Original subtitles

Narrator: NASA's MISSION IS TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN.

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

THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE.

Narrator: IN THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS,

IT LAUNCHES ITS SCIENTISTS INTO SPACE,

ITS CRAFT BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

Williams: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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 7FAILS,

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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

NASA's MISSIONS HAVE UNCOVERED DISTURBING ANOMALIES...

MAN: Okay, we're seeing three or four objects.

MAN #2: Yeah, there are three objects.

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

THESE ARE NASA's UNEXPLAINED FILES.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

JUNE, 1971,

THREE RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS: GEORGY DOBROVOLKSY,

VLADISLAV VOLKOV, AND VIKTOR PATSAYEV,

ARE ABOUT TO COMPLETE A RECORDBREAKING MISSION

ON RUSSIA'S SALYUTSPACE STATION.

IT'S A GREAT PROPAGANDA SUCCESS

FOR THE SOVIET UNION:

RECORDSETTING DURATION IN SPACE: 23 DAYS.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

AT 9:28 PM, THE SOYUZ 11CAPSULE UNDOCKS

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

Gutheinz: IT'S A TEXTBOOK MISSION.

EVERYTHING IS RUNNING LIKE CLOCKWORK.

Narrator: THE ENTIRE REENTRY AND LANDING PROCEDURE

IS OUT OF THE COSMONAUTS' HANDS.

Worden: 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.

[ Static crackles ]

Narrator: TECHNICIANS AT MISSION CONTROL

MONITOR EVERY ASPECT OF THE SPACECRAFT,

INCLUDING THE COSMONAUTS THEMSELVES.

Orwall: 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 NOBODYWANTS 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.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS] Narrator: 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.

Gutheinz: SPECTACULAR SHOT FOR THE MEDIA.

THE PARACHUTES OPEN SUCCESSFULLY AND IT DESCENDS TO EARTH.

Narrator: 25 MINUTES AFTER BEGINNING THEIR REENTRY BURN,

SOYUZ 11LANDS AT ITS DESIGNATED SITE.

IT SETS DOWN IN KAZAKHSTAN RIGHT ON TIME.

Narrator: THE RECOVERY TEAM REACHES THE CAPSULE

AND POPS THE HATCH.

THEY'RE COMPLETELY UNPREPARED FOR WHAT THEY FIND.

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

Gutheinz: BACK AT MISSION CONTROL,

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

1, 1, 1.

ALL THREE CREW MEMBERS ARE DEAD.

Gutheinz: THAT MOMENT IN MISSION CONTROL

WHEN YOU KNOW SOMEONE HAS DIED,

IT HAS TO FEEL LIKE A STONE IN YOUR GUT.

Narrator: 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.

[ MELANCHOLY TUNE PLAYS ]

Gutheinz: THEY'RE ALL JUST LYING THERE.

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

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

NEWS OF THE DISASTER SOON REACHES NASA.

Gutheinz: 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.

Narrator: THE AGENCY IS JUST 2 YEARS AWAY

FROM EMBARKING ON ITS OWN LONG-TERM MISSION

WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE SPACE STATION SKYLAB.

Gutheinz: SKYLABMISSION IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER FOR NASA

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

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: NASA FEARS THAT HEART FAILURE

COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF THE COSMONAUTS.

Chiao: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Chiao: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

Narrator: AFTER THE LOSS OF THE SOYUZ 11COSMONAUTS,

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.

[ WHISTLING AND APPLAUSE ]

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR,

NASA RACES TO GET THE FIRST AMERICAN INTO ORBIT.

Scott Carpenter: 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.

[ SINISTER MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

CAPCOM: 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.

Glenn: FUEL: 102, 101.

OXYGEN: 78, 100. AMPS: TWO SEVEN.

THE WHOLE OBJECT OF THE MISSION WAS TO SUCCESSFULLY

GO INTO ORBIT AND RETURN BACK TO EARTH.

Narrator: 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. [CHEERING]

OH, THAT VIEW IS TREMENDOUS.

Narrator: THE MISSION COMES AT A MOMENT

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

ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

Orwall: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: NSA ANALYSTS CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT

OF THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

Orwall: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: GLENN'S MERCURY SPACECRAFT

SUCCESSFULLY ENTERS EARTH'S ORBIT,

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

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

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.

McGaha: 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.

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL ORDERS GLENN

NOTTO EJECT HIS RETROROCKETS, AS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED.

GLENN: Roger. Understand.

[ EERIE MUSIC CLIMBS ]

Narrator: 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.

[ CHEERING AND WHISTLING ]

Narrator: JOHN GLENN BECOMES AN AMERICAN HERO.

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

McGaha: YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER: THIS WAS ONLY A PLAN.

THERE'S NO CERTAINTY

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

Orwall: WAS OPERATION DIRTY TRICK JUST HYPOTHETICAL?

MOST PROBABLY.

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

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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.

[ EERIE MUSIC CLIMBS ]

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

Narrator: 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.

McKay: SIX YEARS AGO, WE LOST MARS OBSERVER.

NOW WE'RE TAKING THOSE INSTRUMENTS, REFLYING THEM.

CLIMATE ORBITERIS THE WAY TO GET THAT DATA NOW.

SO WE'VE GOT A LOT RIDING ON IT.

WE REALLY DON'T WANNA HAVE ANOTHER FAILURE.

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: THE PROBE TRAVELS OVER 100 MILLION MILES

TO REACH ITS TARGET. [RAPID BEEPING]

CLIMATE ORBITERIS DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE TELL IT.

IT'S FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS BEAUTIFULLY.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: THE TEAM EXPECTS THE ORBITERTO 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.

[ MELANCHOLY TUNE PLAYS ]

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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Pope: NO FEWER THAN 15 PROBES HAVE BEEN LOST.

