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.

HEY, WHAT IS THAT?

THERE MIGHT BE DANGERS LURKING IN THE DARKNESS.

WE RUN ACROSS MORE MYSTERIES THAN DISCOVERIES.

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

Narrator: A MYSTERIOUS EVENT PARALYZES ORBITING SPACECRAFT

AND BLACKS OUT MILLIONS OF HOMES IN NORTH AMERICA...

MANY PEOPLE ARE THINKING THAT A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST HAS BEGUN.

...A NASA PROBE DISCOVERS

STRANGE MAGNETIC PATTERNS ON THE MOON...

Aguilar: THEY CREATE A SHIELD,

JUST LIKE THE SHIELDS ON THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE.

...AND A BIZARRE PHOTOGRAPH TRIGGERS FEARS

OF AN ANCIENT FORCE

THAT COULD ANNIHILATE LIFE ON OUR PLANET.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE A SOLAR-SYSTEM TIME BOMB.

Narrator: THESE ARE NASA'S UNEXPLAINED FILES.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

DISASTER STRIKES A LONE COSMONAUT

ON A LANDMARK SOVIET MISSION.

VOLYNOV'S DESCENT CAPSULE FAILS TO SEPARATE ON REENTRY.

IT'S ENGULFED IN A 5,000-DEGREE FIREBALL.

IT'S ABOUT TO BURN THROUGH AND KILL HIM.

Narrator: THE RECOVERY TEAM IS PREPARED

TO FIND A CHARRED UNRECOGNIZABLE CORPSE.

THE RUSSIANS AREN'T EXPECTING TO RECOVER HIM ALIVE,

BUT THERE'S NO TRACE OF HIM, NOTHING.

HOW CAN HE HAVE SIMPLY VANISHED?

[ EERIE MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: JANUARY 1969, THE UNITED STATES

IS PULLING AHEAD OF THE SOVIETS IN THE RACE

TO PUT THE FIRST MAN ONTO ANOTHER WORLD.

IT'S A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE APOLLO 11 MISSION

LEAVES FOR THE MOON.

THE SOVIETS ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE A MOON LANDING IN TIME.

THEY KNOW THAT, BUT THEY HAVE OTHER TRICKS UP THEIR SLEEVE.

Narrator: THE SOVIETS ANNOUNCE A RECORD-BREAKING MISSION

OF THEIR OWN --

THE FIRST-EVER DOCKING OF TWO MANNED CRAFT IN SPACE.

Zak: IT'S A HISTORIC EVENT, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT

FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SPACE PROGRAM

IN THE SOVIET UNION, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

[ SPACECRAFT BEEPING ]

Narrator: AT 11:20 A.M. ON JANUARY 15,

SOYUZ 5,PILOTED BY COMMANDER BORIS VOLYNOV,

DOCKS WITH THE ORBITING

SOYUZ 4CAPSULE 135 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH.

90 MINUTES LATER,

VOLYNOV'S TWO CREWMATES SPACEWALK ACROSS TO SOYUZ 4,

THE FIRST SUCH TRANSFER IN HISTORY.

THE SOYUZ4 CREW PREPARES TO HEAD HOME,

LEAVING VOLYNOV AND SOYUZ 5ALONE

IN THE VAST EMPTINESS OF SPACE.

THE TWO COSMONAUTS RETURNED TO EARTH

WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS IN SOYUZ 4.

A DAY LATER, VOLYNOV PREPARES TO RETURN IN SOYUZ 5.

THAT'S WHEN THINGS START TO GO WRONG.

Narrator: TO SAFELY REENTER THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,

VOLYNOV MUST UNCOUPLE THE DESCENT MODULE

FROM THE SERVICE MODULE

HE'S BEEN LIVING IN FOR THE PAST 3 DAYS.

BUT WHEN HE FIRES THE EXPLOSIVE BOLTS

THAT SHOULD SEPARATE THE MODULES, NOTHING HAPPENS.

THE SERVICE MODULE DOESN'T DISATTACH

WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO,

WHICH MEANS THAT VOLYNOV'S SHIP IS ENTERING THE EARTH BACKWARDS.

Narrator: VOLYNOV PLUNGES TOWARDS EARTH

AT OVER 15,000 MILES PER HOUR WITH NO HEAT SHIELD.

REENTERING NOSE-FIRST IS CERTAIN DEATH.

THE FRONT END IS NOT SHIELDED AGAINST THE HEAT OF THE REENTRY.

IT WILL BURN THROUGH.

HE'LL BURN TO DEATH.

HE'LL DIE IN A VACUUM,

ALL OF WHICH WILL KILL HIM WITHIN THE NEXT MINUTE OR 2.

Narrator: SOYUZ 5SLAMS INTO THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

[ ALARM BEEPS ]

FEAR GRIPS THE GROUND STAFF IN MOSCOW.

Ferreira: MISSION CONTROL IS HELPLESS.

THEY CAN'T TURN THE SOYUZ THE RIGHT WAY AROUND.

THEY HAVE TO JUST WAIT AND WATCH.

Narrator: AS SOYUZ 5DIVES TOWARDS THE GROUND,

FRICTION HEATS THE EXTERIOR UP

TO 5,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

[ BEEPING CONTINUES ]

A SUPERHEATED SHROUD OF PLASMA

BEGINS TO EAT THROUGH THE WEAK NOSE OF THE CRAFT.

Orwoll: THE HATCH SEALS ARE BURNING

HE HASN'T GOT A SPACESUIT ON,

SO HE CAN FEEL THE HEAT.

[ BEEPING CONTINUES ]

Narrator: SMOKE FILLS THE STRICKEN CAPSULE.

HE'S NOW UTTERLY CONVINCED

HE'S ABOUT TO DIE WITHIN SECONDS.

Orwoll: VOLYNOV WRITES WHAT HE THINKS

ARE HIS LAST WORDS IN HIS LOGBOOK,

AND THEN HE TAKES THAT AND HE STUFFS IT

BEHIND HIS BACK TO TRY AND PROTECT IT,

Oberg: HOPING THAT IF ANY PART OF THE CAPSULE

REACHED THE GROUND INTACT,

THAT LOGBOOK WILL BE PROTECTED

BY HIS CHARRED CORPSE.

