All language subtitles for Truth Behind the Moon Landing - S01E01 - NASA Nazi Conspiracy (1080p AMZN WEB-DL x265 MONOLITH)

-WHOA!
-NICE!

IF WE WENT FROM THE EARTH TO
THE MOON, WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?

Man: WE WOULD'VE NEVER
HAVE MET KENNEDY'S DEADLINE

OF REACHING THERE AND RETURNING
BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

Jenkins: COULD THIS HAVE BEEN
PRODUCED IN HOLLYWOOD

WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS?

IN '69,
WE LANDED ON THE MOON.

NASA STANDS FOR
"NEVER A STRAIGHT ANSWER."

MAYBE THERE WAS NO
MOON LANDING?

♪♪

MAN: We are a go with Apollo 11.
Good luck and Godspeed.

Narrator: JULY 20, 1969 --

THE UNITED STATES SUCCESSFULLY
LANDS THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOON.

ARMSTRONG:
One small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind.

Narrator: BUT SEEING IS NOT
ALWAYS BELIEVING.

NOW A FORMER FBI AGENT,

A CONSPIRACY THEORIST
AND FORMER AEROSPACE CONSULTANT,

AND AN AMERICAN ASTRONAUT
ARE ALL ON A MISSION.

THEY'LL QUESTION WITNESSES...

-THAT'S THE ACTUAL REPORT?
-THAT'S IT.

...PICK APART THE EVIDENCE...

WHEN I SAW HIS NAME ON ONE OF
THE DOCUMENTS, I WAS SHOCKED.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

Narrator: ...TEST THEORIES
WITH NEW EXPERIMENTS...

-OH.
-OH.

IT WAS BASICALLY A BOMB.

...AND BUTT HEADS...

LOOK AT THAT.
THE APOLLO LANDING SITE.

LOOKS LIKE EVIDENCE
OF A BOULDER TO ME.

Narrator: ...TO DETERMINE
ONCE AND FOR ALL

IF ONE OF MANKIND'S
BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

EVER REALLY HAPPENED.

HISTORY ISN'T
ALWAYS CORRECT.

THAT'S WHAT
I'M TRYING TO SAY.

OOH. WOW.

AMERICA CELEBRATES

BEING THE FIRST
TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON...

ARMSTRONG: We came in peace
for all mankind.

Narrator:
...BUT CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

ARGUE THERE'S NO WAY
IT HAPPENED.

DUDE, SERIOUSLY,
THAT SOUNDS FISHY.

AND THEY SAY
SCIENCE IS ON THEIR SIDE...

DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
ARE RIGHT HERE.

...CLAIMING THAT NO HUMAN

COULD'VE MADE IT THROUGH
THE RADIATION OF SPACE...

MAN: Lift off on Apollo 11.

Narrator:
...TO LAND ON THE MOON ALIVE.

THESE TWO INTENSE BELTS
OF VERY HIGHLY CHARGED PROTONS

ARE JUST GONNA PUT OUT
SO MUCH RADIATION

THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY FRY
THE ASTRONAUTS INSIDE.

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator: BUT JUST HOW FAR
WOULD THE U.S. GO

TO BEAT THE SOVIETS TO THE MOON?

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

THEY BROUGHT NAZIS OVER
TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MOON.

--Captions by VITAC--
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

♪♪

NOW, LOOK,
THERE'S EVIDENCE THERE.

-LIKE?
-THE ROVER TRACKS.

EXCUSE ME
IF I'M SKEPTICAL.

I WAS A SPECIAL AGENT
WITH THE FBI FOR FOUR YEARS,

BUT NO ONE KNOWS NASA
LIKE AN INSIDER.

AS AN ASTRONAUT,

LELAND MELVIN HAS INSIGHT
INTO NASA's CAPABILITIES

THAT I COULD NEVER HAVE.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT OUT HERE.

WE ARE FLYING ON STS-122.

THIS IS THE TAIL
OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS.

LOOK AT THAT,
RIGHT THERE.

I HATE CONSPIRACY THEORIES,

AND I KNOW THAT
MIKE BARA IS A BIG PART

OF THE CONSPIRACY COMMUNITY

THAT CLAIM THE MOON LANDING
NEVER HAPPENED.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN MY COMMUNITY

WHO HIGHLY DOUBT
WHETHER OR NOT

NASA ACTUALLY LANDED
A MAN ON THE MOON.

Melvin: BUT HE WAS ALSO
AN AEROSPACE CONSULTANT.

I THINK I CAN CONVINCE HIM
ONCE AND FOR ALL

THAT THE MOON LANDING
REALLY DID HAPPEN

LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN
SINCE 1969.

LET'S FACE IT. WE DON'T HAVE
ANY VISUAL EVIDENCE,

ANY VIDEO EVIDENCE.

COME ON.
COME ON, DUDE.

I THINK I KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT
THE MOON LANDINGS AS ANYBODY,

AND AT THIS POINT, I'M JUST
AS SURE I'M RIGHT AS LELAND IS.

Jenkins: IN THE FBI,

WE FOLLOW THE LEADS
NO MATTER WHERE THEY TAKE US,

NO MATTER HOW UNPLEASANT
THOSE PLACES MAY BE.

IS THERE ANY REAL EVIDENCE
THAT WE WENT TO THE MOON IN '69?

POLLS HAVE SHOWN THAT
1 IN 20 PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE

THAT MAN EVER
SET FOOT ON THE MOON.

THE MOON HOAX CONSPIRACY THEORY
IS REAL.

IT'S A LIVING, GROWING THING.

SO, I'VE GOT A GUY IN PORTLAND
THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET.

HE'S BEEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE
THAT'S BEEN QUESTIONING

THE MOON-LANDING SCENARIO
FOR A LONG TIME,

SO WHO WANTS
TO GO WITH ME?

I WANT TO GO. I WANT TO HEAR
WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

YES, I WANT TO HEAR
WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO USE
MY EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

TO DISPUTE WHATEVER WHACKED-OUT
CLAIMS HE HAS TO SAY.

♪♪

Bara: I'M TAKING LELAND
TO SEE CLYDE LEWIS.

CLYDE'S A LEADING
CONSPIRACY THEORIST

AND THE HOST OF "GROUND ZERO,"

A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED
RADIO TALK SHOW.

I WANT LELAND TO SEE THAT
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS AREN'T JUST

TINFOIL-HAT-WEARING GEEKS.

MOST ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT

AND HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH
TO INFORM THEIR OPINIONS.

CLYDE COULD BE
A REAL EYE-OPENER FOR HIM.

Bara: FOR YEARS,
HE'S HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS

ABOUT
THE MOON LANDINGS --

YOU KNOW,
WHETHER IT REALLY HAPPENED.

Melvin: RIGHT.WHY WE REALLY WENT.

Melvin: YOU KNOW,
I REALLY HATE THIS.

HOW DO YOU TAKE VISUAL PROOF
AND SCIENTIFIC DATA

AND JUST SAY IT NEVER HAPPENED?

THESE CONSPIRACY THEORIES
ARE JUST CRAZY.

HE'S A FAIRLY
GROUNDED DUDE,

SO THAT'S WHY
I TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY.

GROUNDED IS GOOD.

YEAH,
WE LIKE GROUNDED, RIGHT?

MIKE AND I HAVE
VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS

ON WHAT "GROUNDED" MEANS.

THIS WILL BE
AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.

♪♪

I'M CLYDE LEWIS,
AND THIS IS "GROUND ZERO."

TONIGHT, A MAJOR DISCUSSION

ABOUT PROJECT HORIZON
FROM THE 1950s.

