Original subtitles

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

Teitel: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSE

IS A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY OUT THERE.

Narrator: IN THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS,

IT LAUNCHES ITS SCIENTISTS INTO SPACE,

ITS CRAFT BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

Lee: WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S OUT THERE.

Lee: THERE MIGHT BE DANGERS LURKING IN THE DARKNESS.

Oluseyi: WE RUN ACROSS MORE MYSTERIES THAN DISCOVERIES.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO THROW AT US NEXT.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS ON THE FINAL APOLLO MISSION

FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES.

Jurek: SOMETHING IS GOING TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY WRONG.

Narrator: THE FBI INVESTIGATES THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

OF A TOP NASA SCIENTIST.

Teitel: WHAT DOES HE KNOW,

AND COULD HE POSSIBLY BE A THREAT?

Narrator: AND DECLASSIFIED TRANSCRIPTS REVEAL AN UNEXPLAINED SIGHTING

ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.

Orwoll: WHATEVER THIS PHENOMENA IS, THIS IS BEYOND STRANGE.

Narrator: THESE ARE NASA'S UNEXPLAINED FILES.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE FINAL APOLLO MISSION ENDS IN NEAR-DISASTER.

Jurek: SUDDENLY, THEIR EYES START TO WATER.

THEIR FACES ARE BURNING.

Narrator: THE DEADLY INCIDENT HAPPENS JUST DAYS AFTER

SOVIET COSMONAUTS GAINED ACCESS TO THE SPACECRAFT.

Jurek: WAS IT SABOTAGE FROM THE RUSSIAN SIDE?

WAS THERE A TECHNICAL MALFUNCTION?

Oberg: HARDLINERS IN THE KREMLIN

MIGHT NOT WANT THIS MISSION TO SUCCEED.

Narrator: AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR,

THE WORLD LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF NUCLEAR DEVASTATION.

Jurek: IT'S REALLY HARD TO OVERSTATE THE FEAR OF WORLD WAR III.

IT'S A REAL AND PRESENT DANGER IN THE LIVES OF ALL AMERICANS.

Narrator: NASA'S APOLLO-SOYUZ MISSIONS,

RUN IN COOPERATION WITH THE SOVIET UNION,

OFFER A RAY OF HOPE.

THOMAS STAFFORD, VANCE BRAND, AND DEKE SLAYTON

ARE THE ASTRONAUTS CHOSEN TO RENDEZVOUS

WITH THEIR RUSSIAN COUNTERPARTS IN SPACE.

Zak: THIS IS A SIGN THAT THINGS CAN CHANGE

AND THE COLD WAR CAN BE OVERCOME.

Jurek: COMING TOGETHER, BOTH EAST AND WEST,

THE RUSSIANS AND THE AMERICANS, GAVE HOPE TO THE WORLD

THAT WE WOULD ALL NOT DIE IN A FIERY EXPLOSION SOME DAY.

Narrator: AT 12:12 P.M. ON JULY 17,

THE APOLLO CAPSULE DOCKS WITH SOYUZ

120 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH.

FOR THE NEXT 44 HOURS, ASTRONAUTS AND COSMONAUTS

HAVE ACCESS TO EACH OTHERS' SPACECRAFT.

NOW THE TWO NATIONS ARE NO LONGER COMPETING.

THEY ARE NOW COOPERATING IN SPACE.

Jurek: THE APOLLO-SOYUZ MISSION IS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

IT'S TEXTBOOK.

NINE DAYS IN SPACE, THREE MILLION MILES TRAVELED,

AN HISTORIC LINKUP IN SPACE.

Narrator: THE MISSION APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR STEP FORWARD

IN EAST-WEST RELATIONS.

NOW, ALL THE APOLLO CREW HAS TO DO

IS BRING THE SPACECRAFT DOWN TO EARTH.

THE LANDING SEQUENCE FOR AN APOLLO CAPSULE

WAS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND VERY SIMPLE.

AFTER THE INITIAL ATMOSPHERIC BREAKING,

YOU FALL STRAIGHT DOWN...

POP OUT A SERIES OF PARACHUTES TO SLOW YOU FURTHER

TILL THE PARACHUTES THEMSELVES

GENTLY DEPOSIT YOU ON THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN.

THAT'S THE THEORY.

Narrator: WHAT SHOULD BE A ROUTINE PROCEDURE TURNS BAD.

Man: WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

Jurek: SUDDENLY, THEIR EYES START TO WATER.

THEIR FACES ARE BURNING.

SOMETHING IS GOING TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY WRONG.

[ COUGHING ]

Oberg: SOMETHING IS IN THE CABIN AIR,

AND IT'S CORROSIVE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY.

Narrator: MISSION COMMANDER THOMAS STAFFORD

IDENTIFIES THE THREAT.

Jurek: STAFFORD SEES THE YELLOW-BROWN MIST,

HE SMELLS IT,

AND HE INSTANTLY REALIZES EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

Ferreira: IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY SUBSTANCES

USED IN MAN'S SPACEFLIGHT.

NITROGEN TETROXIDE IS A VERY CAUSTIC,

CORROSIVE, AND POISONOUS GAS.

IT CAN KILL YOU IN MINUTES.

Narrator: AT 30,000 FEET,

THE CAPSULE IS FALLING AT 300 MILES PER HOUR.

[ COUGHING ]

IF THE CREW DON'T DEPLOY THE LANDING CHUTES,

THEY WILL DIE INSTANTLY UPON IMPACT.

THE TIMING IS DISASTROUS.

THEY'RE HURTLING TOWARDS EARTH,

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEPLOYING THE PARACHUTES,

AND INSTEAD, THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES.

Oberg: AS THE CAPSULE CONTINUES TO DESCEND

AND THE MEN FIGHT THE EFFECTS OF THE FUMES,

THEY BEGIN TO LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS.

[ COUGHING ]

THE PARACHUTES, BECAUSE THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM

WAS NOT ACTIVATED, WILL NOT COME OUT.

[ COUGHING ]

Narrator: STAFFORD FIGHTS OFF OXYGEN STARVATION.

STAFFORD KNEW HE WAS SUFFERING FROM

CHEMICALLY INDUCED HYPOXIA,

SO HE STARTED TO GRUNT-BREATHE TO KEEP OXYGEN IN HIS LUNG

TO KEEP THE PRESSURE UP SO HE WOULDN'T PASS OUT.

Oberg: THEY MANAGE TO MANUALLY DEPLOY THE PARACHUTES

THOUSANDS OF FEET TOO LOW.