[ BEEPING CONTINUES ]

Narrator: THE BALL OF PLASMA SURROUNDING SOYUZ 5BLOCKS

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH MISSION CONTROL.

[ INDISTINCT CHATTER ]

[ BEEPING CONTINUES ]

GROUND STAFF TRACKS VOLYNOV'S CAPSULE

AS IT TRAVELS OVER RUSSIA.

BUT JUST BEFORE 11 A.M.

ON JANUARY 18, THE CRAFT DISAPPEARS FROM RADAR.

THE CAPSULE IS 1,500 MILES OFF-COURSE

AND GOING AT ALMOST FULL SPEED.

IT CRASHES INTO THE URAL MOUNTAINS,

ONE OF THE MOST BLEAK AND REMOTE PARTS OF RUSSIA.

Narrator: VOLYNOV'S COLLEAGUES SIT IN SILENCE

AS THEY CONTEMPLATE THEIR FRIEND ENDURING A GRISLY DEATH.

ONE OF THEM TAKES OFF A CAP

AND BEGINS PASSING IT DOWN THE ROW

TO COLLECT FUNDS FOR A FUNERAL.

[ HELICOPTER BLADES WHIR ]

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL SCRAMBLES A TEAM

TO RECOVER VOLYNOV'S BODY.

ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL SOVIET RECORDS,

SEVERAL HOURS LATER,

THEY FIND HIS CHARRED CAPSULE ON A SNOWY MOUNTAINSIDE

IN MINUS-40-DEGREE TEMPERATURES.

WHAT THEY DISCOVER

WHEN THEY OPEN THE HATCH SHOCKS THEM.

Orwoll: WHEN THEY GO TO RETRIEVE HIS BODY,

THEY FIND THE CAPSULE COMPLETELY INTACT BUT EMPTY.

THERE'S NO TRACE OF HIM, NOTHING.

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO VOLYNOV ON REENTRY?

HOW CAN HE HAVE SIMPLY VANISHED?

Narrator: WHEN THE RESCUE TEAM EXPLORES THE REMOTE CRAFT SITE,

IT SPOTS TRACES OF BLOOD IN THE SNOW NEARBY.

THEY BEGIN TO WONDER IF THEY'VE BEEN BEATEN

TO THE CRAFT BY WOLVES OR BEARS.

Narrator: THE TEAM SCOURS THE AREA FOR HUMAN REMAINS

BUT INSTEAD REPORTS FINDING

ONLY A TRAIL OF HUMAN FOOTPRINTS.

THE TRACKS LEAD THEM TO A PEASANT SHACK,

AND INSIDE, THEY ARE STUNNED

TO DISCOVER THE DOOMED COSMONAUT ALIVE

AND ONLY SUFFERING FROM A FEW BROKEN FRONT TEETH.

AGAINST GARGANTUAN ODDS, NOT ONLY DID VOLYNOV

SURVIVE THE CALAMITOUS REENTRY OF THE CRAFT

WITHOUT SPACESUIT PROTECTION OR A FUNCTIONING HEAT SHIELD,

HE SURVIVED EXPOSURE TO EXTREME G-FORCES

AND A NEAR FULL-SPEED IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.

Narrator: DURING THE POST-MISSION INVESTIGATION,

VOLYNOV REVEALS THE IMPROBABLY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

THAT SAVED HIM FROM WHAT SEEMED LIKE CERTAIN DEATH

AS HE FELL TO EARTH.

IN HIS FINAL SECONDS BEFORE THE NOSE

OF THE SHIP BURNS THROUGH, A MIRACLE HAPPENS.

Oberg: A JAMMED LATCH OF THE TRAILING MODULE BREAKS FREE.

THE CAPSULE RIGHTS ITSELF,

AND VOLYNOV REALIZES THAT HE MAY LIVE

TO SEE THE NEXT MINUTE.

Narrator: THE LAST-MINUTE FLIP ENABLED VOLYNOV TO DEPLOY

THE BREAKING PARACHUTE.

BUT HIS TROUBLES WEREN'T OVER.

WHEN HIS PARACHUTE IS RELEASED,

IT TANGLES ITSELF UP.

HE ROTATES, TWISTING THE PARACHUTE AND SHROUD LINES

TOGETHER AND THEN UNTWISTING.

IT CAUSES THE PARACHUTE TO PARTIALLY COLLAPSE,

STILL BREAKS HIM, STILL SLOWS HIM DOWN

BUT NOT ENOUGH.

Narrator: ON A REGULAR DESCENT,

VOLYNOV WOULD TURN TO HIS BRAKING ROCKETS

TO SLOW HIS APPROACH TO 5 FEET PER SECOND.

BUT WHEN HE TRIED TO FIRE THEM, THEY FAILED TO IGNITE.

INSTEAD, PROVIDENCE SAVED HIS LIFE.

AND AT THE LAST MINUTE, THE NEXT MIRACLE SHOWS UP.

HE LANDS IN DEEP SNOW,

AND THAT SNOW PROVIDES THE MARGIN OF SURVIVAL

THAT HE IS NOT CRUSHED AND KILLED

ON HIS FIRST MICROSECOND BACK ON EARTH.

Narrator: VOLYNOV'S CATASTROPHIC REENTRY LEAVES HIM TRAUMATIZED

BUT WITHOUT SERIOUS INJURIES.

TODAY, HIS MISSION IS REMEMBERED

AS A TALE OF EXTRAORDINARY BRAVERY

AND SHEER DUMB LUCK.

I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT

HE IS THE LUCKIEST COSMONAUT

OR ASTRONAUT IN THE HISTORY OF SPACE EXPLORATION.

Narrator: COMING UP...

A PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES AN IMPOSSIBLE IMAGE

OF THE SKIES ABOVE INDONESIA.

IT DEFINITELY LOOKS LIKE THERE

ARE TWO DIFFERENT SUNS ON THE HORIZON.

HOW COULD THAT BE POSSIBLE?

Narrator: A PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES A STARTLING IMAGE

OF AN INDONESIAN SUNSET.

Ballard: IS THAT TWO SUNS IN THAT PICTURE?

HOW COULD THAT BE POSSIBLE?

Narrator: THE WEIRD PHENOMENON AROUSES FEARS

OF AN ANCIENT DESTRUCTIVE FORCE

THAT COULD THREATEN OUR PLANET.