IT WAS A VERY AMBITIOUS EFFORT

BY THE MILITARY
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES

TO HAVE SPACE DOMINANCE.

OF COURSE, THEY WANTED
TO PLANT A FLAG ON THE MOON.

♪♪

CLYDE,
HOW ARE YOU, MAN?

GOOD TO SEE YOU,
MIKE.

-THIS IS LELAND.
-HI, CLYDE. I'M LELAND, MAN.

HEY, LELAND.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.

-NICE TO MEET YOU.
-GOOD TO MEET YOU, TOO.

YOU BET.

Melvin: THANKS
FOR BRINGING US OVER.

OH, IT'S GOOD
TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE.

THIS IS WHERE
IT ALL STARTS, SO...

MISSION CONTROL LIKE?

IT IS.
IT'S MISSION CONTROL.

IT'S A LOT LIKE
WHAT YOU'RE USED TO.

OH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN WHAT I'M USED TO.

ALRIGHT.

I'M KNOWN AS THE GUY --

AT TIMES, THE GUY THAT QUESTIONS
THE 1969 MOON LANDING.

YOU KNOW,
THERE WERE THE RUMORS THAT,

BEFORE THE MOON LANDING,
TO PUT A MOON BASE UP THERE.

SO MILITARIZING THE MOON?

-YEAH.
-IS THAT WHAT --

IT WAS A MILITARY OBJECTIVE
IN THE BEGINNING

TO HAVE AN OUTPOST ON THE MOON,
AND IT WAS CALLED HORIZON.

IS THERE ANY -- ANY PROOF
THAT THIS HAPPENED,

AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING?

WELL, YEAH, I HAVE DECLASSIFIED
DOCUMENTS RIGHT HERE

THAT SHOW THAT THE PROPOSAL
BEGAN IN THE 1950s --

I BELIEVE 1957, 1958.

♪♪

FIRST A DREAM
OF WERNHER VON BRAUN,

ALREADY DISCUSSED BY
THE RUSSIANS LONG BEFORE THAT.

Bara: WERNHER VON BRAUN WAS
AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER

WHO DESIGNED ROCKETS FOR GERMANY
DURING WORLD WAR II

AND LATER BECAME
A PIONEER AND ARCHITECT

OF THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM.

Lewis:
THIS IS BEFORE KENNEDY.

THIS WAS EVEN BEFORE
NASA WAS FORMED.

Melvin: CLYDE IS
PRESENTING DOCUMENTATION

FOR THE EARLIEST PLANS
OF THE MOON MISSION,

BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING

DISPROVING
THE MOON LANDING IN 1969.

CLYDE, IF THEY'RE THIS DESPERATE
TO GET TO THE MOON

THAT THEY WERE
WILLING TO INVEST

THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY
AND TIME AND EFFORT,

THEN THIS IS ACTUALLY,
YOU KNOW --

IN SOME WAYS...IT'S NOT PROOF.

...IT'S A MORE AMBITIOUS PROJECT
THAN EVEN APOLLO WAS.

WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
IT WASAN AMBITIOUS PROJECT.

WE'RE LOOKING AT
250,000 MILES OUT.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT

THAT'S HOW FAR THE MOON IS.

YOU KNOW,
THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE TIME

WAS THE SAME EQUIVALENT
AS A TOASTER OVEN --

PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRIMITIVE.

I MEAN, WE HAVE MORE ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY IN OUR CELLPHONES.

BUT WHY DO YOU THINK
WE WERE FAKING?

♪♪

UH, P.R.

THE RUSSIANS ACTUALLY WERE
AHEAD OF US IN THE SPACE PROGRAM

LONG BEFORE WE LANDED
ANYTHING ON THE MOON.

WE WERE RACING
TO THE MOON.

WE WANTED
TO SHOW DOMINANCE.

I MEAN, WE WERE LIKE
THE FAT KID ON THE TRACK

LOOKING AT THE ATHLETE, GOING,
"I'M GONNA RUN A RACE.

I'M GONNA BEAT YOU."

"I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM.""I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM."

ARMSTRONG:
One giant leap for mankind.

YOU'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND --

WHAT IF WE SENT
ARMSTRONG TO THE MOON,

AND HE WALKS OFF THE LIMB

AND IMMEDIATELY GETS SUCKED
INTO THE MOON,

AND HE'S, LIKE,
GRASPING FOR AIR,

AND HERE IT IS
ON NATIONAL TV.

THEY WOULDN'T WANT THAT,
WOULD THEY?

I'M TRYING NOT
TO LAUGH HERE.

THIS IS A RADIO HOST
TELLING A FORMER ASTRONAUT

THAT NASA DIDN'T HAVE SOLID DATA

ON THE GRAVITY OF THE MOON
AND ATMOSPHERICS.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE FIRED
THREE ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE.

400, 500 MILES OUT,
BEFORE THE VAN ALLEN BELT,

THEY COULD BE ORBITING AROUND,

WHILE DOWN ON THE PLANET,
WE HAVE A NICE STUDIO SET ASIDE

TO KEEP THE ASTRONAUTS
FROM MAKING ANY BIG MISTAKES

OR ANYTHING GOING ON.

IMAGINE THIS -- THE ASTRONAUTS
ARE KIND OF ORBITING UP THERE,

AND THEN THEY SPLASH
BACK DOWN AGAIN,

AND NO ONE IS THE WISER.

THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE
THEY COVERED EVERY SINGLE BASE,

INCLUDING HAVING
A GOOD P.R. SITUATION GOING ON,

WITH NO ONE DYING
ON THE MOON.

FOR 24 YEARS,
I'VE WORKED FOR NASA,

AND THROUGHOUT THE COURSE
OF THOSE 24 YEARS,

I HAVE SEEN
THE UTMOST IN INTEGRITY,

ESPECIALLY WITH
OUR SPACE PROGRAM.

AND THERE'S A HUGE
P.R. MACHINE AT NASA

TO MAKE THINGS LOOK GOOD

FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
AND EVERYTHING,

BUT THEY HAVE SACRIFICED
THEIR FAMILIES...

MM-HMM....THEIR CHILDREN...

MM-HMM....EVERYTHING

TO DO THIS THING
AS AMERICANS.

BUT TO SAY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN,
THE '69 --

IS THERE ANYTHING IN HISTORY
THAT YOU QUESTION?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT

ALL THESE THINGS STARTED
THE WAY THEY TOLD YOU?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT
HISTORY TOLD YOU THE TRUTH?

I THINK THERE'S
REVISIONIST HISTORY.

YOU KNOW,
AND THAT'S THE THING,

IS THAT IT'S PEOPLE
WHO MANIPULATE THE STORY,

AND WHEN YOU QUESTION
THE MANIPULATION,

IMMEDIATELY YOU'RE
A VILLAIN FOR DOING SO.

NO, I'M DOING IT
BECAUSE I WANT TO BELIEVE.

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT
MY ASTRONAUTS DIDN'T LIE TO ME.

IN FACT, MY HEART
TELLS ME THEY DIDN'T,

BUT MY BRAIN IS ENGAGING NOW,
AND MY CONFUSION IS THERE.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT
I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT

THAT WHEN I QUESTION,

IMMEDIATELY
PEOPLE GET PISSED OFF.

NOW, WHY IS THAT?

I THINK SOME PEOPLE
GET PISSED OFF

BECAUSE OF
THE SACRIFICES THAT --

WE LOST THESE LIVES.
RIGHT.

AND THEN SOMEONE IS PISSING
OVER THE GRAVES.