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

THEY'VE ALL FAILED.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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 2PROBE

IS TAKING PICTURES OF THE MARTIAN SURFACE WHEN BAM!

SOMETHING HITS IT AND IT SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: NASA DOES NOT BELIEVE THE MARS CLIMATE ORBITER'sFATE

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.

Dickinson: 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.

[ STATIC CRACKLES ]

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

Narrator: 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.

Dickinson: 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.

[ MELANCHOLY TUNE PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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.

[ RAPID BEEPING ]

[SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES] Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

Narrator: 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.

[ SHUTTER CLICKS ]

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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: THE FIRST THEORY THEY INVESTIGATE

IS THAT THE GLOW COULD BE SOME KIND OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION

HAPPENING ON THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN FLOOR.

Miller: 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?

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

[ SHUTTER CLICKS ]

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: COMING UP... NASA SUFFERS A CYBERATTACK.

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

NO NETWORK IS INVULNERABLE.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: 200 MILES ABOVE EARTH,

THE ISS VEERS OUT OF ITS SAFE ORBIT.

THERE ARE NO PLANNED MANEUVERS

AND THERE IS NO ALARM SOUNDING.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

NASA HAS LOST CONTROL OF THE SPACE STATION.

CAN NASA GET HACKED?

YES, NASA CAN GET HACKED.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

[ SINISTER MUSIC PLAYS ]

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.

Narrator: 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 SOYUZENGINES FIRED

FOR A FULL MINUTE BEFORE THEY SHUT DOWN.

AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY LONG ENOUGH

TO CHANGE THE SPACE STATION'S ORBIT.

Narrator: THE UNEXPLAINED ROCKET FIRING

THROWS THE SPACE STATION OUT OF ITS CORRECT ORBIT.

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

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 WHATWILL HAPPEN, BUT IT WON'T BE GOOD.

Narrator: 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."

Narrator: BUT OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE ISS

GIVE RISE TO SPECULATION

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

[STATIC CRACKLES] THE THRUSTERS FIRING

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

Narrator: 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.

[STATIC CRACKLES] [SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS]

Narrator: THE SUPPLY MODULE GOES INTO AN UNCONTROLLED SPIN.

THE MOST RELIABLE AND USED ROCKET IN HISTORY,

BUT, ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERYTHING'SGONE CRAZY.

ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN CONTROL FAIL AND IT ULTIMATELY BURNS UP

AS IT REENTERS THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

Narrator: ROSCOSMOS RELEASES A STATEMENT

BLAMING A DESIGN PECULIARITY FOR THE DISASTER.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

3 MONTHS BEFORE THE PROGRESS 59CRASH,

THE CREW DEALT WITH ANOTHER EMERGENCY.

ALARM BELLS LITERALLY START RINGING ON THE ISS

WHEN AN AMMONIA LEAK IS DETECTED IN THE AMERICAN MODULE.

Man: 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 HIGHLYDANGEROUS.

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

Narrator: 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.

Driscoll: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: IF HACKERS WERE ABLE TO BREAK IN

TO THE ISS COMPUTER SYSTEMS,

THEY COULD INFLICT CRITICAL DAMAGE.

EVERYTHINGON 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: THE STOLEN LAPTOP WAS NEVER RECOVERED.

NASA HAS SINCE TIGHTENED ITS CYBERSECURITY.

[ SIREN WAILS, RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: STILL TO COME...

CALIFORNIA POLICE CALL ON NASA TECHNOLOGY

TO CRACK A COLD MURDER CASE.

[ GUNSHOT ]

THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO LOOK INTO AREAS

THAT WE HAD NEVER HAD ACCESS BEFORE.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

♪ [HEARTBEAT] ♪

[ GUNSHOT ]

Narrator: 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.

Narrator: UNTIL A NASA ROVER UNCOVERS A CRUCIAL CLUE.

[ SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE ]

THE POLICE THOUGHT THAT THEY

HAD SOLVED THE MURDER CASE, RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

[ RADIO CHATTER ]

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

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.

McCrossin: 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.

[ GUNSHOT ]

AND DAWN SANCHEZ IS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.

[ SUSPENSEFUL CHORD STRIKES ]

BASS BECOMES THE MAIN SUSPECT IN THIS INVESTIGATION.

[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS] Narrator: BASS DENIES THE STORY

PUT FORWARD BY EYEWITNESS CHOPSTICKS.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

McCrossin: 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.

Narrator: 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.

McCrossin: WE HAVE NO BODY. WE HAVE NO CAR.

THE CASE GOES COLD.

[ STATIC CRACKLES ]

Narrator: 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.

[SIREN WAILS] Narrator: 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.

Narrator: 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.

[ SIREN WAILS, RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: 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.

McCrossin: 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.

Narrator: WITHIN MINUTES,

THE RADAR REVEALS SOMETHING UNDER THE CONCRETE.

IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE HOUSE --

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

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.

Narrator: 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. [EERIE MUSIC CLIMBS]

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T FIND THE BODY.

[ JACKHAMMER RATTLES ]

SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE AND THEN MOVED.

Narrator: 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

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.

Kayen: 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.

Narrator: THE TEAM HAVE THE PERFECT TOOL FOR THE JOB:

A SENSETA MAX ROVER.

Kayen: 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.

Narrator: IT TAKES JUST 2 HOURS

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

[ WARBLING ]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS] [SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE]

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,

[BARS RATTLE] 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.

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CLIMBS ]

Narrator: 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.

CARPENTER: Godspeed, John Glenn.

TODAY, NASA FACES NEW THREATS,

UNIMAGINABLE TO THE FIRST MEN IN SPACE.

WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE

[BEEPING] WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.