COULD THIS BE THE THING

THAT IS CAUSING THE EXTINCTION EVENTS,

LIKE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE DINOSAURS?

IT'S SORT OF LIKE A SOLAR-SYSTEM TIME BOMB.

Narrator: DECEMBER 4, 2015,

AS THE WINTER SUN SETS OVER

THE TOWN OF TARAKAN NORTHERN INDONESIA,

A PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES AN ASTONISHING IMAGE.

WHEN YOU SEE THIS IMAGE,

IT DEFINITELY LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SUNS

ON THE HORIZON.

IS THAT TWO SUNS IN THAT PICTURE?

HOW COULD THAT BE POSSIBLE?

Narrator: WHEN IT APPEARS ONLINE, THE IMAGE GOES VIRAL,

REMINDING MANY OBSERVERS OF SOMETHING CREATED

BY A HOLLYWOOD SPECIAL-EFFECTS STUDIO.

THE IMAGE OF A DOUBLE SUN

ON THE HORIZON AT SUNSET IS SO ROMANTIC,

AND, OF COURSE, IT'S A STAPLE IN SCIENCE-FICTION.

Narrator: THIS ISN'T THE ONLY TIME

A SECOND SUN HAS BEEN CAPTURED ON CAMERA.

THE BIZARRE PHENOMENON HAS ALSO BEEN DOCUMENTED

IN RUSSIA AND CANADA.

IT CAN'T BE REAL.

EVERYONE KNOWS THERE'S ONLY ONE SUN,

AND SURELY, WE WOULD'VE NOTICED IF THERE WAS ANOTHER.

Narrator: ONE THEORY FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE SECOND SUN

IS THAT IT'S JUST LIGHT REFRACTING THROUGH THE CLOUDS.

THE FIRST THING THAT JUMPS IN MYMIND

IS THAT IT'S SOME TYPE OF AN OPTICAL ILLUSION

OR A REFLECTION.

HEY, IT'S AT SUNSET.

ENJOY IT.

WEIRD STUFF HAPPENS.

Narrator: THE IDEA OF A SECOND SUN IN OUR SKY SOUNDS BIZARRE,

BUT IN GALACTIC TERMS,

IT'S STRANGER THAT OUR SUN IS ALONE.

ASTRONOMERS ESTIMATE THAT OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE STARS

IN THE UNIVERSE HAVE COMPANION STARS.

WE'RE UNUSUAL IN THAT WE CAN SEE ONLY ONE SUN IN THE SKY.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NIGHT SKY, ROUGHLY HALF THE STARS

YOU SEE ARE ACTUALLY WHAT WE CALL BINARY STARS,

AND THESE ARE TWO STARS

THAT ARE IN ORBIT ABOUT EACH OTHER.

Narrator: FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS,

MANKIND HAS BELIEVED THAT THE SUN

IS THE ONLY STAR IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

BUT RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS A STARTLING POSSIBILITY.

WE'VE HAD TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS PRESENT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

THAT THERE IS SOMETHING BIG LURKING

AT THE EDGE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

D'Antonio: THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS SCIENTISTS

THAT BELIEVE THERE REALLY ARE TWO SUNS.

Narrator: THE FIRST CLUE TO THE EXISTENCE

OF THIS MYSTERIOUS SECOND SUN

COMES FROM STUDIES OF MASSIVE EXTINCTION EVENTS

THROUGHOUT OUR PLANET'S HISTORY.

IT APPEARED THAT THERE

IS A PERIODICITY IN THE EXTINCTION RECORD.

IT LOOKED LIKE EVERY 26 MILLION YEARS,

THERE IS A MAJOR EXTINCTION-LEVEL EVENT ON EARTH.

IF WE'RE GETTING EXTINCTIONS ON EARTH IN A CYCLE,

THAT SUGGESTS AN ASTRONOMICAL CAUSE.

Narrator: SOME SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT A SECOND STAR

COULD BE THE ORIGIN

OF THESE CATASTROPHIC EXTINCTION EVENTS.

THEORETICALLY, A SECOND STAR'S ORBIT COULD TAKE IT THROUGH

THE BAND OF COMETS AND ASTEROIDS AT THE EDGE

OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM CALLED THE OORT CLOUD.

THE SECOND STAR'S MASSIVE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE

THEN SLINGS OBJECTS FROM THE OORT CLOUD

THROUGHOUT THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

Oluseyi: THEY'LL GET SENT OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS,

AND IF THEY IMPACT THE EARTH,

THEN YOU CAN HAVE COMETARY IMPACTS

THAT COULD CAUSE THE EXTINCTIONS LIKE WE'VE SEEN.

Brin: COULD THIS BE THE THING

THAT IS CAUSING THE EXTINCTION EVENTS,

LIKE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE DINOSAURS?

Narrator: OUR OWN SUN NURTURES AND SUSTAINS

ALMOST ALL LIFE ON EARTH,

BUT THIS SECOND STAR DEALS ONLY IN DEATH.

SCIENTISTS HAVE EVEN GIVEN THIS OTHER STAR A NAME.

IT'S CALLED NEMESIS, SORT OF THE DARK,

EVIL TWIN OF THE SUN.

WHY DO THEY CALL IT NEMESIS?

BECAUSE IT'S DESTRUCTIVE FORCE OF UNIMAGINABLE POWER.

Narrator: IF NEMESIS EXISTS,

THEN WHY HAS NO ONE CONFIRMED ITS EXISTENCE?

IT COULD BE BECAUSE OF THE WAVELENGTH

OF THE LIGHT IT PRODUCES.

IF THERE IS A SECOND STAR IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

THE REASON WHY WE CAN'T SEE IT IS

BECAUSE IT EMITS LIGHT DIFFERENTLY FROM OUR OWN SUN.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS SPECULATE THAT NEMESIS

ONLY EMITS INFRARED LIGHT.

THIS MAKES THIS DEADLY STAR INVISIBLE TO US.

HUMAN BEINGS EVOLVED TO SEE THE LIGHT FROM OUR OWN SUN,

AND THIS PARTICULAR SMALL STAR, IF IT IS THERE,

EMITS ALMOST ALL OF ITS LIGHT IN THE INFRARED LIGHT

WHERE HUMAN EYES CAN'T SEE.

SO EVEN IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT IT IN THE SKY,

YOUR EYES AREN'T DESIGNED TO SEE THAT LIGHT.

