'VE BEEN
A FILM OF RED SPRITES.

THIS RARE PHENOMENON

CAN CREATE LIGHTNING SHEETS
INSTANTANEOUSLY,

SPREADING 30 MILES
ACROSS THE SKY.

SPRITES ARE TYPICALLY RED
AND ARE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES

FROM THE TOP
OF A TOWERING THUNDERHEAD

UP TOWARDS THE IONOSPHERE.

THAT ELECTRICAL CURRENT

EXCITES THE OXYGEN ATOMS
THAT ARE IN THAT REGION

AND CAUSING THE OXYGEN ATOMS
TO GLOW RED.

BUT IMAGES OF THE
CLOUDS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME

SHOW THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO BE
THE SOURCE OF LIGHTNING.

ALL THE CLOUDS THAT WERE IN
THE AREA WERE LOW-LEVEL CLOUDS.

THEY WERE NOT ELECTRICALLY
CHARGED.

THEY WERE NOT
LIGHTNING-PRODUCING STORMS.

IF NO KNOWN,
NATURAL PHENOMENON IS TO BLAME,

COULD THE LIGHTS BE CAUSED
BY SOMETHING UNNATURAL?

ARE WE LOOKING
AT ROCKET-LAUNCH TESTING?

IT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA.

THERE'S KNOWN AREAS

WHERE THEY DO
THIS KIND OF TESTING.

THE PRIME SUSPECT FOR
CONDUCTING ROCKET TESTS IN THIS AREA

IS THE RUSSIAN MILITARY.

IT'S POSSIBLE. THERE ARE
SOME KNOWN LAUNCH SITES

IN OR NEAR
THE KAMACHTKA PENINSULA.

THIS WAS OVER THE OCEAN,

SO IT COULD BE THAT THEY'RE
LAUNCHED FROM SHIPS.

THE SCIENTISTS STUDY
THE SATELLITE IMAGERY

FROM THE DAYS BEFORE
AND AFTER THE SIGHTING.

WE WERE ABLE
TO TRACK THESE LIGHTS

AND FOUND THAT THEY MOVED
AROUND FROM DAY TO DAY.

THE LIGHTS' MOVEMENT
SUPPORTS THE IDEA

THEY COULD COME
FROM A MOBILE SOURCE,

LIKE A SHIP.

THERE ARE A LOT OF ROCKET TESTS

THAT GO ON WITHOUT ANYBODY
ELSE KNOWING ABOUT 'EM

AND THINGS THAT ARE
EXPERIMENTED ON,

AIRBORNE BLASTS AND THE LIKE,

THAT ARE NOT TOLD
TO THE REST OF THE WORLD

AND SO IT'S HARD TO KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON.

BUT EXPERTS ARE RELUCTANT

TO ACCEPT
THE MISSILE-TEST THEORY.

IT DOESN'T QUITE LOOK TO ME
LIKE MISSILE TEST.

IT DOESN'T HAVE THE MOVEMENT
OF A MISSILE

AND IT DOESN'T HAVE
THE EXPLOSION

OF A WARHEAD SIGNATURE
THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR.

TO DATE, THERE IS STILL

NO SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION
FOR THE GLOW VISIBLE

IN BOTH THE PHOTOGRAPHS
AND THE NASA SATELLITE IMAGES.

THE IMAGERY THAT WE SEE,
THE CLUSTERS OF LIGHTS,

ARE VERY CONSISTENT
WITH SHIP LIGHTS,

BUT, WITHOUT BEING ABLE
TO GO DOWN TO THE SURFACE

AND GET A CONFIRMED SIGHTING
OF SHIPS OR A REPORT OF SHIPS

OPERATING IN THAT AREA,
WE CAN'T BE 100% CERTAIN.

COMING UP...
NASA SUFFERS A CYBERATTACK.

AS FAR AS HACKING INTO THE ISS,
NEVER SAY NEVER.

NO NETWORK IS INVULNERABLE.

200 MILES ABOVE EARTH,

THE ISS VEERS
OUT OF ITS SAFE ORBIT.

THERE ARE NO PLANNED MANEUVERS

AND THERE IS NO ALARM SOUNDING.