Jurek: THEY'RE GOING TO SPLASH DOWN,

BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HIT AND THEY'RE GOING TO HIT HARD.

[ CRASH, SPLASH ]

Narrator: THE APOLLO CAPSULE HITS THE OCEAN SO FAST,

IT TIPS UPSIDE DOWN,

TRAPPING THE SUFFOCATING ASTRONAUTS INSIDE.

Jurek: STAFFORD RECOGNIZES IMMEDIATELY THAT THEY NEED

TO GET FRESH OXYGEN.

PROBLEM IS, HE'S STRAPPED IN UPSIDE DOWN.

Orwoll: STAFFORD UNLATCHES HIMSELF AND HE DROPS LIKE A ROCK,

BUT THE OXYGEN MASKS ARE BACK

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WHERE HE JUST CAME FROM,

AND HE'S RUNNING ON BORROWED TIME.

Narrator: THE UPSIDE-DOWN CAPSULE'S AIR VENTS ARE BLOCKED BY WATER.

STAFFORD KNOWS THAT HIS CREWMATES

MAY HAVE ONLY MINUTES TO LIVE.

Jurek: AND HE HEARS SLAYTON COUGHING

BUT HE HEARS NOTHING COMING FROM BRAND,

AND HE RECOGNIZES THAT HIS CREW MEMBER

IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.

HE LOOKS OVER AND BRAND HAS PASSED OUT.

IF STAFFORD'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING,

HE'S GOT TO DO IT NOW AND HE'S GOT TO DO IT FAST.

HE HAS TO FIND THE OXYGEN MASKS.

Ferreira: HE FINDS THEM AND PUTS ONE ONTO BRAND WHO --

MIRACULOUSLY, BRAND BEGINS TO REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS AGAIN.

HE ALSO GIVES ONE TO SLAYTON AND PUTS ONE ON HIMSELF.

Narrator: THE CAPSULE HAS A LIMITED OXYGEN SUPPLY.

IT'S A QUICK REPRIEVE,

BUT HIS CREW IS STILL IN TROUBLE.

STAFFORD CAN NOW FOCUS ON GETTING THE CAPSULE UPRIGHT

SO THAT THEY CAN FINALLY GET SOME FRESH AIR.

Narrator: HE DEPLOYS PURPOSE-DESIGNED FLOATS

IN THE APOLLO'S NOSE CONE TO GET IT UPRIGHT.

HE CAN FINALLY OPEN THE VENTS.

THE CRAFT IS SUDDENLY FILLED WITH FRESH AIR.

THEY CAN BREATHE AGAIN.

Jurek: YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS WAS THE SWEETEST AIR

THIS CREW HAS EVER TASTED.

[ APPLAUSE ]

Narrator: AS SOON AS THE ASTRONAUTS ARE OUT OF DANGER,

FOCUS SHIFTS TO HOW THE INCIDENT HAPPENED.

Jurek: A LOT OF SPECULATION STARTED TO FILL THE MEDIA.

WAS IT SABOTAGE FROM THE RUSSIAN SIDE?

WAS THERE A TECHNICAL MALFUNCTION?

Oberg: IT WAS REASONABLE TO FEAR THAT HARDLINERS IN THE KREMLIN

MIGHT NOT WANT THIS MISSION TO SUCCEED.

Narrator: WHAT SHOULD BE A DIPLOMATIC TRIUMPH

IS ON THE VERGE OF CATASTROPHE.

NASA LAUNCHES ITS INVESTIGATION.

Jurek: NASA HAS TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THIS ALMOST-TRAGIC END

TO A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.

Narrator: DOCKING PILOT DEKE SLAYTON'S TESTIMONY

SHEDS LIGHT ON WHAT WENT WRONG.

Oberg: SLAYTON REMEMBERED HAVING READ OFF A COMMAND

TO SHUT OFF THE REACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,

BUT HE SAYS THERE WAS A SQUAWK ON THE INTERCOM.

BRAND DIDN'T HEAR THE READ-OFF AND DIDN'T HIT THE SWITCH.

Orwoll: AS A RESULT OF THIS,

THE REACTION CONTROL SYSTEM GETS LEFT ON

AND DEADLY GASES FROM THE THRUSTERS

ARE VENTED BACK INTO THE CABIN AND ESSENTIALLY

TURNED THE CAPSULE INTO A GAS CHAMBER.

Jurek: ULTIMATELY, THE MISTAKE ON NOT FLIPPING THE SWITCH

WAS REALLY A COMMUNICATIONS ERROR.

Narrator: THOMAS STAFFORD'S QUICK ACTIONS SAVED HIS CREW

AND PREVENTED A BREAKDOWN IN SUPERPOWER RELATIONS.

IT IS NO UNDERSTATEMENT THAT THE APOLLO-SOYUZ MISSION

COULD'VE ENDED IN ABSOLUTE DISASTER

IF NOT FOR THE QUICK, CALM,

AND COOL THINKING OF TOM STAFFORD,

WHO SAVED HIS CREWMATES AND SAVED THE MISSION.

Narrator: TODAY, WE REMEMBER THE APOLLO-SOYUZ MISSION

AS A MOMENT WHEN THE COLD WAR THAWED JUST A LITTLE.

Jurek: THE HANDSHAKE ON APOLLO-SOYUZ

SYMBOLIZED FOR THE WORLD THAT THE SPACE RACE

WAS COMING TO AN END AND THAT THERE WAS HOPE

THAT THE COLD WAR, THE SHADOW THAT WE HAD

ALL LIVED UNDER, WOULD BE COMING TO AN END.

Narrator: THE NEAR-DISASTER HAS BECOME A FOOTNOTE IN HISTORY.

THANKS TO STAFFORD'S HEROICS AND THE NASA INVESTIGATION,

THE MISSION DOESN'T END IN DISASTER AND POLITICAL TURMOIL.

Narrator: STILL TO COME, A SCIENTIST WORKING ON NASA'S

MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR MARS MISSION MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS.

HE HAD SIGNIFICANT ACCESS TO IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY.

DID HE CROSS THE LINE?

WELL, THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO FIND OUT.

Narrator: A NASA SCIENTIST VANISHES.

THE FBI INVESTIGATES.

NO EXPLANATION, HE'S JUST GONE.

BUT NOTHING DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE.

Teitel: WHAT DOES HE KNOW,

AND COULD HE POSSIBLY BE A THREAT?