Narrator: THE BAD NEWS IS THAT IF NEMESIS ONLY EMITS INFRARED LIGHT,

IT ISN'T JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITH OUR EYES.

IT'S ALSO INCREDIBLY HARD TO DETECT WITH TELESCOPES.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING WITH SPECIAL TELESCOPES

FROM SPACE THAT ARE INFRARED-SENSITIVE.

WE'VE LOOKED AND HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SIGNAL,

WHICH DEEPENS THE MYSTERY OF

WHERE THIS POSSIBLE SECOND STAR COULD BE.

Narrator: IF THE NEMESIS THEORY IS CORRECT,

THERE IS AN INVISIBLE DEATH STAR LURKING

AT THE VERY EDGES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

AND UNLIKE THE SECOND SUN PHOTOGRAPHED IN INDONESIA,

ITS APPEARANCE WOULD HAVE

A VERY REAL AFFECT ON OUR PLANET.

THIS SECOND SUN, IF IT IS THERE,

IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD WORRY US QUITE A BIT.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE A SOLAR-SYSTEM TIME BOMB.

Narrator: COMING UP... AN INVISIBLE FORCE CRIPPLES

SATELLITES AND THREATENS THE SHUTTLE.

Jurek: SATELLITES ARE TUMBLING OUT OF THEIR ORBITS.

THERE'S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY GOING WRONG.

Narrator: AN INVISIBLE FORCE SIMULTANEOUSLY PLUNGES

AN ENTIRE CITY INTO DARKNESS

AND DAMAGES ORBITING SPACECRAFT.

SOMETHING BIG HAS JUST HAPPENED.

THE CITY'S IN MELTDOWN. NOTHING WORKS.

THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND IS,

"WHAT'S GOING ON?"

Narrator: THE TERRIFYING INCIDENT TRIGGERS FEARS OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK.

THE AMERICANS REALIZE THAT THEIR DEFENSE

AGAINST NUCLEAR ATTACK ARE ALL JAMMED.

MANY PEOPLE ARE THINKING

THAT A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST HAS BEGUN.

Narrator: MARCH 13, 1989,

ON A CLEAR SPRING AFTERNOON,

SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERYBLASTS OFF

FROM LAUNCH COMPLEX 39

AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: BUT JUST HOURS INTO ITS MISSION,

THE CRAFT MYSTERIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONS.

SHUTTLE ROLL MANEUVER IS COMPLETE.

Jurek: THE SHUTTLE IS EXPERIENCING

EXCESSIVELY HIGH PRESSURE READINGS.

IT'S SO WORRISOME, THEY'RE FORCED TO SHUT OFF

SOME KEY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.

ENGINES THROTTLING DOWN AS THE SHUTTLE...

Narrator: THE MALFUNCTION THREATENS THE SAFETY OF THE MISSION.

IN THE CONTROL CENTER, THEY'RE SCRAMBLING TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT'S GOING.

[ COMMAND CENTER RADIO CHATTER ]

THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD MISSION SINCE THE CHALLENGER DISASTER.

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO THINK OF IT.

Narrator: AS GROUND CONTROLLERS RUSH TO RESTORE

DISCOVERY'S SYSTEMS,

REPORTS EMERGE

THAT OTHER SPACECRAFT ARE ALSO GOING HAYWIRE.

Jurek: SATELLITES ARE LOSING CONNECTION,

LOSING COMMUNICATION,

SOME OF THEM EVEN TUMBLING OUT OF THEIR ORBITS.

THERE'S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY GOING WRONG.

Narrator: MINUTES LATER, A MASSIVE POWERCUT

HITS QUEBEC IN CANADA.

NO ONE HAS ELECTRICITY.

PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN ELEVATORS.

THEY'RE STUCK IN TRAINS.

THE CITY OF QUEBEC IS IN TOTAL MELTDOWN.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS POWER OUTAGE.

THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND IS, "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

Narrator: THE MYSTERY EVENT PLUNGES MILLIONS OF HOMES INTO DARKNESS

AND CUTS COMMUNICATION LINKS

IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

Friedman: MANY PEOPLE ARE THINKING

THAT THE NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST HAS BEGUN.

THESE DISRUPTIONS, THE LOSS OF ELECTRICITY,

THE LACK OF RADIO COMMUNICATION --

THESE ARE THE HALLMARKS OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK.

Narrator: OVER THE FOLLOWING HOURS,

THE AUTHORITIES RECEIVE NO REPORTS

OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ON THE GROUND,

BUT THE EVENTS ALSO BEAR THE CHARACTERISTICS

OF SOMETHING EQUALLY DISTURBING --

AN AERIAL WEAPON,

CALLED A NUCLEAR ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE, OR EMP.

A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION IS DETONATED HIGH IN THE ATMOSPHERE,

AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT DESTROYS ALL THE ELECTRONICS,

CAUSES A BIG VOLTAGE, BASICALLY SHORTS OUT

ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS IN COMPUTERS

AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

Narrator: A HIGH-ALTITUDE EMP WEAPON IS CAPABLE

OF SIMULTANEOUSLY FRYING ELECTRICAL DEVICES

ON THE GROUND AND IN ORBIT.

Nichols: THE POINT OF AN EMP ATTACK

IS TO BLIND THE ENEMY COMPLETELY

SO THAT THEY CAN'T USE THEIR ELECTRONICS.

THEY CAN'T USE THEIR COMMUNICATIONS,

AND THEY CERTAINLY CAN'T LAUNCH A COUNTERATTACK.

Narrator: THE IDEA OF DELIBERATELY EXPLODING

A NUCLEAR BOMB HIGH IN EARTH'S

ATMOSPHERE SOUNDS INCREDIBLE,

BUT IT'S HAPPENED BEFORE.

Guarino: FIFTY YEARS AGO,

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DID AN EXPERIMENT

THEY CALLED STARFISH PRIME,

WHICH WAS THE LAUNCH OF A THERMONUCLEAR WARHEAD

INTO THE UPPER REALMS OF THE ATMOSPHERE,

AND IT CREATED A MASSIVE ALMOST SPHERICAL EXPLOSION.