NASA HAS LOST CONTROL
OF THE SPACE STATION.

CAN NASA GET HACKED?

YES, NASA CAN GET HACKED.

JUNE 9, 2015.

ASTRONAUTS ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

CONDUCT ROUTINE TESTS
OF THE RADIO SYSTEMS.

THIS IS THE KINDA STUFF
THEY HAVE TO DO

ALL THE TIME ON THE ISS.

NEW SYSTEMS ARE INTRODUCED.

NOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THAT IT WORKS.

AS THE CREW
CARRY OUT THEIR CHECKS,

THE ISS BEGINS TO MOVE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ROCKET
THRUSTERS START FIRING

AND NOBODY KNOWS WHY.

THERE ARE NO MANEUVERS
SCHEDULED FOR THE ISS.

THE SOYUZ ENGINES FIRED

FOR A FULL MINUTE
BEFORE THEY SHUT DOWN.

AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY
LONG ENOUGH

TO CHANGE
THE SPACE STATION'S ORBIT.

THE UNEXPLAINED ROCKET FIRING

THROWS THE SPACE STATION
OUT OF ITS CORRECT ORBIT.

THE PATH OF ISS's ORBIT

IS CAREFULLY PLANNED
TO STAY OUT OF HARM'S WAY.

IF THERE'S ANY DEVIATION
FROM THAT,

THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT WILL
HAPPEN, BUT IT WON'T BE GOOD.

IT TAKES NASA 2 HOURS

TO GET THE STATION BACK
ON A SAFE COURSE.

THE ACCIDENTAL FIRING IS
DISMISSED AS A FREAK INCIDENT.

BOTH NASA AND THE RUSSIAN
SPACE AGENCY, ROSCOSMOS,

BRUSH OFF THE EVENT
LIKE IT WAS NOTHING.

THE OFFICIAL WAS THAT EVERYTHING WAS,
YOU KNOW, OKAY.

"WHOOPS. EVERYTHING'S FINE NOW."

BUT OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE ISS

GIVE RISE TO SPECULATION

THAT THE INCIDENT COULD BE
A SYMPTOM OF A BIGGER PROBLEM.

THE THRUSTERS FIRING

ISN'T THE ONLY STRANGE THING
THAT'S HAPPENED TO THE ISS.

EARLIER IN THE YEAR,
A RUSSIAN SPACECRAFT EN ROUTE

TO RESUPPLY THE ISS
STARTED BEHAVING STRANGELY.

ON APRIL 28th, THE PROGRESS 59
RESUPPLY MISSION LAUNCHES.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY A DELIVERY
TRUCK BRINGING FOOD AND SUPPLIES

UP TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

THE SUPPLY MODULE GOES
INTO AN UNCONTROLLED SPIN.

THE MOST RELIABLE
AND USED ROCKET IN HISTORY,

BUT, ALL OF A SUDDEN,
EVERYTHING'S GONE CRAZY.

ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN CONTROL
FAIL AND IT ULTIMATELY BURNS UP

AS IT REENTERS
THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

ROSCOSMOS RELEASES A STATEMENT

BLAMING A DESIGN PECULIARITY
FOR THE DISASTER.

3 MONTHS BEFORE
THE PROGRESS 59 CRASH,

THE CREW DEALT
WITH ANOTHER EMERGENCY.

ALARM BELLS LITERALLY START
RINGING ON THE ISS

WHEN AN AMMONIA LEAK IS
DETECTED IN THE AMERICAN MODULE.

AN ALARM WAS ENUNCIATED
AROUND 3 AM CENTRAL TIME

IN THE U.S. SEGMENT
OF THE COMPLEX

THAT SOMETIMES CAN BE INDICATIVE
OF AN APPARENT AMMONIA LEAK.

AN AMMONIA LEAK IS A VERY
SCARY THING UP THERE

BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE
A PLACE TO ESCAPE TO.

IT'S HIGHLY TOXIC.

IT'S HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE
ANYWHERE NEAR THIS STUFF.

THE CREW PUT ON GAS MASKS

AND FOLLOWED
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES,

SEEKING SHELTER IN
THE RUSSIAN MODULE OF THE ISS.