[ HELICOPTER WHIRRING ]

Narrator: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

DR. RON LI IS ONE OF THE LEADING SCIENTISTS

IN NASA'S $1.5 BILLION MARS MISSION.

THIS GUY IS A WORLD EXPERT

IN REMOTE SENSING AND GEOSPATIAL MAPPING.

HE'S MADE REALLY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS

TO THE MARS EXPLORATION ROVER MISSIONS AS WELL AS NASA'S

LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER MISSION.

Narrator: IN JANUARY 2014,

HE'S AT THE PINNACLE OF HIS CAREER,

WORKING TOWARDS A MANNED MISSION TO THE RED PLANET.

HE'S PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMAGING TECHNOLOGY

ON NASA'S LATEST MARS ROVER.

PROFESSOR RON LI IS IN LINE

TO BE A PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR ON MARS 2020,

WHICH IS REALLY A SPACE SCIENTIST'S DREAM GIG.

THIS IS THEJOB, A MISSION TO MARS.

THIS IS THE -- THE IS THE GOLD STANDARD.

Narrator: ON FEBRUARY 15, DR. LI DOESN'T SHOW UP FOR WORK.

Baker: ONE DAY, OUT OF THE BLUE, HE'S GONE.

AND I MEAN GONE.

HE DOESN'T EVEN PACK UP HIS OFFICE.

ALL HIS POSSESSIONS STILL IN HIS OFFICE.

HIS WIFE'S STILL IN THE STATES.

AND HE DISAPPEARS.

Gutheinz: THIS IS A VERY ACCOMPLISHED SCIENTIST.

HE'S NOT THE TYPE OF GUY YOU WOULD EXPECT

TO JUST DROP OFF OF THE MAP.

WHY WOULD HE DISAPPEAR?

Narrator: THE FIRST CLUE COMES WHEN THE MISSING SCIENTIST

SENDS A BRIEF E-MAIL TO OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

THERE WAS A SHORT E-MAIL

FROM THIS SCIENTIST ASKING FOR THE LEAVE

TO TAKE CARE OF HIS PARENTS WHO ARE IN CHINA.

BUT THAT'S ALL THERE IS.

Narrator: UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS WHO RESPOND TO THE E-MAIL

RECEIVE NO REPLY.

THEY TRY TO REACH OUT TO HIM, NO LUCK.

THEY CAN'T MAKE CONTACT.

Narrator: FOR ALMOST A WEEK, LI'S COLLEAGUES

CAN ONLY SPECULATE ABOUT HIS FATE.

WHEN HE FINALLY MAKES CONTACT, THE MESSAGE COMES FROM CHINA.

Teitel: SIX DAYS AFTER HE DISAPPEARED,

HE SENDS A RESIGNATION E-MAIL TO HIS EMPLOYERS.

Birnes: WHY WOULD A PERSON WHO SUBMITTED A GRANT

THAT LIKELY WOULD'VE BEEN APPROVED FOR IMAGING ON MARS,

WHY WOULD HE SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR?

THIS JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

Narrator: FOUR DAYS AFTER LI'S RESIGNATION,

HIS WIFE ARRIVES AT HIS LAB UNANNOUNCED.

WHEN LI'S WIFE WENT TO CLEAR OUT

HER HUSBAND'S OFFICE AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY,

SHE WAS QUESTIONED BY THE UNIVERSITY

ABOUT LI'S ACTIONS.

SHE MAINTAINED THAT LI WAS VERY SECRETIVE

AND NEVER DISCUSSED HIS WORK

AND THAT SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.

Narrator: THE PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR IS SO DISTURBING

THAT UNIVERSITY STAFF ALERT THE FBI.

THE BUREAU AGENTS WERE SO WORRIED

ABOUT LI'S WIFE'S BEHAVIOR, THEY PUT HER ON A WATCH LIST.

Narrator: THE FBI DISCOVERS THAT IN THE WEEKS

BEFORE HE DISAPPEARED,

LI WAS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION

BY HIS EMPLOYER FOR LINKS TO A CHINESE RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

Gutheinz: JUST BEFORE HE LEFT, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

WAS INVESTIGATING HIS TIES

TO A TOP EDUCATIONAL FACILITY IN CHINA.

HE'S BEEN ON STAFF FOR 20 YEARS.

NOW, THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.

Narrator: LI'S RECENTLY DISCOVERED CHINA CONNECTION

POSES AWKWARD QUESTIONS.

WHAT DOES HE KNOW, AND COULD HE POSSIBLY BE A THREAT?

Narrator: LI'S WORK GIVES HIM ACCESS

TO HIGHLY RESTRICTED CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

INTENDED FOR THE MARS 2020 MISSION.

Teitel: LI WAS WORKING ON DEVELOPING A NEW IMAGING TECHNOLOGY

FOR USE ON THE MARS 2020 ROVER,

AND THIS WAS SUCH A NEW, SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGY

THAT IT'S CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

IT'S NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY

WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION.

Birnes: THIS IS SPECIFIC TO NATIONAL SECURITY.

THIS IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF LONG-DISTANCE SURVEILLANCE.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THE CHINESE

WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, NOT JUST FOR A SPACE PROGRAM,

BUT FOR TOP-SECRET MILITARY SURVEILLANCE.

Narrator: TWO WEEKS AFTER LI'S DISAPPEARANCE,

SECURITY OFFICIALS INTERCEPT HIS WIFE

AS SHE'S TRYING TO BOARD A PLANE TO CHINA.

Teitel: LI'S WIFE IS DETAINED AT THE AIRPORT IN SAN FRANCISCO

WHEN SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO MEET HER HUSBAND IN SHANGHAI.

Baker: SHE HAS ALL OF LI'S FILES ON DISK DRIVES,

ON THUMB DRIVES, LAPTOP.

OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A CONCERN.

Narrator: COULD LI HAVE BEEN LIVING A DOUBLE LIFE?

Teitel: THE FBI HAD TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY

THAT LI WAS A CHINESE SPY WORKING WITHIN NASA.

Baker: YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT NASA'S THINKING.

DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM? DO YOU HAVE A SPY IN YOUR MIDST?

DID HE CROSS THE LINE?

WELL, THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO FIND OUT.

Narrator: IN NOVEMBER 2015, THE CHINESE SPACE AGENCY

MAKES A DRAMATIC ANNOUNCEMENT

THAT SEEMS TO CONFIRM NASA'S WORST FEARS.

THEY'VE NOW ANNOUNCED A MARS LANDING MISSION

FOR 2020, THE SAME TIME FRAME

THAT LI WAS GOING TO BE WORKING ON A MARS MISSION.