Narrator: THE 1962 STARFISH PRIME EXPLOSION

ABOVE THE PACIFIC OCEAN DAMAGED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

AND CAUSED POWER SURGES IN HAWAII,

ALMOST 900 MILES AWAY,

BUT EXPERTS DOUBT A SIMILAR WEAPON ACCOUNTS

FOR THE STRANGE EVENTS IN 1989.

FOR ONE THING, PEOPLES' CARS WORKED.

AN EMP WILL DESTROY ALL THE ELECTRONICS

IN A MODERN AUTOMOBILE.

IF YOUR CAR STILL WORKS,

AND YOUR PHONE DOESN'T, IT'S NOT AN EMP ATTACK.

Narrator: THE MASSIVE BLACKOUT LASTS FOR 9 HOURS.

SHORTLY AFTER IT ENDS,

NASA SOLAR PHYSICISTS MAKE A DISCOVERY

THAT COULD EXPLAIN THE WEIRD EVENTS.

Hathaway: PRIOR TO THIS EVENT HAPPENING,

THERE HAD BEEN A HUGE FLARE ON THE SURFACE OF THE SUN

OBSERVED BY GROUND-BASED INSTRUMENTS

AT KITT PEAK AND TUCSON, ARIZONA.

Narrator: THE ARIZONA TELESCOPES DETECTED A GIANT ERUPTION

ON THE SUN'S SURFACE KNOWN AS AN X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE.

X CLASS IS THE MOST POWERFUL CATEGORY

OF SOLAR FLARE

AND CAN PRODUCE AS MUCH ENERGY

AS A BILLION HYDROGEN BOMBS.

THIS WAS CAUSED BY OUR SUN, WHAT NORMALLY WE THINK OF

AS THAT NICE YELLOW BALL IN THE SKY,

BUT, IN FACT, IT'S A VERY VIOLENT STAR.

Narrator: THE GIANT FLARE BLASTED A FIELD OF SOLAR RADIATION

TOWARDS OUR PLANET

AT OVER ONE MILLION MILES PER HOUR,

FRYING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN ITS PATH.

WHEN THAT STUFF HITS EARTH,

IT CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH OUR SATELLITES.

IT CAN LITERALLY SHAKE THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD

AND SET A SURGE OF CURRENT THROUGH POWERLINES

THAT TAKES OUT TRANSFORMERS

AND LEAVES US IN DARKNESS.

IF YOU NEEDED A REMINDER OF HOW DEVASTATING AND POWERFUL

THE SUN CAN BE, THERE IT IS.

Narrator: COMING UP... ARCTIC EXPLORERS DISCOVER

AN OMEN OF MANKIND'S DESTRUCTION.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE SNOW IS COVERED WITH BLOOD.

IT'S LIKE THE GROUND IS BLEEDING.

PEOPLE WHO SAW THIS THOUGHT OF THE APOCALYPSE.

MAYBE THEY WERE RIGHT.

Narrator: ARCTIC EXPLORERS MAKE A DISTURBING DISCOVERY.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE SNOW IS COVERED WITH BLOOD.

IT'S LIKE THE GROUND IS BLEEDING.

Lee: THERE'S SOMETHING GRUESOME.

IT'S REALLY A HAUNTING VIEW.

Narrator: THE GRIM ENCOUNTER GOES UNEXPLAINED

FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY.

THEY HAVE NO EXPLANATION

FOR WHAT THIS RED LIQUID IS.

Narrator: NOW, NEW NASA RESEARCH SUGGESTS THE PHENOMENON

COULD SPELL MANKIND'S DOOM.

THE OUTLET FOR HUMAN LIFE COULD BE DISASTROUS.

THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO SAW THIS AND THOUGHT OF THE APOCALYPSE,

MAYBE THEY WERE RIGHT.

Narrator: AUGUST 1818,

EXPLORER CAPTAIN JOHN ROSS

AND HIS CREW ARE THREE MONTHS INTO A PERILOUS VOYAGE

THROUGH THE ICY WATERS OF THE ARCTIC.

CAPTAIN JOHN ROSS IS LEADING FOUR SHIPS

THROUGH THE ARCTIC CIRCLE NORTH OF GREENLAND,

AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND A PASSAGE TO THE PACIFIC.

Narrator: AS ROSS ROUNDS CAPE YORK IN NORTHWEST GREENLAND,

HE AND HIS CREW SPOTS

SOMETHING STRANGE ON THE FROZEN COAST.

Guarino: THEY'RE LOOKING OUT OVER THE ARCTIC,

AND THERE ARE THESE BLOOD-RED STREAMS

GOING THROUGH THE SNOW AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE SNOW IS COVERED WITH BLOOD.

IT'S LIKE THE GROUND IS BLEEDING.

Narrator: THE EERIE BLOOD-COLORED LIQUID APPEARS

TO BE FLOWING DOWN THE CLIFFS LINING THE SHORE.

Lee: THESE RIVERS OF BLOOD ON THE ICE WOULD GIVE YOU A SENSE

THAT SOME GRUESOME MASSACRE HAS TAKEN PLACE.

IT'S REALLY A HAUNTING VIEW.

Narrator: ROSS ORDERS HIS CREW TO DISEMBARK

TO INVESTIGATE THE WEIRD PHENOMENON,

BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY

THE CAUSE OF THE SINISTER RED SNOW.

CAPTAIN ROSS ORDERED SAMPLES TO BE COLLECTED,

TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO LONDON TO BE ANALYZED.

NOW, OF COURSE, BY THE TIME THEY GET BACK TO LONDON,

THE SNOW HAS MELTED,

LEAVING ONLY THIS DARK RED LIQUID

THAT LOOKS LIKE RED WINE.

Narrator: ROSS SUBMITS THE SAMPLES

TO SCIENTISTS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS.

THE MYSTERY OF THE BLOOD-RED

SNOW MAKES NATIONAL HEADLINES.

EVEN THE NEWSPAPERS PICKED UP THE STORY

OF THIS STRANGE BLOOD-COLORED SNOW

AND THE ANALYSES THAT WERE TRYING TO BE DONE TO EXPLAIN IT.

Narrator: SOME SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THAT THE RED PIGMENT

COULD BE FROM IRON-RICH METEORITES

BURIED IN THE ARCTIC SNOW.

