Original subtitles

Narrator: NASA AND THE PERFECT ASTRONAUT.

PLAYING GOD TO THIS EXTENT

COULD CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW STRAIN OF HUMANS.

Narrator: A MESSAGE FROM DEEP SPACE.

THE SIGNALS STAND OUT AS DISTINCTLY ARTIFICIAL.

IT REPEATS OVER AND OVER.

Narrator: AND AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE,

THE MYSTERIOUS ALIEN CRAFT,

AND RUSSIAN SOLDIERS TURNED TO STONE.

[ CRACKING ]

WHY WOULD THE CIA BE INVOLVED IF THERE WASN'T SOMETHING THERE?

[ MEN GROANING ]

♪♪

Narrator: THESE ARE NASA'S UNEXPLAINED FILES.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A HUMAN ON EARTH IS 80 YEARS.

THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A HUMAN IN SPACE IS 15 SECONDS.

WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR SPACE SUIT,

YOUR SKIN, MOUTH, AND EYES LITERALLY BOIL

AND YOUR LUNGS EXPLODE.

THE HUMAN BODY ISN'T BUILT FOR SPACE,

BUT WHAT IF WE COULD CHANGE IT?

WHAT IF WE COULD CREATE THE PERFECT ASTRONAUT?

Narrator: NASA, FROM ITS INCEPTION,

HASN'T JUST LOOKED TO IMPROVE ITS SPACESHIPS.

IT'S LOOKED AT IMPROVING ITS SPACE MEN AND WOMEN.

THE EFFECT OF ZERO GRAVITY AND COSMIC RADIATION PARTICLES

BATTER HUMAN BODIES,

EVEN WHEN THEY'RE IN THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF THE CRAFT.

DR. TOBY FREEDMAN WAS

NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR

WORKING ON THE AMERICAN MANNED SPACE FLIGHT PROGRAM.

HE PROPOSED A GENETICALLY MODIFIED ASTRONAUT,

WHICH HE CALLED AN OPTIMAN,

ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE HAMMER BLOWS OF SPACE.

YOU WOULD FIND PEOPLE WHO HAD THE BEST EYESIGHT,

WHO HAD THE MOST STRENGTH,

WHO COULD LIVE AND BREATHE AND FUNCTION WELL AT HIGH ALTITUDES,

THEN YOU WOULD TAKE THESE PEOPLE AND SELECTIVELY BREED

UNTIL YOU CAME OUT WITH THE OPTIMAN

THAT HAD ALL THESE WONDERFUL ABILITIES.

Narrator: FREEDMAN WANTED AN ASTRONAUT BREEDING PROGRAM,

LIKE A HORSE TRAINER TRYING TO CREATE A DERBY WINNER.

SINCE THE MERCURY PROGRAM,

NASA HAS BEEN SELECTING ASTRONAUTS

ACCORDING TO DESIRED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS,

BUT EVEN SUPER-FIT ASTRONAUTS STRUGGLE

TO WITHSTAND THE PUNISHMENT OF SPACE TRAVEL.

AFTER 340 DAYS ON THE ISS,

THE BODY OF TOP GUN NAVY PILOT SCOTT KELLY SHOWED THE STRAIN.

YOU HAVE A MILD FORM OF OSTEOPOROSIS

AFTER BEING IN OUTER SPACE.

Taylor: YOUR MUSCLES ATROPHY, YOUR BONE DENSITY DECREASES,

YOU GET VARIOUS SICKNESSES THAT YOU'RE NOT USED TO HAVING.

YOU CAN EVEN GO BLIND.

Narrator: SO FAR,

NASA'S MOST ROBUST SPACE TRAVELERS ARE ROBOTS.

BUT WE ARE STILL VERY FAR FROM WORKING OUT

HOW TO BUILD A ROBOT

WITH ANYTHING LIKE THE EXTRAORDINARY ORIGINALITY,

INTUITION, SUBTLE INTELLIGENCE,

IMAGINATION, AND ADAPTABILITY OF A HUMAN.

ONE PAIR OF SCIENTISTS --

MANFRED CLYNES AND NATHAN KLINE --

BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE SOLUTION --

A MERGER OF MAN AND MACHINE.

Taylor: THE SCIENTISTS CLYNES AND KLINE WROTE A PAPER

ABOUT AUGMENTING THE HUMAN BODY WITH CYBERNETICS,

AND THEY CALLED THIS PERSON A CYBORG.

Narrator: A MAN TURNED INTO A CYBORG

WOULDN'T JUST BE ABLE TO SURVIVE

A LONG JOURNEY ON A SPACESHIP,

HE'D BE ABLE TO EXPLORE UNAIDED ON ALIEN PLANETS

AND EVEN SURVIVE IN SPACE.