I GUESS BEING SO CLOSE TO IT
AND LISTENING TO JOHN YOUNG.

THIS MAN
OF UTMOST INTEGRITY.

MM-HMM.

I WOULD WALK MY DOGS
AROUND TO HIS HOUSE,

AND HE WOULD PET
MY DOGS ON THE HEAD,

AND WE'D HAVE
THESE DISCUSSIONS

ABOUT HIM WALKING
ON THE MOON.

AND I JUST --
THERE IS NO WAY

THAT I COULD EVER SEE
A MAN LIKE THAT LYING.

IT HAPPENED, BUT NOT
THE WAY THEY SAID IT DID.

SO YOU'RE CALLING
JOHN YOUNG A LIAR?

NO, I'M NOT.

I'M NOT.
I'M SAYING IT DIDN'T HAPPEN --

IF YOU SAY
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

AND JOHN YOUNG TOLD ME
THAT IT DID --

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN
THE WAY THEY SAID IT DID.

HE SAID IT DID.

IN '69,
WE LANDED ON THE MOON.

NASA STANDS FOR
"NEVER A STRAIGHT ANSWER,"

AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN
THAT WAY.

OOH. WOW.

DON'T PUNCH HIM.

Bara: I'M GLAD THEY STOPPED
WHEN THEY DID.

CLYDE CLEARLY GOT UNDER HIS SKIN
AND KEPT PUSHING.

♪♪

I -- I -- YOU KNOW,
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED,

BUT I WAS STARTING TO GET
A LITTLE BIT UPSET BECAUSE...

YEAH, I DID. YEAH.

HOW DARE HE INSULT MY INTEGRITY

AND THE INTEGRITY OF THOSE
THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD --

AND, ACTUALLY,
THOSE WHO HAVE DIED?

I MET NEIL ARMSTRONG.
I KNEW BUZZ ALDRIN.

YOU KNOW, THESE --
THESE PEOPLE ARE THESE --

THEY'VE WORKED
THEIR BUTTS OFF.

REGARDLESS IF IT
UPSETS LELAND OR NOT,

I STILL QUESTION
WHETHER WE WENT TO THE MOON.

CLYDE LEWIS REALLY
TICKED ME OFF,

BUT HE DID HAVE
DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

BACKING UP SOME OF HIS CLAIMS.

THAT TELLS ME THAT
THE INVESTIGATIONS

THAT MIKE, CHAD, AND I ARE DOING

ARE VALUABLE FOR PEOPLE ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE CONSPIRACY THEORY.

Bara: CLYDE BROUGHT UP
WERNHER VON BRAUN.

HE'S CENTRAL TO
A HUGE CONSPIRACY THEORY

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S
LIES AND COVER-UPS

RELATED TO OUR RACE TO SPACE.

I KEEP ON COMING ACROSS
SUSPICIOUS INFORMATION

IN MY RESEARCH.

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

OPERATION: PAPERCLIP.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

WHEN I SAW HIS NAME ON ONE OF
THE DOCUMENTS, I WAS SHOCKED.

Melvin: WOULD WE HAVE
GONE TO SPACE

WITHOUT THESE NAZI
SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS?

♪♪

♪♪

Jenkins: THE CONSPIRACY THEORY
IS ALIVE AND WELL,

AND SO IS OUR INVESTIGATION.

♪♪

I KEEP ON COMING ACROSS
SUSPICIOUS INFORMATION --

OPERATION PAPERCLIP.

♪♪

ONE OF THE MORE
INTRIGUING STORIES

LURKING BEHIND
THE MOON LANDING.

APPARENTLY, A SECRET
U.S. GOVERNMENT OPERATION

BACK IN THE 1950s

TO BRING FORMER
NAZI SCIENTISTS...

NAZIS?

♪♪

YES.

...INTO THE U.S.
TO HELP START THE SPACE PROGRAM.

AT THE START OF WORLD WAR II,

GERMAN ENGINEERS WERE ALREADY
DEVELOPING ROCKETS

FOR SPACE EXPLORATION,

BUT THEN, THE COMMAND
FROM THE THIRD REICH WAS,

"MAKE THESE ROCKETS
INTO WEAPONS."

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

THIS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE V-2 IN THE LATE 1930s.

IT WAS A GAME CHANGER --

THE WORLD'S FIRST LONG-RANGE
GUIDED BALLISTIC MISSILE.

♪♪

THE GERMAN ROCKETEERS
HAD LEARNED

TO GENERATE ENOUGH THRUST

TO DELIVER ONE-TON PAYLOADS
OF HIGH EXPLOSIVE

200 MILES ACROSS
THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT.

♪♪

THE GERMANS WERE BUILDING
THESE ROCKET MISSILES

AT A BREAKNECK SPEED.

THE V-2 WAS SUCH AN EFFECTIVE
DELIVERY SYSTEM

THAT IT PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR
THE PRESENT-DAY SCUD MISSILE.

Bara: I 100% BELIEVE THAT

THE U.S. WAS SO DESPERATE
TO BEAT THE SOVIETS TO THE MOON

THAT THEY RECRUIT NAZIS TO GAIN
ACCESS TO THEIR TECHNOLOGIES.

I'VE SEEN THE EVIDENCE
THAT PROVES THIS.

Melvin: YOU CAN'T TELL ME
THAT OUR COUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP

WOULD BRING IN
ACTIVE WAR CRIMINALS

TO AID AMERICA'S RACE
TO THE MOON.

I'VE LOCATED SOMEONE THAT
FIRST UNCOVERED THIS STORY,

SO WE'RE GOING TO FLORIDA.

Jenkins: WHATEVER
OPERATION PAPERCLIP WAS,

IT INVOLVES THE EARLIEST DAYS
OF THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WE'RE MEETING WITH
THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

WHO BROKE THE STORY

OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BRINGING
NAZIS INTO THE SPACE PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO
TALK TO LINDA HUNT,

FORMER REPORTER.

-WHERE WAS SHE A REPORTER?
-CNN.

Hunt: UNDER PAPERCLIP POLICY,

WAR CRIMINALS AND ARDENT NAZIS

WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN
EXCLUDED.

THIS IS DIETER GRAU,

WHO, LIKE MOST OF THOSE
UNDER INVESTIGATION,

LIVES IN HUNTSVILLE,

WHERE HE WORKED FOR NASA
AS DIRECTOR OF A LAB

AT THE MARSHALL SPACE
FLIGHT CENTER.

Bara: I'VE KNOWN ABOUT LINDA
FOR YEARS.

SHE'S WON AWARDS FOR
HER INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM.

I WANT CHAD AND LELAND TO HEAR

HOW AMERICA RECRUITED
NOT JUST GERMAN ENGINEERS,

BUT NAZI PARTY ENGINEERS

TO HELP GET THE U.S.
TO THE MOON.

IF THIS IS TRUE AND THEY WERE
WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH NAZIS

TO GET INTO SPACE,

THAT CASTS A HUGE SHADOW
OVER NASA.

-HELLO?
-HELLO.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU
BEING ABLE TO SPEAK TO US TODAY.

WE UNDERSTAND YOU BROKE

-THE OPERATION PAPERCLIP STORY.
-YES.

CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT
OF HOW THAT TOOK PLACE

AND HOW YOU BROKE THAT STORY?

I HAD A REPUTATION
AS BEING...

SOMEWHAT OF A TENACIOUS
JOURNALIST.

AROUND '89, '90, I HEARD A RUMOR
THAT THEY BROUGHT NAZIS OVER

FOR PAPERCLIP TO WORK
IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.

IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES,
SOME OF THE RECORDS WERE THERE,

SO I STARTED DECLASSIFYING
THE FILES

OF THE GERMANS
WHO WERE BROUGHT OVER.

♪♪

IT WAS A LONG STRUGGLE.

I MEAN, IT WAS TERRIBLE.

SO WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO
TO UNCOVER ALL THE DETAILS

ABOUT THIS PART OF IT?

HARDCORE RESEARCH,
WHICH I LOVE.

A LOT OF LIBRARY RESEARCH,
BACKGROUNDING,

-AND THEN AFTER THE RECORDS.
-MM-HMM.

HOW MANY PEOPLE
WERE BROUGHT OVER

FOR OPERATION PAPERCLIP?

1,500.

1,500 PEOPLE?

SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS,
I MEAN...

CHEMICAL WARFARE,
AIR FORCE.

♪♪

THE MYTH WAS THAT THESE PEOPLE
WERE CAREFULLY CHECKED...

♪♪

...AND THEY DIDN'T BRING ANY WAR
CRIMINALS OR BAD PEOPLE OVER.

THE MINUTE I GOT
SOME OF THE RECORDS,

IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT,
YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T TRUE.

[ SHOUTING IN GERMAN ]

♪♪

THE RECORDS CONTAINED
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

DONE IN GERMANY
BY ARMY INTELLIGENCE,

WHICH REVEALED A LOT
ABOUT THEIR NAZI PAST...

MM-HMM.

...WHICH THEY COVERED UP.

THEY BROUGHT NAZIS OVER
TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MOON.

Crowd: SIEG HEIL!

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

Hunt: THEY BROUGHT VON BRAUN
AND A HUNDRED MORE

TO WORK
IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WHEN ALLIED FORCES CAPTURED
THE GERMANS' V-2 ROCKET COMPLEX

IN 1944,

VON BRAUN AND MORE THAN
A HUNDRED OF HIS TOP ENGINEERS

HAD ALREADY WORKED OUT A DEAL
TO GET THEMSELVES TO THE U.S.

AS PART
OF OPERATION PAPERCLIP,

THE TEAM OF NAZI ROCKETEERS

WAS INSTALLED
AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS,

TO BEGIN WORK DESIGNING ROCKETS
FOR THE U.S. ARMY.

PAPERCLIP
WAS A TOP-SECRET ENDEAVOR,

ORCHESTRATED UNDER
THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

AND CARRIED OUT
BY ARMY COUNTERINTELLIGENCE.

WERNHER VON BRAUN
WAS REALLY ADMIRED AT NASA

FOR HIS ROLE
IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WHEN I SAW HIS NAME ON ONE
OF THE DOCUMENTS, I WAS SHOCKED.

♪♪

VON BRAUN'S FILE --

THE RECORDS THAT I GOT WERE
COPIES, BUT NOT THE ORIGINALS.

I THINK THEY'D BEEN DESTROYED.

WHY DO YOU THINK
THOSE RECORDS OF VON BRAUN

WERE DESTROYED
BY OUR U.S. GOVERNMENT?

BECAUSE THEY SHOWED
HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE SS.

FRIGHTENING.
FRIGHTENING.

THEY JUST COVERED IT UP.

HE WAS A MAJOR IN THE SS.

HOW DID
YOU FIND THAT OUT?

I GOT A TIP.

AND I'M ASSUMING THAT TIP WAS
WITHIN THE MILITARY, CORRECT?

I KNOW NOTHING.

[ LAUGHS ]
[ LAUGHS ]

HERE'S HIS SS RECORD.

NASA -- THE SAME AGENCY
THAT I TRAINED AND WORKED FOR

RECRUITED NAZIS TO DEVELOP
THE VERY SAME TECHNOLOGIES

THAT I WOULD UTILIZE
DECADES LATER.

THIS IS TRULY DISTURBING.

IT'S REALLY HARD
TO COME TO TERMS WITH THIS.

WOULD WE HAVE
GONE TO SPACE

WITHOUT THESE NAZI
SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS?

♪♪

Narrator: THE TEST RESULTS
THAT COULD DISPROVE

EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE
ABOUT THE 1969 MOON LANDING.

SO, THE CAPSULES WERE MADE
OUT OF ALUMINUM.

WE'RE GOING TO SHOW
THE BLOCKING POWER OF ALUMINUM.

♪♪

-OH!
-OH!

♪♪

WOULD WE HAVE
GONE TO SPACE

WITHOUT THESE NAZI
SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS?

♪♪

I DON'T THINK SO.

IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY THAT,

BUT I DON'T THINK SO,
TO BE HONEST.

HMM.

OUR PEOPLE WEREN'T TRAINED
LIKE THAT.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE
THE EXPERTISE.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE
OR THE EXPERIENCE.

VON BRAUN AND THE GROUP
PROVIDED A BASE OF EDUCATION

FOR THEM TO BE ABLE
TO GO TO THE MOON.

-IT'S A REAL DILEMMA.
-MM-HMM.

IT'S THE END
JUSTIFIES THE MEANS.

DO YOU THINK
THAT WAS WORTH IT?

A SURVIVOR
OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMP --

I ASK HIM THE QUESTION,
AND I'LL GIVE YOU HIS ANSWER.

MM-HMM.

MAYBE, BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID
A LITTLE BIT FOR THEIR CRIME.

♪♪

Jenkins: I'LL TELL YOU WHAT,
I'M KIND OF WRESTLING

WITH KNOWING WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT
WAS WILLING TO OVERLOOK

IN ORDER TO MEET
ITS OBJECTIVE

OF TRYING TO
GET TO THE MOON FIRST.

Melvin: WELL, YEAH,
I MEAN, I WAS SURPRISED

THAT WE'VE GOT NAZIS
HELPING US GET TO THE MOON.

Melvin: WHAT LINDA TOLD US
WAS REALLY SHOCKING.

I HAD NO IDEA
HOW DESPERATE WE WERE

TO CATCH UP WITH THE SOVIETS
IN THE SPACE RACE.

Jenkins: LESS THAN 20 YEARS
AFTER THE NUREMBERG TRIALS

THAT SENTENCED NAZIS
TO DEATH AND IMPRISONMENT,

OTHER KNOWN MEMBERS
OF THE NAZI PARTY AND SS

WERE COLLECTING
GOVERNMENT PAYCHECKS FROM NASA.

IF NASA CAN COVER UP
A SECRET THIS BIG,

WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE
THEY'VE HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC?

WERE THEY CAPABLE
OF FAKING THE MOON LANDING

AND KEEPING THAT HOAX
A SECRET, AS WELL?

♪♪

WHAT LINDA TOLD US
REALLY MAKES YOU BELIEVE

THAT NASA HAS
SOME DARK SECRETS.

Bara: THIS IS WHY
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS THINK

NASA's BEEN FEEDING US
A LITANY OF LIES FOR DECADES.

LOOK, EVEN IF TRUE
THAT WE USED FORMER NAZIS,

IT IS SO DISTURBING,

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT WE DIDN'T GO TO THE MOON.

I'M GONNA CALL B.S.

WHAT IT SHOWS IS THAT AMERICA
IS WILLING TO LIE

ABOUT THINGS
THAT IT'S ASHAMED OF,

AND LETTING DOWN
THE LATE JFK's PROMISE

TO GET TO THE MOON
SEEMS PRETTY SHAMEFUL TO ME.

WHEN VON BRAUN TRANSFERRED
TO NASA IN 1960,

HE MADE ACQUAINTANCE

WITH FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE
JAMES VAN ALLEN.