WHEN YOU PUT THE METEORITES DOWN IN AN ENVIRONMENT

LIKE THE POLAR ENVIRONMENT OF THE EARTH,

WHERE THERE'S SNOW AND WATER MELTING OUT OF THAT SNOW,

AND IT'S GOING TO RUST THAT IRON, RIGHT,

AND CREATE THESE REDDISH MINERAL DEPOSITS.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY OF SEVERAL METEORITES IN THE AREA

DURING THE 19TH CENTURY SEEMS TO BACK UP THIS IDEA,

BUT WHEN INVESTIGATORS CROSS-REFERENCE

THEIR LOCATIONS

WITH WHERE THEY FOUND THE RED SNOW,

THE THEORY DOESN'T STACK UP.

THE METEORITE IDEA MIGHT BE GOOD

FOR ONE PARTICULAR PLACE,

BUT THESE REDDISH DEPOSITS OF SNOW,

THEY'RE FOUND IN MULTIPLE PLACES

AND IN PLACE WHERE THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF METEORITES AT ALL.

SO WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER HYPOTHESIS.

Narrator: ANOTHER POSSIBLE CLUE TO THE MYSTERY COMES FROM A BOOK

THAT ROSS PUBLISHES ABOUT HIS EXPEDITION IN THE ARCTIC.

IN THE APPENDIX, A BOTANIST SUGGESTS THE SINISTER SNOW

COULD BE CREATED BY LIVING CREATURES.

Guarino: THE BOTANIST'S NAME WAS ROBERT BROWN,

AND HE PROPOSED THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF BIOLOGICAL CAUSE

THAT COULD TURN THE SNOW RED.

Narrator: DECADES LATER, EVIDENCE EMERGES TO SUPPORT BROWN'S THEORY.

SCIENTISTS REEXAMINE ROSS' SAMPLES

AND DISCOVER TRACES OF TINY LIFE-FORMS.

Lee: SURE ENOUGH, WHEN EXAMINING SOME SAMPLES WITH A MICROSCOPE,

SCIENTISTS WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT, INDEED,

WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT WAS CAUSING THIS RED COLOR,

WAS REDDISH-COLORED MICROBIAL ALGAE.

Narrator: THE LIFE-FORMS ARE CALLED CHLAMYDOMONAS NIVALIS.

TESTS INDICATE THAT SUNLIGHT TRANSFORMS THEIR COLOR

FROM GREEN TO RED.

THE ALGAE HAVE A RED PIGMENT CALLED A CAROTENOID,

AND IT TAKES IN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT

AND STARTS TO TURN A RED COLOR.

IT'S A BIG DISCOVERY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY

BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME,

WE'RE SEEING A LIFE-FORM

THAT IS LITERALLY LIVING OFF OF ICE.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY THAT CAPTAIN ROSS' RED ARCTIC SNOW

WAS CREATED BY LIVING CREATURES STUNS

THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD,

AND FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALS THESE LIFE-FORMS

COULD BE THE DOOM OF MANKIND.

THE REASON THAT TINY, LITTLE ALGAE COULD POSE

SUCH A HAZARD TO THE EARTH

IS THEY MAKE THE SNOW DARKER,

AND THE DARKER THE SNOW,

THE MORE SUNLIGHT IT ABSORBS,

AND THE HOTTER IT GETS, AND THE MORE IT MELTS.

YOU CAN THINK OF IT SORT OF LIKE PUTTING ON

A DARKER TEE SHIRT VERSUS A LIGHTER ONE.

YOU FEEL A LOT WARMER,

AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SNOW.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS FEAR THIS PROCESS

WILL LEAD TO A DEADLY CHAIN REACTION --

THE MORE MELTWATER THE LIFE-FORMS CREATE,

THE MORE THEY WILL THRIVE,

AND THE MORE THEY THRIVE,

THE FASTER SEA LEVELS WILL RISE.

THERE'S AN INTERESTING TALE HERE OF DAVID AGAINST GOLIATH.

A TINY, LITTLE ALGAE,

JUST MERELY MICRONS IN SIZE,

ULTIMATELY COULD CAUSE AN ENTIRE

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ON THE PLANET.

Narrator: RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THE RED ALGAE

HAVE SPREAD TO AROUND HALF OF THE ARCTIC'S GLACIERS.

TO DATE, SCIENTISTS HAVE NOT DISCOVERED

ANY WAY TO STOP THEM.

SO THIS ALGAL BLOOM IS WORSENING WITH TIME,

AND IN FACT, FROM NASA ORBITAL DATA,

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S EXPANDING.

SO IN AN IRONIC TWIST, WHEN THE FIRST PEOPLE

WHO SAW THIS AND THOUGHT OF THE APOCALYPSE,

MAYBE THEY WERE RIGHT.

Narrator: COMING UP... AN AMATEUR ASTRONOMER SPOTS

SOMETHING STRANGE ON A LIVE NASA FEED.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING WITH AN ENGINE.

IT HAD, LIKE, THESE BLUE EXHAUSTERS.

WE STILL DON'T HAVE CERTAIN EXPLANATION

FOR WHAT THIS WAS.

Narrator: AN AMATEUR ASTRONOMER MONITORING

A LIVE VIDEO FEED FROM THE ISS

SEES SOMETHING THAT DEFIES EXPLANATION.

I JUST SAY THIS OBJECT APPEAR FROM NOWHERE.

SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE STALKING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

Narrator: BUT AS HE ATTEMPTS TO ID THE MYSTERY OBJECT,

THE VIDEO LINK CUTS OUT.

WHEN THE LIVE FEED CUTS OUT

RIGHT AFTER SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS HAPPENS,

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO START ASKING QUESTIONS.

Narrator: APRIL 5, 2016,

KIDDERMINSTER, ENGLAND,

SPACE ENTHUSIAST JADON BEESON

IS WATCHING A LIVE VIDEO FEED

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT,

HE NOTICES A STRANGE OBJECT APPEAR

BETWEEN THE ISS

AND THE DISTANT GLOW OF THE EARTH'S HORIZON.

I JUST SAW THIS OBJECT APPEAR FROM NOWHERE, AND IT LOOKED

LIKE IT WAS TRACKING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

I MEAN, I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING.

Narrator: WHATEVER THE MYSTERY OBJECT IS,

IT APPEARS TO BE OPERATING UNDER ITS OWN POWER.

Beeson: ALL OF A SUDDEN, THIS BLUE GLARE CAME FROM THE BACK OF IT,

AND IT JUST SORT OF, LIKE, SLOWLY

WENT THE OPPOSITE WAY TO ME.