NASA RELEASED A STATEMENT,

SAYING THAT THE AMMONIA LEAK
WAS A FALSE ALARM.

THE CAUSE?

ANOTHER COMPUTER GLITCH.

GLITCHES LIKE THIS
COULD KILL SOMEONE.

SOME SUGGEST THAT
THESE RECURRING INCIDENTS

ARE EVIDENCE THAT THE ISS IS
UNDER CYBERATTACK.

HACKERS HAVE ALREADY
COMPROMISED OTHER NASA SPACECRAFT.

IN 2007 AND 2008,
CHINESE HACKERS

MANAGED TO BREAK IN
TO KEY U.S. SATELLITES.

THEY TOOK CONTROL OF
THE SATELLITES FOR 11 MINUTES.

THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS
THAT NOTHING WAS DONE

DURING THAT 11-MINUTE PERIOD,
BUT THE FACT THAT THEY

COULD COME IN AND CONTROL
THE SATELLITES IS VERY SCARY.

COULD THE ISS
BE THE LATEST VICTIM

OF A SPACE CYBERATTACK?

SO, AS FAR AS HACKING
INTO THE ISS, NEVER SAY NEVER.

NO NETWORK IS INVULNERABLE.

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

IS ESSENTIALLY A GIANT,
PRESSURIZED SATELLITE

WITH ALL THE SAME COMMUNICATIONS
AND SATELLITE SYSTEMS.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON
TO BELIEVE THE ISS IS IMMUNE.

IF HACKERS WERE ABLE TO BREAK IN

TO THE ISS COMPUTER SYSTEMS,

THEY COULD INFLICT
CRITICAL DAMAGE.

EVERYTHING ON THE ISS
IS CONTROLLED

BY COMPUTER SYSTEMS:

THE WATER, THE AIR THEY BREATHE,
MANEUVERING, THE WHOLE LOT.

IT'S ALL REMOTELY CONTROLLED,
SO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HACK

COULD BE A DEADLY DISASTER
UP THERE.

CRITICS OF
THE HACKING THEORY POINT OUT

THAT YOU WOULD NEED ACCESS
TO A NASA COMPUTER

TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE ISS.

THE SPACE STATION
COMMUNICATES WITH NASA

AND WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD
THROUGH VERY SELECTED PORTALS,

SO, TO ACTUALLY GET
INTO THE NASA SYSTEM,

YOU WOULD HAVE TO LITERALLY
STEAL NASA COMPUTERS,

IN ORDER TO GET ONTO THEIR
SOFTWARE, ONTO THEIR SYSTEM.

UNFORTUNATELY,
THIS HAS HAPPENED.

IN 2011, AN UNENCRYPTED LAPTOP

CONTAINING ALGORITHMS USED
TO CONTROL THE ISS

WAS STOLEN FROM A NASA EMPLOYEE.

IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE
THAT THIS SYSTEM WAS HACKED

AND THAT THE ROCKET BOOSTERS
WERE SET OFF

BECAUSE NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN
HOW THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

THE STOLEN LAPTOP
WAS NEVER RECOVERED.

NASA HAS SINCE TIGHTENED
ITS CYBERSECURITY.

STILL TO COME...

CALIFORNIA POLICE CALL
ON NASA TECHNOLOGY

TO CRACK A COLD MURDER CASE.

THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US
TO LOOK INTO AREAS

THAT WE HAD NEVER HAD
ACCESS BEFORE.

A CALIFORNIA
MURDER INVESTIGATION

HITS A DEAD END.

WE DON'T HAVE A MURDER WEAPON.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BODY.

WE DON'T HAVE HIS VEHICLE,
WHERE SHE WAS SUPPOSEDLY SHOT.

UNTIL A NASA ROVER
UNCOVERS A CRUCIAL CLUE.

THE POLICE THOUGHT THAT THEY

HAD SOLVED THE MURDER CASE,
RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

AUGUST 1991.

THE EVENTS LEADING TO NASA's
FIRST MURDER INVESTIGATION

BEGIN ON A DARK ROAD OUTSIDE
OF LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA.