Narrator: THE CHINA SPACE AGENCY PLANS TO LAND A ROVER ON MARS

WITHOUT ANY EXPLORATORY MISSIONS.

THE AMBITIOUS GOALS HEIGHTEN FEARS OF ESPIONAGE.

OUR MISSIONS TO MARS IN THE VERY BEGINNING FAILED.

RUSSIA, ALL OF THEIR MARTIAN ORBITERS HAVE FAILED.

HERE'S CHINA SUDDENLY SAYING,

"WE DON'T NEED ANY ORBITERS.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO LAND RIGHT ON MARS."

HOW COULD THE CHINESE BE SO CONFIDENT?

KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHINA RIGHT NOW

AND THEIR AGGRESSIVE SPACE PROGRAM,

THE TIMING IS SUSPECT.

[ APPLAUSE ]

Baker: COINCIDENCE? I DON'T KNOW.

I COME FROM THE INTELLIGENCE WORLD.

REALLY THERE ARE VERY FEW COINCIDENCES.

THE LINKS BETWEEN LI'S DISAPPEARANCE

AND THE RAPID PROGRESS OF CHINA'S MARS PROGRAM

REMAINS UNCONFIRMED.

HAS A FEDERAL OFFENSE BEEN COMMITTED?

THE FBI'S INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING,

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

Narrator: STILL TO COME, APOLLO ASTRONAUTS SEE SOMETHING

THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.

THERE'S SOMETHING THERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE SMOKE.

Orwoll: THIS IS BEYOND STRANGE.

Narrator: APOLLO ASTRONAUTS ENCOUNTER

SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE ON THE MOON.

Pope: THE ASTRONAUTS SEE SOMETHING DOWN ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.

THERE'S A STRANGE LIGHT DOWN THERE.

Man: APOLLO 8.THERE'S SOMETHING THERE,

AND IT LOOKS LIKE SMOKE.

Narrator: DECLASSIFIED NASA TRANSCRIPTS REVEAL THE ASTRONAUTS

ARE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY SAW.

Orwoll: WHATEVER THIS PHENOMENA IS, THIS IS BEYOND STRANGE.

Narrator: ON A CLEAR WINTER'S MORNING, THE $113 MILLION

SATURN V ROCKET TOWERS OVER KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

Man: WE HAVE IGNITION SEQUENCE START.

Narrator: AT 7:51 A.M., IT BLASTS OFF.

Man: THE ENGINES ARE ARMED.

FOUR, THREE, TWO.

LIFTOFF AT 7:51 A.M.

Narrator: IN JUST 10 MINUTES,

IT CARRIES THE APOLLO 8 CAPSULE BEYOND EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

APOLLO 8 IS MANKIND'S FIRST MISSION INTO DEEP SPACE.

THEY'RE HEADING INTO UNKNOWN TERRITORY.

THESE WILL BE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO ORBIT THE MOON.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE.

Narrator: AFTER CROSSING OVER 230,000 MILES OF SPACE,

APOLLO 8 FINALLY REACHES ITS DESTINATION.

Man: APOLLO 8, ALL SYSTEMS GO.

Man: SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.

Narrator: AS THE CAPSULE'S ORBIT PASSES BEHIND THE MOON,

APOLLO 8 LOSES RADIO CONTACT WITH EARTH.

FOR 45 MINUTES,

THE ASTRONAUTS ARE FURTHER FROM EARTH

THAN ANY HUMAN HAS EVER BEEN.

MISSION CONTROL WON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY REEMERGE,

"HAVE THEY MADE IT?"

Man: APOLLO 8? APOLLO 8, THIS IS HOUSTON.

GROUND CONTROL WAITS. THE MEDIA WAITS.

THE WORLD WAITS.

Man: APOLLO 8, HOUSTON. OVER.

Man: GO AHEAD, HOUSTON. THIS IS APOLLO 8.

Narrator: WHEN THE SPACECRAFT REAPPEARS,

THE CREW SEEMS UNHARMED BY THEIR ORDEAL.

Man: GOOD TO HEAR YOUR VOICE.

Narrator: THE MISSION IS A SUCCESS.

THE SECRET OF WHAT THEY SAW DURING THEIR ISOLATION

REMAINS UNDISCOVERED FOR YEARS.

Worden: ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE MOON,

WHERE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS ARE CUT OFF FROM THE EARTH,

THERE WAS A RECORDING DEVICE ONBOARD

THAT RECORDS ANYTHING THAT'S BEING SAID.

Narrator: NASA TRANSCRIBES THE RECORDINGS AND SEALS THEM IN THE ARCHIVES.

THEY REMAIN CLASSIFIED FOR YEARS.

WHEN AMATEUR INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER THE CONTENTS

OF THOSE RECORDINGS, THEY'RE ASTONISHED.

IN THE FINAL MINUTES BEFORE HEADING BACK TO EARTH,

THE CREW HAS A VERY BIZARRE CONVERSATION.

Man 1: THERE'S A STRANGE LIGHT DOWN THERE.

Man 2: IS IT A BONFIRE?

Man 1: IT MIGHT BE CAMPFIRES.

AND WHAT THE TRANSCRIPT SHOWS IS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.

THE ASTRONAUTS SEE SOMETHING DOWN ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.

THEY SEE LIGHTS.

AND THEY ACTUALLY SAY, "THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN THERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A FIRE."

THESE ARE TWO NASA ASTRONAUTS ON AN APOLLO MISSION,

TALKING ABOUT SEEING A CAMPFIRE

OR A BONFIRE ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

THIS IS BEYOND STRANGE.

Oberg: THERE'S NO AMBIGUITY IN THAT LANGUAGE.

BORMAN SAYS, "BONFIRE."

ANDERS SUGGESTS, "CAMPFIRE."

THOSE ARE THE WORDS THEY REALLY USE.

Man: WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY STANDING ON OUR HEADS DOWN HERE.

Narrator: THERE WAS NO VISUAL RECORD

OF WHAT THE APOLLO 8 ASTRONAUTS SAW.

Man: TELEMETRY AND RADAR TRACKING IS SOLID.

VELOCITY 27,800 FEET PER SECOND.

Narrator: BUT JUST SEVEN MONTHS LATER,

THE APOLLO 11 MISSION CAPTURES AN IMAGE OF A PHENOMENON

SIMILAR TO WHAT BORMAN AND ANDERS DESCRIBED.

WHATEVER THIS PHENOMENA IS,

IT'S BEEN VISUALLY ID'd BY ONE APOLLO CREW

AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANOTHER.