Narrator: STUNNED BY WHAT HE'S WITNESSING,

BEESON TAKES A SCREENGRAB OF THE VIDEO

FOR A CLOSER ANALYSIS.

SOME PEOPLE SAID, "IT COULD BE A FLARE ON THE WINDOW,"

BUT THIS THING LOOKED METAL.

IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE ANY LIGHT REFLECTING OFF THE SUN.

Narrator: THE OBJECT SEEMS TO STALK THE ISS

FOR OVER 3 MINUTES.

THEN THE LIVE FEED DIES.

Pope: WHEN THE LIVE FEED CUTS OUT

RIGHT AFTER SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS HAPPENED,

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO START ASKING QUESTIONS.

Narrator: WHEN BEESON PUBLISHES THE IMAGE OF THE MYSTERIOUS ENTITY ONLINE,

IT GOES VIRAL.

Scott: THAT IMAGE IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING.

IT'S CIRCULAR, ALMOST LIKE A DOUGHNUT.

SO THIS OBJECT HAS A REAL SLEEK APPEARANCE.

IT LOOKS RATHER OMINOUS.

ONLINE COMMENTATORS ASK

IF THIS IS SOME KIND OF AN ALIEN CRAFT,

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO,

YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHY.

Narrator: THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME

ISS CAMERAS HAVE CAPTURED UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA

IN THE EARTH'S ORBIT.

THERE WAS A LONG HISTORY

OF SIGHTINGS OF STRANGE OBJECTS

CIRCLING THE SPACE STATION.

SO THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE, OURSELVES,

BEING SURVEILLED BY OBJECTS FROM OUTER SPACE?

Narrator: INCREDIBLY, JUST 2 WEEKS LATER,

THE ISS VIDEO FEED IS INTERRUPTED

BY ANOTHER UNEXPLAINED ENTITY.

IT'S THIS OBJECT HERE,

SORT OF LOOKS LIKE A DIAMOND OR A JELLYFISH IN SPACE,

BUT JUST AS WE'RE GETTING TO LOOK AT IT,

SOMETHING HAPPENS.

WE LOSE THE FEED.

Narrator: COULD THERE BE A SINGLE RATIONAL EXPLANATION

FOR BOTH SIGHTINGS?

SOME PEOPLE SAID, "IT COULD ACTUALLY BE A CARGO SHIP

THAT DELIVERED FOOD UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,

JUST ACTUALLY GOING BACK TO THE EARTH."

Narrator: UNMANNED SPACECRAFT REGULARLY VISIT

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,

CARRYING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT TO THE ONBOARD CREW,

BUT WHEN INVESTIGATORS CROSS-REFERENCE

THE DATES OF KNOWN RESUPPLY MISSIONS,

THE THEORY FALLS DOWN.

THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NO CORRELATION

BETWEEN WHEN A SPACECRAFT DOCKS

AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

AND WHEN THE STRANGE OBJECT APPEARS.

Narrator: SOME ANALYSTS SUGGEST THAT IF THE OBJECT

ISN'T A SUPPLY SHIP TRAVELING TO THE ISS,

THEN PERHAPS IT IS ATTACHED TO THE SPACE STATION ITSELF.

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

HAS ALL SORTS OF ANTENNAE,

ARMS, STRUTS, SOLAR PANELS.

WHEN THE SUN HITS THESE THINGS IN THE RIGHT ANGLE,

THEY CAN LOOK REALLY WEIRD.

THEY CAN LOOK AS IF THEY ARE A SEPARATE OBJECT

NOT ATTACHED TO THE ISS.

Narrator: BEESON'S OWN OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THE MYSTERY OBJECT

IS UNLIKELY TO BE A PIECE OF THE SPACE STATION.

Beeson: WHATEVER IT WAS, IT HAD POWER.

IT WAS GOING FAST, AND THEN IT JUST DISAPPEARED.

IT WAS DEFINITELY AN OBJECT IN SPACE.

Narrator: IMAGE ANALYST MARK D'ANTONIO SUGGESTS

THAT THE OBJECT COULD BE A SPACECRAFT,

JUST NOT ONE UNDER EXTRATERRESTRIAL CONTROL.

IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

FROM "STAR WARS."

HOWEVER, IT COULD BE THE CHINESE SPACE STATION,

THE TIANGONG-1,

AND IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE,

THAT'S A REMARKABLE SIGHTING.

Narrator: TIANGONG-1 WAS THE CHINESE

SPACE AGENCY'S PROTOTYPE SPACE STATION.

IN MARCH 2016,

IT WAS PUT INTO SLEEP MODE

AND LEFT TO DECAY IN ORBIT.

...PREHEAT MODE IS COMPLETE.

STANDING BY FOR THE ACS UPDATE. DOGGIO, GO.

Narrator: BUT ASTRONAUT WINSTON SCOTT DOUBTS IT COULD ACCOUNT

FOR THE OBJECT IN THE VIDEO FEED.

YOU TYPICALLY DON'T SEE ANY OTHER ORBITING VEHICLES

EXCEPT THE ONES THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SEE,

AN APPROACHING SOYUZ

OR AN APPROACHING SPACE SHUTTLE OR WHATEVER.

BUT, NO, YOU WON'T SEE THE CHINESE SPACE STATION.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU'RE WAY TOO CLOSE.

Narrator: THE MYSTERY OBJECT DOES NOT APPEAR AGAIN.

THE STRANGE SIGHTING REMAINS UNEXPLAINED.

Pope: THE JURY'S STILL OUT.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE STILL DON'T HAVE

A 100-PERCENT CERTAIN EXPLANATION

OF WHAT THIS WAS.

Narrator: COMING UP, AN APOLLO PROBE DISCOVERS

WEIRD MAGNETIC PATTERNS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.

Aguilar: THEY CREATE A SHIELD,

JUST LIKE THE SHIELDS ON THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Narrator: A NASA PROBE DISCOVERS STRANGE WHITE SWIRLS

ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

IT'S AS IF SOMEBODY HAS JUST LAID DOWN A PIECE OF ART.

THEY LOOK KIND OF LIKE TATTOOS.

Narrator: READINGS FROM A SECOND PROBE

SHOW POWERFUL MAGNETIC FIELDS

COVERING THE BIZARRE MARKINGS.