♪♪

IN 1958, JAMES VAN ALLEN,

ANALYZING DATA
FROM SATELLITE MISSIONS,

DISCOVERED TWO ENORMOUS BELTS
OF HIGH RADIATION

SURROUNDING THE PLANET,

TRAPPED IN PLACE
BY EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD.

♪♪

AND THESE VAN ALLEN BELTS
ARE THE FOUNDATION

OF ANOTHER
MAJOR CONSPIRACY THEORY.

LOOK, IF NASA WAS WILLING
TO WORK WITH OUR FORMER ENEMIES,

THE GERMANS, SOME OF WHOM MAY
HAVE EVEN BEEN WAR CRIMINALS,

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULDN'T
BE THAT MUCH OF A STRETCH

TO ASSUME THAT THEY WERE
WILLING TO TAKE BIG RISKS

WITH THE ASTRONAUTS
BEING IRRADIATED

BY THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

♪♪

Announcer: WILL A COMBINATION
OF RADIATION AND WEIGHTLESSNESS

BE A HAZARD ON LONG-DURATION
MANNED SPACE FLIGHTS?

Jenkins: THE STRENGTH OF
THE RADIATION IS SO POWERFUL,

SCIENTISTS AT FIRST THOUGHT THEY
RECORDED A SOVIET NUCLEAR TEST.

THESE BELTS WERE
A HUGE POTENTIAL THREAT

TO OUR ASTRONAUTS.

THE INTENSE RADIATION
COULD'VE SHOT THROUGH THEM

LIKE AN ATOMIC CANNONBALL,

CAUSING LETHAL
GENETIC BREAKDOWN.

Bara: RADIOACTIVITY
IS MEASURED IN RADS.

300 RADS CAN BE A LETHAL DOES.

THE VAN ALLEN BELT
HAS BEEN GAUGED

AT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
OF RADS.

THE THREAT THAT IT PRESENTS
IS VERY REAL.

THIS IS NOT X-RAY-LEVEL
RADIATION.

THE AMOUNT OF RADIATION
IN THOSE BELTS WOULD BURN SKIN,

MELT BONES,

AND VOID THE HUMAN DNA STRUCTURE
OF THOSE ASTRONAUTS.

Melvin:
THE INNER VAN ALLEN BELT,

AT AN ALTITUDE ROUGHLY 600 MILES
ABOVE THE EARTH,

HAS A LOT OF REALLY
DANGEROUS PROTON PARTICLES --

FLUX ALPHA PARTICLES.

BUT THE OUTER BELT, FROM 8,400
TO 36,000 MILES IN SPACE,

IS POSSIBLY DEADLIER.

WITH AN EXTREMELY HIGH FLUX
OF ELECTRONS, OR BETA PARTICLES,

THIS IS THE SUBATOMIC RADIATION

THAT PENETRATES SKIN
AND BODY TISSUE.

♪♪

Bara: IT WAS ONLY RECENTLY
THAT SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED

THAT THERE WAS LESS RADIATION
THAN IMAGINED

IN CERTAIN PARTS
OF THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

IN THE 1960s, WHAT COULD
POSSIBLY MAKE NASA THINK

THEY COULD ROCKET THROUGH THEM?

THE ALTERNATIVE --
IF THEY DECIDED

THAT THAT RISK WASN'T WORTH IT,

MAYBE THEY WOULD MAKE
ANOTHER CHOICE.

MAYBE THEY WOULD CHOOSE
NOT TO GO AT ALL.

THE PRIMARY CONSPIRACY THEORY
IS THAT

NEIL ARMSTRONG, BUZZ ALDRIN,
AND MIKE COLLINS

CIRCLED THE PLANET
IN A LOW-EARTH ORBIT

WHILE A STAGED
MOON-LANDING FILM AIRED,

AND THEN THEY SPLASHED
BACK DOWN TO EARTH AFTERWARDS.

MAYBE WE NEVER WENT
THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

MAYBE THERE WAS
NO MOON LANDING.

WE NEED TO SOLVE
THIS MYSTERY.

♪♪

OUR TEAM IS GOING TO SEE
THE APOLLO 11 CAPSULE

AND INVESTIGATE
WHETHER ITS CONSTRUCTION

IS SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH

TO HAVE SURVIVED
VAN ALLEN BELT RADIATION.

IF IT IS, THAT COULD HELP PROVE

THAT THE CRAFT
MADE IT THROUGH THE BELTS,

PROTECTING THE ASTRONAUTS,

AND EVEN GETTING THEM
ALL THE WAY TO THE MOON.

Melvin: THE ENGINEERS AT NASA
KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

ON EARTH, THE ATMOSPHERE
AND MAGNETIC FIELD

CAN PROTECT US
FROM SPACE RADIATION,

BUT ALUMINUM AND OTHER MATERIALS
USED IN THOSE SPACECRAFT

WERE ABLE TO ABSORB
A LOT OF THAT RADIATION.

THAT PROTECTION
IS WHAT SOME QUESTION.

Melvin: MM-HMM.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE
IN SEATTLE.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY

TO GET EYES ON
A REALLY UNIQUE ARTIFACT.

Jenkins: TO CELEBRATE

THE 50th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE MOON LANDING,

THE ACTUAL APOLLO 11 CAPSULE
IS TOURING THE COUNTRY.

THAT'S THE CAPSULE THAT

NEIL, BUZZ, AND MICHAEL
FLEW HOME IN.

[ BEEPS ]

MAN: Roger,
we got you coming home.

♪♪

-SO, LET'S GO SEE THE CASTLE.
-LET'S GO SEE...

THAT IS AWESOME.

♪♪

♪♪

WE ACTUALLY HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY

TO GET EYES ON
A REALLY UNIQUE ARTIFACT.

BRING IT.

♪♪

Melvin:
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE CAPSULE.

THIS MAKES ME REALLY EXCITED.

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT
THAT THE ENGINEERS AT NASA

RESEARCHED AND TESTED
AND TESTED AGAIN

AND GOT THIS DESIGN
EXACTLY RIGHT.

Bara: CHAD HAS ARRANGED FOR US
TO SCAN THE APOLLO CAPSULE

TO FIND OUT JUST HOW PROTECTED
THE ASTRONAUTS WERE

WHEN THEY TRAVELED
THROUGH THE RADIATION

OF THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

-THIS IS PRETTY COOL.
-THIS IS REALLY COOL.

-"DESTINATION MOON."
-LOOK AT THAT.

THEY GOT AN SR-71
AND EVERYTHING.

WE'RE INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM
THAT RADIOACTIVITY IN SPACE

MADE IT TOO DANGEROUS
TO SEND ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON.

WELL, YEAH, I MEAN,
THE ARGUMENT IS THAT,

IF WE REALLY WENT
TO THE MOON,

YOU WOULD REQUIRE SO MUCH
SHIELDING THAT, BASICALLY,

THE SPACECRAFT WOULD BE
TOO HEAVY TO GET OFF THE GROUND.

YOU'D NEVER GET TO THE MOON
AND GET BACK

BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

THESE TWO VERY,
VERY INTENSE BELTS

OF VERY HIGHLY CHARGED
PROTONS

THAT ARE JUST GONNA PUT OUT
SO MUCH RADIATION

THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY
FRY THE ASTRONAUTS INSIDE,

AND THE ARGUMENT IS
THAT YOU WOULD NEED, LIKE,

UP TO A FOOT
OF LEAD SHIELDING.

SO, I'M WILLING
TO INVESTIGATE THIS,

BUT, DUDE, YOU KNOW
I'VE BEEN TO SPACE, RIGHT?