Narrator: AT HIGH MAGNIFICATIONS, THE IMAGE BECOMES PIXELATED,

BUT THERE IS SPECULATION THESE MARKS COULD BE WHAT

THE APOLLO 8 CREW DESCRIBED AS SMOKE.

Pope: THIS IS NOT SOME RUMOR OR SOME CONSPIRACY.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS DOCUMENTED OFFICIALLY.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY

THE ASTRONAUTS SAW A NATURAL PHENOMENON.

Oberg: THERE'S NO FREE OXYGEN ON THE MOON,

SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A FIRE ON THE SURFACE.

IT'S JUST -- IT'S PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE SMOKE.

WE KNOW IT CAN'T BE A CAMPFIRE, SO IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.

Narrator: ONE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF OXYGEN

AND THEREFORE FIRE COULD BE SPACECRAFT DEBRIS.

THERE IS OXYGEN IN THE FUEL OF A ROCKET,

SO ONE THEORY IS, COULD THIS BE PART OF A ROCKET

IMPACTING ON THE LUNAR SURFACE?

Narrator: AFTER REACHING THE MOON,

THE APOLLO CRAFT JETTISONS ITS STAGE-THREE ROCKET BOOSTER.

COULD THIS BE RESPONSIBLE

FOR THE APOLLO 8 BONFIRE SIGHTING?

I SUPPOSE IT'S A POSSIBILITY.

I GUESS THERE MIGHT BE SOME SMOKE FROM IT.

THERE WAS STILL SOME FUEL ONBOARD.

Narrator: NASA TRACKS AND DOCUMENTS

THE PATH OF EVERY SEPARATED BOOSTER.

THESE RECORDS CONTRADICT THE ROCKET THEORY.

WHEN NASA LOOK AT THE ROCKETS FROM APOLLO 8,

THEY FIND, NO, THEY HAVE NOT IMPACTED THE LUNAR SURFACE.

THEY'RE STILL IN ORBIT.

THAT STILL LEAVES THE QUESTION OF,

WHAT WERE THE ASTRONAUTS SEEING?

Narrator: APOLLO PROGRAM GEOLOGIST PETE SCHULTZ

HAS A THEORY THAT COULD EXPLAIN THE SIGHTINGS.

COULD IT BE THAT THERE WAS SOME FORM OF ERUPTION,

AN ERUPTION OF COLD GAS?

COULD THIS HAVE BEEN WHAT THEY SAW?

Narrator: THE MOON IS SUPPOSED TO BE GEOLOGICALLY DEAD,

BUT SCHULTZ HAS FOUND EVIDENCE THAT A HARDENED LAVA LAKE

ON THE MOON CONTAINS TRAPPED POCKETS OF GAS.

OCCASIONALLY, THESE VENT INTO SPACE.

Schultz: WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT SOME FEATURES ON THE MOON,

AND WE SEE EVIDENCE THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN

SOME FORM OF DEGASSING EVENT THAT THREW UP DUST.

Narrator: IF THESE ERUPTIONS CATCH THE SUNLIGHT,

THEY CAN LOOK LIKE SMOKE, BUT THE LAVA LAKE

IS THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THE APOLLO SIGHTING,

SO IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THIS IS WHAT THE CREW WITNESSED.

THEY SAW THIS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOON.

THAT ISN'T THE AREA THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE ERUPTIONS.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS WHO HAVE STUDIED THE LUNAR SURFACE AGREE

THAT THIS COULD NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE APOLLO 8 SIGHTINGS.

I WENT AROUND THE MOON 75 TIMES

AND I NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THAT,

AND MY ORBIT WAS HIGH INCLINATION ENOUGH

THAT I SAW A GOOD SHARE OF THE LUNAR SURFACE.

SO WE'RE LEFT WITH THIS QUESTION AGAIN,

WHAT REALLY DID THEY SEE?

Narrator: THE MYSTERIOUS SIGHTINGS REMAIN UNEXPLAINED.

STILL TO COME, ASTRONOMERS CATCH

A TERRIFYING GLIMPSE OF OUR PLANET'S FATE.

WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING HERE

IS ENTIRE WORLDS BEING TORN TO PIECES.

THAT'S TERRIFYING.

Narrator: ASTRONOMERS FIND A STAR DEFYING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

Ballard: WHATEVER'S HAPPENING IS VERY EXCITING AND VERY MYSTERIOUS.

Oluseyi: THE PHYSICS DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE.

Narrator: THE ANSWER TO THE MYSTERY COULD SPELL EARTH'S DOOM.

Aguilar: THIS IS AN INEVITABLE FATE

AND THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE.

Narrator: 2014.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS USE THE KEPLER TELESCOPE

TO HUNT THE COSMOS FOR DYING STARS KNOWN AS WHITE DWARVES.

Oluseyi: A WHITE DWARF IS WHAT WE CALL AN EVOLVED STAR.

THIS MEANS THAT THE STAR WAS BORN,

IT LIVED WHAT WE CALL ITS MAIN SEQUENCE LIFE,

LIKE OUR SUN IS CURRENTLY DOING, BUT THEN IT DIED.

THE NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN ITS CORE WENT OUT.

Narrator: ON MAY 30,

THE HARVARD TEAM DETECT UNUSUAL ACTIVITY AROUND

A WHITE DWARF IN THE VIRGO CONSTELLATION.

Grazier: WE KNOW THIS IS A WHITE DWARF,

BUT THIS IS A WHITE DWARF UNLIKE ANY WE'VE SEEN BEFORE.

Hoeksema: THERE'S SOMETHING WEIRD GOING ON.

IT'S A MYSTERY.

WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

Narrator: WHITE DWARFS ARE USUALLY SURROUNDED

BY A LAYER OF LIGHT GASES,

BUT THIS ONE SEEMS TO BE SHROUDED IN DENSE METALS.

Hoeksema: THE STRANGE THING ABOUT THIS STAR

IS THAT WE'RE SEEING THESE HEAVIER ELEMENTS IN THE SURFACE,

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T SEE

IN A WHITE DWARF.

Grazier:: WE HAVE CALCIUM, ALUMINUM,

MAGNESIUM, EVEN IRON ON THE SURFACE OF THIS STAR.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Narrator: THE PRESENCE OF THESE METALS

ON THE SURFACE OF THE STAR BAFFLES ASTRONOMERS.

A WHITE DWARF HAS A VERY POWERFUL GRAVITY.