Aguilar: THEY CREATE A SHIELD,

JUST LIKE THE SHIELDS ON THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

Narrator: NOVEMBER 1966, NASA'S LUNAR ORBITER 2

SCOUTS THE MOON'S SURFACE FOR POTENTIAL LANDING SITES

FOR THE UPCOMING APOLLO MISSIONS.

AS THE ORBITER SCANS A VOLCANIC PLANE

CALLED THE OCEAN OF STORMS,

GROUND CONTROLLERS SPOT

SOMETHING STRANGE IN THE LUNAR DIRT.

IT APPEARS TO BE THIS LIGHT-COLORED MATERIAL,

AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THEY ALMOST LOOK LIKE TATTOOS.

Narrator: THE GHOSTLY WHITE SWIRLS BAFFLE LUNAR GEOLOGISTS.

THEY'RE JUST SITTING OUT THERE WITH NO REASON TO BE THERE.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

Man: THESE MARKINGS ARE WEIRD.

WE DON'T SEE THEM ON ANY OF THE OTHER MOONS

IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

THREE, TWO, ONE, LAUNCH.

A VERY PRETTY SATTELITE OUT THERE.

Narrator: IN 1971, THE MYSTERY OF THE LUNAR TATTOOS DEEPENS.

THE CREW OF APOLLO 15 DEPLOYS

A REMOTE MICROSATELLITE BEFORE RETURNING TO EARTH.

OKAY. I COPY THAT.

Narrator: AS THE SATELLITE PASSES OVER THE WHITE PATTERNS,

IT DETECTS STRANGE MAGNETIC FIELDS SURROUNDING THEM.

Aguilar: THERE ARE AREAS OF THE MOON

WHERE THERE ARE MAGNETIC FIELDS,

AND THEY ARE LOCATED WHERE WE FIND THE LUNAR TATTOOS.

Narrator: THE ORIGIN OF THE MAGNETIC FIELDS IS A MYSTERY,

A BIZARRE RELIC OF THE MOON'S DISTANT GEOLOGICAL PAST,

AND IT SEEMS THESE FIELDS

ARE SOMEHOW CREATING THE LUNAR SWIRLS.

Bamford: THERE ARE NO LUNAR SWIRLS THAT DON'T HAVE MAGNETIC FIELD.

SO THEREFORE, THE MAGNETIC FIELD

HAS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO

WITH WHY THEY'RE WHITE

AND WHY THEY'RE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Narrator: HOW THE FIELDS CREATE

THE GHOSTLY WHITE SWIRLS REMAINS UNKNOWN

FOR OVER FOUR DECADES.

THEN IN 2012, BRITISH SCIENTISTS

STUDYING SATELLITE DATA

DISCOVER THAT RADIOACTIVE PARTICLES BOMBARDING THE MOON

ARE SUPERCHARGING THE MAGNETIC FIELDS.

WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE INCOMING RADIATION

FROM THE SUN ACTUALLY TURBOCHARGES

THE EXISTING MAGNETIC FIELDS ON THE MOON,

SO THE RADIATION ITSELF CREATES CONDITIONS

THAT CAUSES THE MAGNETIC FIELDS TO STRENGTHEN.

Narrator: THIS SUPERCHARGING TRANSFORMS

THE WEAK MAGNETIC FIELD

INTO A KIND OF DEFLECTOR SHIELD,

PROTECTING THE LUNAR SWIRLS FROM COSMIC RADIATION.

THEY CREATE A SHIELD,

JUST LIKE THE SHIELDS ON THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE,

AND SO THESE ELECTRONS FROM THE SUN,

BLASTING IN ON THE MOON, ARE BEING BOUNCED OFF.

Narrator: THE DEFLECTOR SHIELDS EXPLAIN

HOW THE LUNAR SWIRLS ARE FORMED.

THE LUNAR DIRT IS NATURALLY WHITE,

BUT MILLIONS OF YEARS OF SOLAR RADIATION DARKEN IT.

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

SIMPLY PRESERVE THE ORIGINAL BRIGHTNESS.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE JUST WRITING SOMETHING

ON YOURSELF WITH SUNSCREEN

AND THEN TANNING ALL DAY.

IT'S GOING TO LEAVE A MARK.

Narrator: THE DISCOVERY OF THE MOON'S DEFLECTOR SHIELDS

HAS PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS

FOR THE FUTURE OF DEEP-SPACE TRAVEL.

THE MINI MAGNETOSPHERES

OF THE MOON HAVE GIVEN US AN IDEA

THAT WE CAN MAKE A DEFLECTOR SHIELD OF OUR OWN.

Narrator: IN SPACE, RADIOACTIVE PARTICLES

CONSTANTLY TEAR THROUGH ASTRONAUTS' BODIES,

DAMAGING THEIR DNA.

THIS CAN LEAD TO CANCERS, MUTATIONS AND DEATH.

THEY'RE ENERGETIC ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN PENETRATE

THE HULL OF THE SPACECRAFT.

THEY CAN PENETRATE THE BODY.

THEY CAN DAMAGE CELLS.

THEY'RE NASTY THINGS.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS HOPE THAT BY REPLICATING

THE DEFLECTOR SHIELDS FOUND ON THE MOON,

THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT SPACECRAFT

FROM THIS DEADLY RADIOACTIVE ASSAULT.

IN THE LONG-TERM, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE

TO HAVE MAGNETIC SHIELDING,

A LA "STAR TREK."

Narrator: INCREDIBLY, THE FIRST STEPS

TOWARD BUILDING OUR VERY OWN STARSHIP

ENTERPRISE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.

ONE WAY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE AN ARTIFICIAL

MAGNETOSPHERE

IS USING A PARTICULAR TYPE OF MAGNETS,

CALLED SUPERCONDUCTORS. THERE IS, IN FACT,

A SUPERCONDUCTOR ALREADY ON THE SPACE STATION.

SO WE KNOW WE CAN BUILD ONE,

AND WE KNOW WE CAN GET ONE UP INTO SPACE.

Narrator: THE FINAL FRONTIER IS WITHIN OUR REACH,

THANKS TO SOME UNLIKELY INSPIRATION

FROM GHOSTLY PATTERNS

ON OUR CLOSEST COSMIC NEIGHBOR.