THEY PROPOSED SEALING THE MOUTH AND NOSE SHUT OF THE ASTRONAUT,

COLLAPSING THEIR LUNGS TO PREVENT DECOMPRESSION,

AND THEN FEEDING THE BODY WITH OXYGEN AND NUTRIENTS

USING SYNTHETIC ORGANS.

THE IDEA WAS TO WALK AROUND IN SPACE

WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE A SPACESUIT.

Narrator: HALF MAN, HALF ROBOT,

THE CYBORG ASTRONAUT WOULD OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS

EVEN THE FITTEST HUMAN COULD NOT SURVIVE IN SPACE.

Brensberger: IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING THOUGHT TO THINK ABOUT --

A TYPE OF HUMAN AND MECHANICAL BEING ALL AT ONCE,

REPLACING EYES WITH MECHANICAL EYES,

REPLACING BONES WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF MATERIAL

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BONE-DENSITY LOSS.

Clark: THE IDEA IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE,

BUT IT'S ALREADY IN WORKS.

WE SEE THIS WITH ROBOTIC IMPLANTS OF PROSTHETIC LIMBS.

IT'S PHENOMENAL, THE DEGREE OF ADVANCES THAT ARE BEING MADE,

AND NASA IS LEADING IN THIS.

Narrator: BUT THERE ARE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

USING, MAINTAINING, AND REPLACING MACHINE PARTS

WHEN YOU ARE THOUSANDS OR MILLIONS OF MILES

FROM FACTORIES OR WORKSHOPS.

IF THE MACHINE PART OF YOU STOPS WORKING,

YOU COULD BE LEFT ALIVE, BUT BROKEN DOWN, UNABLE TO MOVE

AND CONDEMNED TO A SLOW AND EXCRUCIATING DEATH.

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT, BUT NOT LIKE THAT.

THIS SELL...

Narrator: AS WELL AS COMBINING MAN AND MACHINE,

LEADING BIOCHEMIST CRAIG VENTER RAISES THE POSSIBILITY

OF BLENDING HUMANS WITH OTHER CREATURES.

COULD NASA EMBRACE GENETIC ENGINEERING,

CREATING A NEW BREED OF SPACE HUMANS?

VENTER CAME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD ALTER OUR DNA

TO GIVE US THE TRAITS THAT WE DON'T NATURALLY HAVE,

SUCH THAT WE BECOME RESILIENT AS SPACE TRAVELERS.

Narrator: VENTER IS LEADING A FIELD

WHERE SCIENTISTS SPLICE DNA,

PRODUCING INCREDIBLE RESULTS.

THEY'VE CREATED GLOW-IN-THE-DARK CATS,

NEON FISH,

AND GOATS THAT PRODUCE SPIDER SILK.

VENTER WANTS NASA TO ENGINEER ASTRONAUTS

WITH GENES FROM OTHER ORGANISMS,

CREATING HUMAN HYBRIDS.

WE CAN ENHANCE OURSELVES TO LIVE AND THRIVE IN OUTER SPACE

SO THAT CELL-REPAIR MECHANISMS ARE ACCELERATED.

THE MODIFIED ASTRONAUT COULD HAVE GENES

TO PROMOTE BONE GENESIS,

PROTECT THEM NATURALLY AGAINST RADIATION.

Tomlinson: WE CAN ALSO CHANGE THE VERY FORM OF OUR BODY.

IN OUTER SPACE, LEGS AND FEET HAVE VERY LITTLE USE.

WHAT IF YOU COULD REPLACE YOUR TOES WITH FINGERS?

NOW YOU'VE GOT TWO MORE HANDS TO BE ABLE TO GRIP TOOLS WITH.

Teitel: PLAYING GOD TO THIS EXTENT

COULD CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW STRAIN OF HUMANS,

AND THAT'S CREEPY.

Narrator: TAMPERING WITH THE HUMAN GENOME

IS CURRENTLY BANNED IN THE UNITED STATES,

BUT CHINA IS LESS SQUEAMISH.

IN 2018, A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS ANNOUNCED

THEY HAD SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED A DESIGNER BABY.

NOW, IF YOU JUST CREATE SOMETHING FROM AN EMBRYO

AND YOU'RE WORKING ON A SUPERHUMAN RACE THAT WAY,

THEN YOU'RE GETTING INTO THE SUPERVILLAIN TERRITORY.

Narrator: CHINA IS NOW LEADING A CHARGE INTO SPACE,

AND MORALITY ITSELF MAY PREVENT AMERICA FROM COMPETING IN A RACE

TO CREATE SPACE-TRAVELLING SUPERHUMANS.

CHINA PRESENTS THE GREATEST THREAT

AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.

I BELIEVE NASA'S FALLING BEHIND.

I BELIEVE THAT'S GIVEN CHINA THE OPPORTUNITY

TO JUMP WAY IN FRONT OF US, REALLY.