THOSE HEAVY METALS SHOULD HAVE SUNK TO THE CENTER.

THE PHYSICS DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE.

THERE SHOULD NOT BE HEAVY ELEMENTS ON ITS SURFACE

UNLESS THE PHYSICS HAS TURNED THE STAR INSIDE OUT.

Narrator: THERE IS NO KNOWN FORCE CAPABLE OF TURNING A STAR INSIDE-OUT,

SO THE METALS CANNOT BE FROM THE STAR ITSELF.

THEY MUST COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.

SINCE WE DON'T NORMALLY EXPECT TO SEE THESE ELEMENTS

AT THE SURFACE OF A WHITE DWARF,

ARE THEY BEING SUPPLIED FROM ANOTHER SOURCE?

Narrator: LIGHT READINGS REVEAL THE PRESENCE

OF A MYSTERIOUS OBJECT

PASSING ACROSS THE FACE OF THE STAR.

BUT ALONE, IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE EXISTENCE

OF VAST QUANTITIES OF METALS.

Hoeksema: WE HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

EVERY FOUR OR FIVE HOURS, IT GETS A LITTLE BIT DIMMER,

AND THAT MUST BE DUE TO SOMETHING

COMING BETWEEN US AND THAT STAR.

Ballard: WHATEVER'S HAPPENING, THESE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE LIGHT

ARE OCCURRING MORE AND MORE OFTEN,

AND THAT'S VERY EXCITING AND VERY MYSTERIOUS.

Narrator: DIPS IN THE STAR'S BRIGHTNESS

CAN INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF AN ORBITING PLANET,

BUT THE OBJECT ORBITING THIS WHITE DWARF

ISN'T BEHAVING LIKE ANY WORLD.

Grazier: IT CAN'T BE A SINGLE PLANET

BECAUSE THE DIPS IN LIGHT WOULD BE AT REGULAR INTERVALS.

IT'S NOT EVEN MULTIPLE PLANETS,

BECAUSE, AGAIN, THOSE ARE PREDICTABLE.

THESE SEEM TO BE AT RANDOM.

Narrator: AS THE TEAM CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE STAR,

THEY DETECT A MASSIVE DEBRIS TRAIL

BEHIND THE ORBITING OBJECT.

THIS DISCOVERY LEADS THEM TO A SHOCKING CONCLUSION.

THE DYING STAR WAS ONCE ORBITED BY SEVERAL PLANETS,

BUT IT IS NOW TEARING THEM APART.

Grazier: THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME

IS A STAR THAT HAS DESTROYED ITS TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

AND IS NOW CONSUMING THEM.

Hoeksema: SO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE

IS WE'RE SEEING THE SURFACE BEING RIPPED OFF

AND WE'RE SEEING ALL THESE DIFFERENT PIECES

ORBITING AROUND NOT AS ONE PLANET ANYMORE

BUT AS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DESTROYED.

Narrator: THE WHITE DWARF'S MASSIVE GRAVITATIONAL FORCES

TEARS THE METALS OUT OF THE PLANETS

AND SCATTERS THEM ACROSS THE STAR'S SURFACE.

WE'RE SEEING A STAR TAKE ITS PLANETS

WITH IT TO THE STELLAR GRAVEYARD.

Narrator: THIS IS AN EVENT NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN HUMAN HISTORY.

WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING HERE

IS ENTIRE WORLDS BEING TORN TO PIECES.

WE'RE WATCHING THE END OF A STAR SYSTEM

AND A PLANETARY SYSTEM RIGHT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES.

Narrator: THE SCALE OF DESTRUCTION IS CHILLING,

AND IT COULD OFFER A GLIMPSE OF OUR OWN FATE.

IT'S VERY EASY TO DISMISS THIS

BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENING SO FAR AWAY.

BUT WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IS THE FUTURE

OF OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM.

Narrator: ONE DAY, OUR SUN WILL BURN ITSELF OUT

AND TURN INTO A WHITE DWARF,

AND IT TOO WILL BECOME A PLANET KILLER.

Oluseyi: EVERY DAY, THE SUN IS A LITTLE LARGER

THAN IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE.

EVENTUALLY, IT WILL SWELL UP AND ENGULF MERCURY

AND THEN VENUS AND THEN THE EARTH.

THIS SYSTEM IS A PEEK INTO OUR FAR-DISTANT FUTURE.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE.

OUR FUTURE HERE ON EARTH IS A TERRIBLE FUTURE.

WE WILL JUST VAPORIZE.

THAT'S TERRIFYING.

Narrator: STILL TO COME,

THE APPEARANCE OF GREEN FIREBALLS

IN THE SKIES ABOVE ROSWELL

SPARKS A MAJOR MILITARY INVESTIGATION.

EVEN AS WE SIT HERE TODAY,

IT IS A MYSTERY COMPLETELY UNRESOLVED.

Narrator: GLOWING GREEN FIREBALLS TERRIFY PILOTS

IN THE NEW MEXICO SKIES.

NO ONE CAN COME UP WITH A RATIONAL EXPLANATION

FOR WHAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SEEING.

Narrator: THE SIGHTINGS BECOME NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES.

Birnes: WHEN BOTH CIVILIAN PILOTS AND MILITARY PILOTS AGREE

THAT THEY'VE SEEN THE SAME THING,

THAT'S A PROBLEM.

Narrator: A LONE PILOT TRAVELING HIGH ABOVE NEW MEXICO

SEES A GREEN BALL OF FIRE FLYING TOWARDS HIS AIRCRAFT.

Birnes: IT'S NOT JUST A DISTANT OBSERVATION.

WHATEVER THIS THING IS, IT FLIES DIRECTLY AT THE PLANE.

THIS THING IS GETTING LARGER AND LARGER,

AND THEY'RE SO WORRIED ABOUT AN IMMINENT COLLISION

THAT THEY TAKE EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrator: JUST 30 MINUTES LATER,

THE MYSTERIOUS FIREBALL BUZZES ANOTHER AIRCRAFT.

BOTH PILOTS ARE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY'VE SEEN.

ALL PILOTS ARE FAMILIAR

WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY OPERATE,

SO WHEN THEY SAY, "THIS IS LIKE NOTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE,"

YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.

Narrator: WHEN THE PILOTS REPORT THEIR ENCOUNTERS,

THE U.S. AIR FORCE CLAIMS THE SO-CALLED "FIREBALLS"

ARE JUST FLARES.

THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THAT EXPLANATION.

FLARES WOULDN'T BE 2,000 FEET UP IN THE AIR.

THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF FLARES IS TO ILLUMINATE THE GROUND.

Narrator: OVER THE FOLLOWING WEEKS, FURTHER REPORTS EMERGE

OF STRANGE GREEN LIGHTS IN THE NEW MEXICO SKIES.

ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST APPEARS OVER ROSWELL.

AS NEWS OF THE SIGHTINGS SPREAD, THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF HYSTERIA

THAT SPREADS ACROSS THE NATION.

THE PRESS STARTS WRITING THESE HEADLINES,

"HAVE WE BEEN VISITED FROM OUT OF SPACE?"

THE LEAD STORY IN THE COUNTRY TODAY.

"HAS E.T. FINALLY ARRIVED?"

Anchor: JET FIGHTERS RACED ALOFT TO INTERCEPT A REPORTED SAUCER.

Narrator: THE TIMING OF THE SIGHTINGS IS UNCANNY.

IT COMES JUST 18 MONTHS AFTER THE INFAMOUS ROSWELL INCIDENT.

WHEN THE GREEN FIREBALLS START APPEARING ABOVE MILITARY BASES,

THE U.S. AIR FORCE TAKES ACTION.

HIGH-RANKING MILITARY OFFICIALS ARE DEFINITELY GETTING NERVOUS.

THESE UNIDENTIFIED LIGHTS ARE APPEARING

NEAR SEVERAL HIGH-SECURITY SITES IN THE UNITED STATES,

AND NOBODY HAS ANY IDEA

WHAT THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.

Narrator: ON DECEMBER 9, THE AIR FORCE ASKS

LEADING ASTRONOMER LINCOLN LAPAZ TO INVESTIGATE THE SIGHTINGS.

LINCOLN LAPAZ IS A RESPECTED ASTRONOMER, LEADING SCIENTIST.

HE AND COLLEAGUES CONVENE A SPECIAL CONFERENCE

TO INVESTIGATE THESE MYSTERIOUS SIGHTINGS.

Narrator: LAPAZ CONSIDERS THE POSSIBILITY THE FIREBALLS

COULD BE CONNECTED TO A RECENT METEOR SHOWER.

METEORS REGULARLY APPEAR IN THE SKIES ABOVE

THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY, SO IT'S A PLAUSIBLE THEORY.

Jeras: METEORS WILL SHOW A BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE SKY,

AND A LOT OF TIMES, THEY CAN BE GREEN,

DEPENDING WHAT THE MAKEUP OF IT IS.

IF THERE'S NICKEL IN IT, THAT CAN CREATE A GREEN GLOW.

Narrator: THREE DAYS INTO HIS INVESTIGATION,

LAPAZ SEES THE GREEN FIREBALLS FOR HIMSELF.

THIS SIGHTING LEADS HIM TO REJECT THE METEOR THEORY.

THERE'S NO SONIC BOOMS,

THERE'S NO TRAILS OR TRACES ON THE GROUND.

LAPAZ'S CONCLUSIONS ARE PRETTY EMPHATIC,

THESE GREEN FIREBALLS ARE ARTIFICIAL.

Narrator: LAPAZ DOES NOT SPECULATE

ON WHO COULD BE MAKING THE FIREBALLS.

DECLASSIFIED MILITARY RECORDS REVEAL

HIGH-RANKING AIR FORCE OFFICERS FEARED THE FIREBALLS

WERE A NEW SOVIET SUPERWEAPON.

Orwoll: DID THE SOVIETS HAVE A SECRET STEALTH WEAPON

THAT WAS CAPABLE OF REACHING INLAND MILITARY BASES

COMPLETELY UNDETECTED?

Pope: IF THE SOVIETS COULD FLY THAT FAR UNDETECTED

OVER AMERICAN TERRITORY,

I MEAN, THIS WAS A POTENTIAL DISASTER.

Narrator: SOVIET RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS WERE RESPONSIBLE

FOR SEVERAL SIGHTINGS OF LIGHTS IN THE SKIES

OVER ALASKA DURING THE COLD WAR.

BUT NEW MEXICO WAS BEYOND THE REACH

OF SOVIET MILITARY AVIATION IN 1948.

Nichols: THE SOVIET UNION SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO THIS.

THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD FLY UNDETECTED

A THOUSAND MILES INTO THE UNITED STATES.

THE FACT THAT THESE GREEN FIREBALLS

ARE SOVIET INCURSIONS OVER THE UNITED STATES,

THAT THEORY FAILS.

Narrator: THE ORIGIN OF THE FIREBALLS REMAINS A MYSTERY FOR DECADES.

IN 2005, A RESEARCHER FOR AERIAL PHENOMENA

PUTS FORWARD A NEW THEORY.

THE LIGHTS COULD BE CAUSED BY FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR TESTING.

Birnes: HE BRINGS OUT THE THEORY

THAT THESE REALLY ARE NATURAL OCCURRENCES

THAT RESULT FROM ALL THE NUCLEAR TESTING

THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE 1950s IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST,

ESPECIALLY IN NEW MEXICO.

Narrator: BUT THE DATES OF THE SIGHTINGS

DON'T MATCH WITH KNOWN NUCLEAR TESTS.

THERE WERE NO NUCLEAR TESTS IN THIS AREA.

EVEN HAD THERE BEEN NUCLEAR TESTS,

FALLOUT IS INVISIBLE.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE GLOWING IN THE SKY.

Narrator: TO THIS DAY, WITNESSES CONTINUE TO REPORT

SIGHTINGS OF GREEN FIREBALLS IN THE U.S.

AND AS FAR AWAY AS BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA.

THEIR ORIGIN AND PURPOSE REMAINS UNEXPLAINED.

NO ONE'S EVER COME UP WITH A DEFINITIVE THEORY

OF WHAT THESE LIGHTS ARE, AND SO IT'S PROBABLY

JUST GOING TO ALWAYS REMAIN UNEXPLAINED.

Narrator: STILL TO COME, CAMERAS ON THE MARS ORBITER

CAPTURE AN IMAGE OF SOMETHING STRANGE

ON THE SURFACE OF THE RED PLANET.

Porges: THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND

IS THAT THIS TAKES CRAFTSMANSHIP.

Lee: THIS BEARS ALL THE HALLMARKS

OF SOMETHING THAT WAS INTENTIONALLY PUT THERE.

Narrator: A NASA CRAFT CAPTURES AN IMAGE OF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED

ON THE SURFACE OF MARS.

Teitel: IT'S A HUGE OBJECT.