RIGHT.
BUT IN LOW-EARTH ORBIT.

YOU DIDN'T GO THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELT.

BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO
CONVINCE ME OF THIS.

-OKAY.
-OKAY?

YEAH, AND THAT'S WHY
WE'RE HERE.

LET'S GO TAKE A LOOK
AT THE CAPSULE.

LET'S FIND OUT.

-ALRIGHT.
-OKAY.

♪♪

SO, THERE IT IS.

THAT IS AWESOME.

[ BREATHES DEEPLY ]

TO THINK THREE ASTRONAUTS
TRAVELED TO THE MOON AND BACK

IN THAT TINY CAPSULE,

SETTING IN MOTION ALL THE EVENTS
THAT WOULD COME NEXT

AND CHANGE MY LIFE.

♪♪

THIS COMMAND MODULE
WAS DEVELOPED AND BUILT FOR NASA

TO BE THE MOTHERSHIP
OF THE APOLLO 11 SPACECRAFT.

MAN:
Ignition sequence started.

THE 13,000-POUND CAPSULE
IS ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH

AND LESS THAN 13 FEET
AT ITS MAXIMUM DIAMETER --

AN INCREDIBLY TIGHT SPACE

FOR THREE MEN TO LIVE AND WORK
FOR EIGHT DAYS.

IN TOTAL, ITS PANELS HAVE
24 INSTRUMENTS, 566 SWITCHES,

40 EVENT INDICATORS,
AND 71 LIGHTS.

DUKE: Hello, Apollo 11.
Houston.

How did it go?
Over.

COLLINS: Time to open up
the LRL doors, Charlie.

LEARNING FROM THE TRAGEDY
OF THE APOLLO 1 FIRE,

NASA HAD THIS MODULE DESIGNED
WITH A HATCH

THAT COULD OPEN OUTWARD
IN FIVE SECONDS.

EARLIER DESIGNS COULD TAKE
UP TO 90 SECONDS TO OPEN.

THE CAPSULE IS CONSTRUCTED
OF A STAINLESS-STEEL OUTER SHELL

SURROUNDING
AN INNER SHELL OF ALUMINUM,

SEVERAL INCHES OF
FIBERGLASS INSULATION BETWEEN.

SINCE THE 5,000-DEGREE HEAT OF
RE-ENTRY COULD MELT MOST METALS,

THE OUTER SHELL
ALSO HAD A RESIN SHIELD

DESIGNED TO CHAR
AND MELT OFF,

ABSORBING AND CARRYING AWAY MUCH
OF THAT HEAT IN THE PROCESS...

MAN:
Roger, we got you coming home.

Melvin: ...BEFORE SPLASHING DOWN
IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

SO, YOU KNOW,
NOBODY DISPUTES

THAT THIS SPACECRAFT
WENT TO SPACE.

WHAT THEY DISPUTE IS WHETHER
IT WENT TO THE MOON AND BACK,

WHETHER IT COULD'VE SURVIVED

THE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT
IN SPACE.

WE'RE GONNA PROVE THAT.

WHILE I HAVE MY SUSPICIONS,
THIS IS STILL REALLY COOL --

THE CAPSULE
THAT ACTUALLY TOOK

NEIL, MIKE, AND BUZZ
TO SPACE,

AND, POSSIBLY, TO THE MOON.

BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED
TO TOUCH IT,

LET ALONE GET INSIDE THE CAPSULE
TO SEE HOW THICK IT IS,

I'VE ARRANGED
FOR A TEAM TO COME OVER.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH
SHIELDING EXISTS

INSIDE THE CAPSULE.

WHENEVER I NEED HIGH-TECH GEAR
FOR INVESTIGATIONS,

I CALL IN SPECIALISTS
LIKE DARRYN MacDOUGALL.

SINCE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED
TO TOUCH IT,

DARRYN'S LIDAR SCANNER
CAN COMPUTE THE THICKNESS

OF THE CAPSULE WALLS FOR US.

HERE'S DARRYN
WITH THE SCANNER.

-HOW YOU DOING?
-GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED
YOU HAVE THE SCANNER HERE.

CAN YOU TELL US
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT

AND HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS?SURE.

IT'S A LIDAR SCANNER --
LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING.

IT'S GONNA TAKE POSITIONS
AROUND HERE,

AND IT'S GONNA ACTUALLY CREATE
A 3-D MODEL ON A COMPUTER.

ALRIGHT, WONDERFUL.
WELL, LET'S SEE IT GO TO USE.

♪♪

Jenkins:
LIDAR'S THE SAME TECHNOLOGY

USED IN LASER GUIDANCE,
ARCHAEOLOGY,

HIGH-RES MAP MAKING,
AND IN DRIVERLESS CARS.

-SOME LIGHT.
-SURE.

[ WHIRRING ]

THE FOOTAGE WILL GET
AN EXACT READ

ON JUST HOW PROTECTED
THE ASTRONAUTS WERE

WHEN TRAVELING
THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

Melvin: NON-CONTACTING,
NON-DESTRUCTIVE,

BUT CAN GET OUT INFORMATION

THAT'S GONNA MAYBE HELP US
SOLVE THIS MYSTERY.

YEAH.

Bara: JUST LOOKING AT IT,
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE

THERE'S THE LEAD
I THINK IT WOULD NEED

TO PASS THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

Jenkins: WE'RE GONNA HEAD BACK
TO THE SITUATION ROOM

AND ANALYZE THE RESULTS.

♪♪

Jenkins: IT HINGES ON WHETHER
THERE WAS ENOUGH PROTECTION

TO SAFEGUARD THE ASTRONAUTS,

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY
SOMETHING WE CAN TEST.

THAT HAS
RADIOACTIVE STICKERS.

HOW DANGEROUS IS THAT
RIGHT NOW?

[ BEEPING, TONE PLAYS ]

♪♪

I GOT TO TELL YOU,
THE OUTER SKIN WAS SO RAVAGED

BY THE RETURN BURN

INTO THE EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE,

I WAS PRETTY SHOCKED.

I FEEL LIKE,
GIVEN THE RADIATION OUT THERE,

THERE NEEDS TO BE
AT LEAST A FOOT OF LEAD

MAKING UP THE CAPSULE WALLS

TO PROTECT THE ASTRONAUTS.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THOSE
RETURNS ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE,

TRAVELING
AT 17,500 MILES PER HOUR.

RE-ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE,
THAT SHUTTLE HEATED UP

TO 3,000 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, RE-ENTRY'S
CHALLENGING FOR ANY SPACECRAFT.

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT,
BUT THE REAL ISSUE HERE

IS THE AMOUNT OF SHIELDING
THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY

TO GO THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY
THE POINT OF CONTENTION.

♪♪

I GOT TO TELL YOU.
THE RESULTS WERE STAGGERING.

LESS THAN THREE INCHES
OF STEEL AND ALUMINUM.

♪♪

OKAY, SO THREE INCHES --
THAT'S, LIKE, WOW.

IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THERE
WAS NO WAY

THERE WAS ENOUGH SHIELDING
FOR THEM TO BE PROTECTED

GOING THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

THE WALLS OF THE CAPSULE

WERE JUST NOT THICK ENOUGH
TO STOP IT.

MAYBE THERE WAS
NO MOON LANDING.

SO, THE IDEA --
IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHIELDING,

IS THAT EVIDENCE
THAT WE DIDN'T GO TO THE MOON?

OKAY, THREE INCHES
IS PRETTY SURPRISING,

BUT I'M SURE THERE'S
AN EXPLANATION.