THREE LOCALS, BERNARDO BASS,

DAWN SANCHEZ,

AND WILLIAM "CHOPSTICKS" ALCORN,

ARE DRIVING DOWN CARIBBEAN
DRIVE OFF HIGHWAY 237.

CAR PULLS TO THE SIDE OF
THE ROAD IN A VACANT LOT.

CHOPSTICKS GETS OUT OF THE CAR.

THE CAR THEN CONTINUES ON.

AS CHOPSTICKS LOOKS
AT THE VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY,

HE HEARS A GUNSHOT.

AND DAWN SANCHEZ
IS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.

BASS BECOMES THE MAIN SUSPECT
IN THIS INVESTIGATION.

BASS DENIES THE STORY

PUT FORWARD
BY EYEWITNESS CHOPSTICKS.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT
WE ONLY HAVE ONE EYEWITNESS.

WE DON'T HAVE A MURDER WEAPON.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BODY.

WE DON'T HAVE HIS VEHICLE,
WHERE SHE WAS SUPPOSEDLY SHOT.

BASS TELLS INVESTIGATORS

THAT HIS SISTER HAD SOLD
THE '79 PONTIAC

HE WAS DRIVING THAT NIGHT.

THAT WAS A KEY PIECE OF
EVIDENCE THAT WE WERE MISSING.

ALL ATTEMPTS
TO TRACE THE CAR FAIL.

JUST LIKE DAWN SANCHEZ,
IT HAS DISAPPEARED.

WE HAVE NO BODY. WE HAVE NO CAR.

THE CASE GOES COLD.

15 YEARS PASS
BEFORE INVESTIGATORS

UNCOVER NEW EVIDENCE WHICH
REOPENS THE INVESTIGATION

AND COULD LEAD TO THE
DISCOVERY OF DAWN SANCHEZ'S BODY.

WE LEARNED THAT BERNARDO BASS
HAD ACTUALLY DONE

SOME CONCRETE WORK
ON HIS PROPERTY

ONLY 10 DAYS AFTER
DAWN SANCHEZ WENT MISSING.

WE STARTED TO BELIEVE

THAT DAWN WAS POSSIBLY
BURIED ON THE PROPERTY.

THE DETECTIVES

CAN'T DIG UP
THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.

THEY CONTACT THE UNITED STATES
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR HELP.

THEY TOLD US ABOUT A NEW
TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAD GOTTEN,

WHICH WAS DEVELOPED BY NASA,

THAT MIGHT BE ABLE
TO HELP THIS INVESTIGATION.

THE DETECTIVES
MEET WITH ROBERT KAYEN

AT THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL
SURVEY CENTER IN MENLO PARK.

THEY ASKED ME, AS A SCIENTIST,
WHAT IMAGERY METHODS

WOULD BE USED TO DETECT
SOMETHING IN THE SUBSURFACE.

THEY ISSUED THIS WARRANT
TO SEARCH THIS HOME,

WHERE WE WOULD
BRING OUR TECHNIQUES

AND LOOK BELOW THE GROUND

WHILE THEY WERE BUSY LOOKING
IN THE BUILDING.

ON APRIL 12, 2007,

KAYEN USES THE NASA RADAR
SYSTEM TO SEARCH BASS'S PROPERTY.

THE RADAR SYSTEM CREATES
AN IMAGE OF WHAT'S UNDERGROUND

BY SENDING MICROWAVES
INTO THE GROUND

AND RECORDING
HOW THEY BOUNCE BACK.

THE TECHNOLOGY WAS AMAZING.

THERE WAS A LIVE SCREEN READOUT.

SO WE WERE LOOKING AT IT. IT
WAS LIKE LOOKING UNDERGROUND.

IT JUST BLEW OUR MINDS.

WITHIN MINUTES,

THE RADAR REVEALS SOMETHING
UNDER THE CONCRETE.

IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT
TO THE HOUSE...

THERE WAS THIS ANOMALY
THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT,

FOOT AND A HALF,
BELOW THE SUBSURFACE,

THAT LOOKS LIKE
IT HAD BEEN EXCAVATED,

MATERIAL PLACED THERE,

AND THEN A CONCRETE SLAB
POURED ABOVE THIS LOCATION.