IT TOWERS OVER THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE.

Narrator: COULD THE MYSTERY OBJECT REWRITE THE HISTORY

OF THE RED PLANET?

Porges: THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND

IS THAT THIS TAKES CRAFTSMANSHIP.

Lee: THIS BEARS ALL THE HALLMARKS

OF SOMETHING THAT WAS INTENTIONALLY PUT THERE,

SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ERECTED.

Narrator: JULY 24, 2008.

NASA'S MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER PASSES ABOVE

THE SURFACE OF THE RED PLANET.

ITS HIGH-RISE CAMERA CAPTURES AN IMAGE OF A REMARKABLE OBJECT.

[ CAMERA SHUTTER SNAPPING ]

ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU SEE THIS TOWERING STRUCTURE

THAT'S LOOMING OVER THE LANDSCAPE.

Narrator: WHEN NASA PUBLISHES THE PHOTO,

THE PRESS NAMES IT "THE MARS MONOLITH."

WHEN YOU SEE A GIANT STRUCTURE SITTING ON AN --

ON MARS, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND

IS THE MONOLITH IN "2001 -- A SPACE ODYSSEY."

Narrator: IN STANLEY KUBRICK'S SCI-FI CLASSIC,

"2001 -- A SPACE ODYSSEY,"

MONOLITHS ARE EXTRATERRESTRIAL DEVICES

USED TO ACCELERATE HUMAN EVOLUTION.

THE MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER CAPTURES THE IMAGE

FROM AN ALTITUDE OF MORE THAN 100 MILES.

Porges: IT MAY ONLY BE A TINY LITTLE DOT IN THIS PHOTO,

BUT THIS IS TAKEN FROM SPACE.

THIS STRUCTURE LOOKS HUGE AND IT'S CASTING A LONG SHADOW.

IT LOOKS LIKE A REALLY, REALLY TALL BUILDING LOOKS

WHEN SEEN FROM ORBIT ON EARTH.

Narrator: THE MYSTERY OBJECT BEARS LITTLE RESEMBLANCE

TO ANY KNOWN NATURAL FEATURE.

WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT --

THAT'S BUILT WITH STRAIGHT LINES,

RECTANGLES, SQUARES,

THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND

IS THAT THIS TAKES CRAFTSMANSHIP.

Narrator: THE MONOLITH IN "2001 -- A SPACE ODYSSEY"

WAS THE WORK OF FICTIONAL EXTRATERRESTRIALS.

THE ORIGIN OF THE REAL MARS MONOLITH

IS THE SUBJECT OF SPECULATION.

Teitel: WHAT WOULD BE THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING

A VERY TALL, THIN STRUCTURE OF SOME KIND ON MARS?

IT CONJURES IMAGES OF STONEHENGE.

MAYBE IT'S THE FOUNDATION OF SOME TALL STRUCTURE.

Narrator: ARCHAEOLOGISTS RECENTLY DISCOVERED

THAT STONEHENGE LIES ON TOP OF A HUGE COMPLEX OF STRUCTURES.

THERE IS SPECULATION THAT THE MARS MONOLITH

COULD ALSO ONCE HAVE BEEN PART OF SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER.

Lee: IS IT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST A REMNANT OF

A LARGER OBJECT THAT EXISTED IN THE PAST,

SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE BEEN WEATHERED AND ERODED OVER TIME?

Narrator: THE MONOLITH'S HEIGHT AND REGULARITY

HAVE INSPIRED SPECULATION ABOUT THE EXISTENCE

OF AN ADVANCED STRUCTURE KNOWN AS A SPACE ELEVATOR.

Teitel: A SPACE ELEVATOR IS ESSENTIALLY A LONG CORD.

ONE END IS ANCHORED TO THE PLANET

SO THAT YOU CAN SEND A PAYLOAD CLIMBING UP

THIS LADDER-LIKE STRUCTURE INTO ORBIT

AS OPPOSED TO LAUNCHING IT WITH A HEAVY ROCKET.

Narrator: THEORETICALLY, THE SPACE ELEVATOR CORD

ATTACHES TO A COUNTERWEIGHT IN ORBIT

SUCH AS AN ASTEROID OR SPACE STATION.

Shostak: YOU BUILD IT ON THE EQUATOR

AND IT GOES UP 100,000 KILOMETERS.

THAT'S A LONG WAY.

AND THEN YOU CAN GET INTO SPACE WITHOUT EXPENSIVE ROCKETS.

Narrator: ELEVATOR CAPSULES MUCH LIKE CABLE CARS

USE THE CORD TO CLIMB OUT OF EARTH'S GRAVITY.

THIS CAPABILITY WOULD GIVE A CIVILIZATION

A HEAD START IN COLONIZING OTHER PLANETS

AND EXPLOITING THEIR RESOURCES.

Lee: YOU CAN USE THAT AS A LAUNCHING POINT

TO GO INTO THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

SO THE SPACE ELEVATOR IS SORT OF A DRAMATIC

ENGINEERING UNDERTAKING.

Narrator: MANKIND IS NOT YET ABLE TO LAND SCIENTISTS ON MARS

TO EXAMINE THE MONOLITH'S STRUCTURE.

THE IDEA OF A MARTIAN SPACE ELEVATOR

REMAINS PURE SPECULATION,

BUT THE REALITY MAY NOT BE FAR AWAY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE SCIENCE FICTION, BUT ACTUALLY,

THERE ARE COMPANIES DEVELOPING THIS TECHNOLOGY RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: IF MANKIND BUILDS ONE OF THESE STRUCTURES,

THE STARS ARE WITHIN OUR REACH.

Brin: THERE IS NO DOUBT UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES

THAT WE'D BECOME AN INTERPLANETARY SPECIES,

A CIVILIZATION THAT LIVES

AND WORKS WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE.

Narrator: NASA'S RESEARCH SHOWS US GLIMPSES OF OUR DESTINY.

Lee: THIS SYSTEM'S A PEEK INTO OUR FUTURE.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE.

Narrator: THE KNOWLEDGE ITS MISSIONS GAINED IS PRICELESS.

Pope: A MISSION TO MARS.

THIS IS THE GOLD STANDARD.

Narrator: THE COST OF EXPLORATION CAN BE SHOCKINGLY HIGH.

Jurek: IT IS NO UNDERSTATEMENT THAT THE MISSION

COULD'VE ENDED IN ABSOLUTE DISASTER.

Narrator: ONE THING IS CERTAIN --

THE PRICE OF IGNORANCE IS HIGHER.