MAYBE THERE IS ANOTHER WAY
TO TEST THIS THEORY.

Jenkins:
REALLY, IT HINGES ON WHETHER

THERE WAS ENOUGH PROTECTION

TO SAFEGUARD THE ASTRONAUTS,

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY
SOMETHING WE CAN TEST.

THERE'S A TEAM
THAT'S INVESTIGATING

HOW MUCH PROTECTION
IS REALLY NEEDED

FOR THE VAN ALLEN BELT
RADIATION.

[ CLAPS HANDS ]

Melvin: WE'RE HEADING TO

THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION
FOR SCIENCE,

WHERE WE'LL TEST THE RADIATION
EFFECTS ON A SPACE CAPSULE.

Jenkins: WHENEVER
MY INVESTIGATIONS REQUIRE

ANALYSIS OF ENERGY
AND RADIATION,

I GO TO MICHAEL WALTER
AND HIS TEAM AT CARNEGIE

TO BREAK DOWN
THE INFORMATION.

WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TEST
JUST HOW DANGEROUS

THE VAN ALLEN BELT
RADIATION WAS

BEFORE WE CAN DRAW
ANY CONCLUSIONS.

WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO SEE
WHAT RISKS ARE POSED

BY THE RADIATION GOING THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

RIGHT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF RADIATION
EXPOSURE POTENTIAL

DURING THE APOLLO MISSIONS,

AND THE VAN ALLEN BELTS,
OF COURSE,

ARE A BIG PART OF THAT,

AND SO A LOT OF THE CONSPIRACY
CROWD HAVE ARGUED THAT,

IN ORDER TO SURVIVE
THE RADIATION INTENSITY

THAT THE ASTRONAUTS
WENT THROUGH,

THE THING WOULD HAVE TO
BE BUILT

OUT OF
A LOT STRONGER MATERIAL,

YOU KNOW, SHIELDED
WITH LEAD --

THAT IT SIMPLY WASN'T POSSIBLE
TO GO THROUGH

WITHOUT GETTING BURNT
TO A CRISP.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT TAKE

TO BLOCK THE RADIATION
OF THE VAN ALLEN BELTS?

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THAT RADIATION'S ALL ABOUT.

THESE ARE PARTICLES, AND THESE
PARTICLES ARE THREE KINDS --

PROTONS, ELECTRONS,
OR BETA PARTICLES,

AND ALPHA PARTICLES,

WHICH ARE TWO PROTONS
AND TWO NEUTRONS.

THE INNER VAN ALLEN BELT
HAS A LOT OF PROTON FLUX,

AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS,

SO WHAT NASA DID
WAS SIMPLY AVOID IT

BECAUSE IT'S
RELATIVELY SMALLER

AND YOU CAN MANAGE
TO GET AROUND IT.

BUT YOU CAN'T GET AROUND
THE OUTER BELT,

AND THE OUTER BELT
HAS A VERY HIGH FLUX

OF BETA PARTICLES --
THOSE ARE ELECTRONS.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY

IS TEST THE MATERIAL
THAT THE SPACECRAFT WAS MADE OF

WAS SUFFICIENT TO BLOCK
MOST OF THE RADIATION

AND THAT THE RADIATION THAT
DID GET THROUGH WASN'T LETHAL

BECAUSE THE TIME SPENT
IN THE RADIATION BELT

WAS RELATIVELY SHORT.

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BASICALLY

IS IT'S NOT JUST
THE INTENSITY OF THE RADIATION

OR THE TYPE
OF THE RADIATION --

IT'S ALSO THE EXPOSURE TIME
THAT MATTERS.

EXACTLY.

SO, WE HAVE A PLEXIGLASS MOCK-UP
OF THE CAPSULE.

WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS
OF RADIATION SOURCES HERE

THAT EMULATE
THE KIND OF RADIATION

THAT EXISTS
IN THE OUTER VAN ALLEN BELT,

WHICH IS WHAT
THE CAPSULE WENT THROUGH.

♪♪

THAT HAS
RADIOACTIVE STICKERS.

HOW DANGEROUS IS THAT
RIGHT NOW?

THESE AREN'T DANGEROUS.

THE FLUX IS SO LOW
THAT IT'S MUCH, MUCH LESS

THAN GETTING AN X-RAY
AT A DENTAL OFFICE.

ALRIGHT, JUST "CAUTION --
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL"

KIND OF ALERTS
MY, UH, SENSES.

-OF COURSE.
-[ CHUCKLES ]

[ BEEPS ]

HERE IS
OUR ALPHA PARTICLE EMITTER.

IT'S RADIOACTIVE.[ TONE PLAYS ]

AND YOU CAN HEAR
ALL THE COUNTS

GOING INTO
THAT GEIGER COUNTER.

IT'S ABOUT
A MILLIRAD PER HOUR.

Bara: I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT
THIS RADIATION TEST SHOWS US,

BECAUSE
IT WILL DEFINITIVELY TELL US

WHETHER OR NOT THE ASTRONAUTS
COULD'VE SURVIVED A TRIP

THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELTS.

SO, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO
IS WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU

THE STOPPING POWER
OF JUST THE PLEXIGLASS

IN OUR MOCK-UP CAPSULE
HERE.

DR. WALTER IS PLACING
HIS PLEXIGLASS REPLICA

OF THE APOLLO 11 CAPSULE

ON TOP
OF THE RADIOACTIVE PELLET.

HE'S GONNA MEASURE
HOW MUCH RADIATION

GETS THROUGH
THE BARRIER.

PUT THAT THERE.

HERE'S OUR CAPSULE.

WE'LL LOWER
OUR GEIGER COUNTER IN.

[ BEEPS ]

♪♪

♪♪

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO
IS WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU

THE STOPPING POWER
OF JUST THE PLEXIGLASS

IN OUR MOCK-UP CAPSULE
HERE.

Jenkins:
WE'RE TESTING IF THE MATERIALS

THE APOLLO 11 CAPSULE
WAS MADE OF

WOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND
A LETHAL DOSE OF RADIATION

FROM THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

PUT THAT THERE.

Bara: IF THIS SCALED-DOWN TEST
OF THESE MATERIALS

CANNOT BLOCK SIGNIFICANT LEVELS
OF RADIATION,

IT MEANS THE ASTRONAUTS
DID NOT GO TO THE MOON.

THERE'S OUR CAPSULE.

Jenkins: THE VAN ALLEN BELTS
HAVE BEEN GAUGED

AT MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS
OF MILLIRADS.

EVEN A SCALED-DOWN TEST
LIKE THIS

CAN DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE
OF RADIATION THAT GETS BLOCKED.

Melvin:
THE DISK IS EMITTING A LOW DOSE

OF RADIOACTIVE PROTONS,
OR ALPHA PARTICLES --

APPROXIMATELY
ONE MILLIRAD WORTH --

NOT ENOUGH TO BE HARMFUL,
BUT WE'RE GONNA SEE

HOW MUCH CAN GET THROUGH
A PIECE OF PLEXIGLASS.

[ BEEPS ]

♪♪

AND WE'RE GETTING
A COUPLE OF COUNTS --

0.05 MILLIRADS PER HOUR.

♪♪

WITH A SIMPLE PIECE OF PLASTIC,
WE'RE ABLE TO DROP

THE RADIOACTIVITY
OF ALPHA PARTICLES BY 99%.

IN TERMS
OF THE ALPHA PARTICLES,

NO PROBLEM.

SO, NOW, LET'S TEST
THE BETA PARTICLES.