THE RADAR READINGS
DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH DATA

TO CONFIRM THE ANOMALY IS
THE BODY OF DAWN SANCHEZ,

BUT ANTICIPATION MOUNTS.

THE POLICE THOUGHT THAT THEY
HAD SOLVED THE MURDER CASE,

RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

THEY JACKHAMMERED
UP THE CONCRETE,

RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

UNFORTUNATELY,
WE DIDN'T FIND THE BODY.

SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE
AND THEN MOVED.

JUST AS IT SEEMS THE
INVESTIGATION HAS STALLED AGAIN,

THE D.A.'s OFFICE GETS
AN ANONYMOUS PHONE CALL.

THE CALLER CLAIMS TO KNOW
THE LOCATION OF BASS'S CAR.

WE RECEIVE A TIP
THAT THE CAR MAY BE

CHOPPED UP AND BURIED
IN A LOT IN ALVISO.

IT COULD CONTAIN
VITAL FORENSIC EVIDENCE.

IF WE LOCATE THE CAR,
WE CAN SOLVE THIS CASE.

THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM:

THE LOT IS ALMOST AN ACRE WIDE.

AGAIN, THE COPS CALL ON NASA
TECHNOLOGY FOR ASSISTANCE.

WE REALIZED THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY
COULD ACTUALLY HELP US FIND

THE ONE MISSING LINK
IN THIS CASE,

WHICH WAS BASS'S '79 PONTIAC,

WHICH HADN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE
THE DAY SANCHEZ WENT MISSING.

WE TEAMED TOGETHER
WITH AMES NASA RESEARCH CENTER

IN MOFFET FIELD, CALIFORNIA.

THIS GROUP IN NASA
IS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING

A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
ROBOTICS TOOLS.

SOME OF THEM DRIVE
ON THE GROUND, OTHERS FLY.

THE TEAM HAVE
THE PERFECT TOOL FOR THE JOB:

A SENSETA MAX ROVER.

WE PUT OUR SENSORS
ON THE NASA ROVER

AND THE NASA ROVER STARTED
MARCHING ACROSS THIS FIELD,

LOGGING THEIR GPS LOCATION

AND LOGGING
THE SENSOR'S INFORMATION.

IT TAKES JUST 2 HOURS

FOR THE ROVER TO GENERATE
A DETAILED SURVEY OF THE AREA.

USING THE SURVEY AS A GUIDE,

THE POLICE OFFICERS START
TO EXCAVATE THE SITE.

WITHIN HOURS, WE STARTED
DIGGING UP CAR PARTS.

IF IT IS BASS'S CAR,

IT SHOULD CONTAIN
INCRIMINATING FORENSIC EVIDENCE,

SUCH AS BULLETHOLES
AND BLOOD SPATTER.

IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS AND
TRACES OF PAINT ON THE CAR PARTS

ARE AN EXACT MATCH
FOR BASS'S 1979 PONTIAC.

WITH THIS NEW EVIDENCE,

THE POLICE WERE ABLE
TO ARREST BERNARDO BASS.

THE POLICE CONFRONT BASS
WITH THE CAR PARTS.

FACING POTENTIAL
FORENSIC PROOF OF HIS CRIME,

BASS ACCEPTS A DEAL
FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

WITH THE CAR PARTS FOUND,
WE FINALLY GOT

A GUILTY PLEA FROM BASS
FOR MANSLAUGHTER.

18 YEARS AFTER THE MURDER
OF DAWN SANCHEZ,

THE CASE IS CLOSED.

THIS CASE WOULD HAVE NEVER
BEEN SOLVED

WITHOUT THE HELP OF NASA's
INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGY.

THE ROVER IS NOW
OUR NEW BEST FRIEND.

THE SACRIFICES OF EARLY PIONEERS

MADE SPACE TRAVEL SAFER

FOR ALL WHO FOLLOW
IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS.

AS NEW EVIDENCE COMES TO LIGHT,

INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL
UNCOVERING DARK CHAPTERS

IN THE HISTORY
OF SPACE EXPLORATION.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

TODAY, NASA FACES NEW THREATS,

UNIMAGINABLE
TO THE FIRST MEN IN SPACE.

WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.

Subtitles Diego Moraes
www.oakisland.tk