THERE'S A MUCH HIGHER FLUX
OF BETA PARTICLES

IN THE VAN ALLEN BELT,
AND THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER.

THEY'RE ELECTRONS,

AND SO THEY CAN PENETRATE
THROUGH MATERIAL.

Bara:
SO, THIS IS A CRUCIAL TEST.

SINCE BETA PARTICLES HAVE
A MUCH EASIER TIME

BREAKING THROUGH
PROTECTIVE SURFACES,

THEY POSE A MUCH GREATER DANGER
TO THE ASTRONAUTS.

WE ARE GOING TO PUT THE HIGHEST
FLUX THAT WE CAN IN HERE.

"HIGHEST FLUX"
MEANING...

MEANING
THE MOST ELECTRONS...

POSSIBLE?
POSSIBLE.

SO, WE'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH
OF DISKS HERE

EMITTING BETA PARTICLES.[ BEEPING ]

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
THE FLUX

IS ABOUT
2 MILLIRADS PER HOUR,

SO CONSIDERABLY HIGHER
THAN WHAT WE HAD

WITH THE ALPHA PARTICLES.

-OKAY.
-OKAY?

OKAY, SO NOW
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK

AT THE BLOCKING POWER
OF A THIN LAYER OF PLEXIGLASS.

[ BEEPING ]

OKAY, SO, NOW WE'RE DOWN
TO ABOUT 0.9 TO 1.

SO WE'VE BLOCKED ABOUT
HALF OF -- HALF OF THEM.

Bara: HALF OF THE BETA PARTICLES
ARE STILL GETTING THROUGH,

AND LAST TIME I CHECKED,

THEY DON'T COVER YOU
WITH A PLASTIC-LINED APRON

WHEN YOU GO GET AN X-RAY
AT THE DENTIST.

THEY COVER YOU
WITH A LEAD-LINED APRON.

THERE ARE
SOME CONSPIRACY THEORIES

SAYING THAT THE CAPSULE
NEEDED TO BE MADE OF LEAD

IN ORDER TO STOP ANY OF THESE
PARTICLES FROM PENETRATING.

WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS
BEHIND THAT?

WELL, LEAD WOULD BE GREAT
BECAUSE IT'S VERY DENSE,

AND SO IT WOULD STOP ALL THESE
PARTICLES IN THEIR TRACKS.

THE PROBLEM IS
IT'S REALLY, REALLY HEAVY,

AND YOU WOULD NEVER GET
THE SPACECRAFT OFF THE GROUND.

SO THE CAPSULES WERE MADE
OUT OF TWO MATERIALS.

THE INNER SHELL WAS MADE
OUT OF ALUMINUM,

AND THEN THERE WAS AN OUTER
SHELL THAT WAS MADE OF STEEL.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE

IS WE'RE GONNA SHOW
THE BLOCKING POWER OF ALUMINUM.

Melvin:
NOW WE'RE GETTING TO A TEST

OF THE ACTUAL MATERIAL
USED ON APOLLO 11.

THIS IS WHAT WE CAME
TO FIND OUT --

IF THREE INCHES
OF ALUMINUM AND STEEL

PROVIDE ENOUGH OF A BARRIER
AGAINST SPACE RADIATION.

SO, I'VE GOT
AN ALUMINUM PLATE,

WHICH IS ABOUT
2 MILLIMETERS THICK,

AND, IF YOU LIFT THAT UP,

WE'LL PUT ONE PLATE
OVER THE DISKS.

♪♪

♪♪

[ BEEPING ]

AND NOW THE COUNTS ARE DOWN

TO ABOUT
0.1 OR 0.2 MILLIRADS PER HOUR.

-WOW.
-UH-HUH.

SO YOU'VE BLOCKED EVERYTHING
IN TERMS OF THE PARTICLES

THAT ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS
IN THE OUTER VAN ALLEN BELT

WITH JUST PLEXIGLASS
AND A LITTLE BIT OF ALUMINUM.

RIGHT.

WELL, THERE YOU GO.
SCIENCE WINS AGAIN.

ALL OF THESE
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

SHOULD'VE REALLY DONE
THEIR HOMEWORK

BEFORE THEY STARTED DOUBTING

THE TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN
OF NASA

THAT DIDSEND APOLLO 11
TO THE MOON.

THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT BEFORE
THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY --

THAT THEY WENT THROUGH

THAT THERE WAS
AN UNQUANTIFIED RISK

TO GOING THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELT,

BUT WHAT NASA KNEW

IS THAT THEY HAD MAPPED
THE VAN ALLEN BELT

TO A DEGREE WHERE THEY KNEW
WHERE THE HOT SPOTS WERE

AND THE AREAS
OF THE LOWEST RADIATION FLUX,

AND SO THEY PLANNED
THEIR TRAJECTORIES

IN SUCH A WAY
TO HAVE THE MINIMUM EXPOSURE.

THERE WERE A LOT OF RISKS
WITH THE MOON MISSIONS.

-MM-HMM.
-JUST GETTING OFF THE GROUND,

YOU KNOW,
MAKING IT UP INTO ORBIT,

PUTTING SOMEBODY ON THE MOON
AND GETTING THEM OFF --

THOSE WERE
ALL MUCH HIGHER RISKS

THAN THE RISKS OF GOING THROUGH
THE VAN ALLEN BELT.

OKAY, THAT'S WHY
WE DO THE TESTS.

BUT, LIKE DR. WALTER SAID,
THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER RISKS.

SO THIS TEST DOESN'T COMPLETELY
CLOSE THE BOOK

ON NASA
FAKING THE MOON LANDING.

YOU DON'T NEED LEAD SHIELDING
TO GO TO THE MOON.

YOU DON'T NEED LEAD SHIELDING
TO GO TO THE MOON.

♪♪

I THINK THE RADIATION TEST
WAS AWFULLY CONVINCING.

WITH JUST A THIN SHEET
OF ALUMINUM,

THIS STOPPED 99% OF
THE ALPHA AND BETA RADIATION.

THE SCIENCE DEMONSTRATED IT,
AND, YOU KNOW,

THERE'S ALL TYPES
OF RADIATION OUT THERE.

SOME OF IT'S NOT HARMFUL,
BUT IF IT IS, AGENCIES LIKE NASA

WITH ALL THEIR SCIENTISTS
AND ENGINEERS,

CAN FIGURE OUT
HOW MUCH SHIELDING WE NEED.

YEAH, I MEAN, LOOK.
[ SIGHS ]

1% -- I MEAN, YOU CAN GET

A HIGHER DOSE OF RADIATION
THAN THAT

JUST BY FLYING TO DENVER

AND STEPPING OFF AN AIRPLANE
INTO THE SUNSHINE,

SO I THINK
WE CAN PRETTY MUCH SAY THAT

THE IDEA THAT
THE VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELTS

WOULD STOP US
FROM GOING TO THE MOON IS...

ALL B.S.

ALRIGHT, SO, THE
SCIENTIFIC PROOF THAT I SAW

CHANGED MY MIND.

WE COULD HAVE MADE IT SAFELY
THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T PROVE

THAT WE ACTUALLY MADE IT
TO THE MOON IN '69.

THERE IS ONE OTHER THING I'D
LIKE TO BRING UP WITH YOU GUYS.

DID YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE
ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE?

THERE ARE ENDLESS
CONSPIRACY THEORIES OUT THERE.

HERE WE GO.

MAYBE THERE WAS
NO MOON LANDING.

ALRIGHT.

OUR INVESTIGATIONS
CONTINUE.

♪♪