Tomlinson: IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GET TO THE POINT

THAT WE ALMOST MIGHT CREATE A SEPARATE SPECIES OF HUMANITY.

Narrator: JANUARY 2017.

CIA HEADQUARTERS, LANGLEY, VIRGINIA.

A FILE IS DECLASSIFIED, DETAILING

A CHILLING 250-PAGE KGB REPORT OBTAINED BY U.S. INTELLIGENCE.

THE FILE DESCRIBES A BATTLE DEEP IN THE WASTELANDS OF SIBERIA.

BUT IF THE RUSSIAN STORY IS TO BE BELIEVED,

THIS WAS NO ORDINARY CLASH OF ARMS.

Proctor: IT SAYS THERE WERE SOLDIERS ON MANEUVERS IN SIBERIA

AND THEY ENCOUNTERED AN UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT,

A UFO.

AS THE STORY GOES, THE SOLDIERS SHOOT IT DOWN

WITH SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE AND IT CRASHES.

AND THEN OUT OF THAT WRECKAGE CAME SOME ALIENS.

THEY MERGE AND FORM A GLOWING BALL.

Moran: THEN IT GROWS BIGGER

AND EXPLODES WITH A FANTASTIC FLASH.

[ EXPLOSION ]

IN THAT INSTANT, 23 SOLDIERS ARE TURNED TO STONE POLES.

THEY PETRIFIED THEM.

IT SEEMS CRAZY, BUT WHY WOULD THE CIA BE INVOLVED

IF THERE WASN'T SOMETHING THERE?

Narrator: COMING UP,

SOME BEING OR WEAPON WITH THE POWER OF MEDUSA.

Granade: CERTAINLY SOMETHING

THAT COULD TRANSMUTE LIVING FLESH

INTO STONE THAT QUICKLY IS BEYOND OUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrator: AND ALIENS VERSUS DOLPHINS?

THEY BELIEVED THAT DOLPHINS COULD ONE DAY

TAKE A SEAT IN THE U.N.

AND REPRESENT THEIR ENTIRE SPECIES TO THE WORLD.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS TRY TO MAKE SENSE

OF A RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED REPORT

OF THE DEATHS OF 23 RUSSIAN TROOPS,

INSTANTLY TRANSFORMED INTO PILLARS OF ROCK

DURING A BATTLE WITH WHAT WAS CLAIMED TO BE ALIEN CREATURES

WIELDING A DEADLY WEAPON.

Proctor: SUPPOSEDLY, THIS ENERGY SOURCE

TOOK THE BIOLOGY OF THE PERSON

AND TURNED THEM INTO STONE.

Gerovitch: THE WHOLE THING WAS SUPPOSEDLY WITNESSED

BY A COUPLE SOLDIERS WHO WERE HIDING BEHIND TREES

AND BOULDERS, UNAFFECTED BY THE DEATH RAY.

Granade: CERTAINLY, SOMETHING

THAT COULD TRANSMUTE LIVING FLESH

INTO STONE THAT QUICKLY IS BEYOND OUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrator: ACCORDING TO THE TOP-SECRET REPORT,

THE PETRIFIED SOLDIERS,

AS WELL AS THE WRECKAGE OF THE CRAFT THAT THEY SHOT DOWN,

WERE TAKEN TO A SECRET LABORATORY OUTSIDE MOSCOW.

RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS DETERMINED THEY HAD BEEN TURNED

INTO A SUBSTANCE LIKE LIMESTONE.

IF TRUE, COULD THE KREMLIN

NOW POSSESS OTHERWORLDLY WEAPON TECHNOLOGY?

THE RUSSIANS WOULD HAVE LAID CLAIM TO THAT WRECKAGE

AND WOULD HAVE

REVERSE-ENGINEERED THE WEAPONS SYSTEM.

Narrator: BUT SOME ANALYSTS SAY

THERE MAY BE ANOTHER EXPLANATION.

IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THE RUSSIANS

HAVE DISCOVERED SOME KIND OF ALIEN TECHNOLOGY OR MATERIALS.

Proctor: YOU DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A COVER STORY

FOR SOME KIND OF WEAPON

THAT THE KGB MIGHT HAVE BEEN TESTING ON THEIR OWN SOLDIERS.

Paris: THE KBG DOES HAVE A HISTORY OF EITHER

COVERING UP CERTAIN EVENTS OR PERHAPS MISDIRECTION,

PERHAPS MAYBE EXAGGERATE AND CHANGE

THE FACTS OF THE STORY TO KEEP THE REAL EVENTS

FROM ACTUALLY BEING LEARNED OUTSIDE.

Narrator: WHATEVER THE KGB IS UP TO,

THE CIA CANNOT IGNORE REPORTS

OF SUCH A STRANGE AND TERRIFYING WEAPON.

WHAT KIND OF WEAPON ARE THEY DEVELOPING,

AND WHAT IS IT INTENDED TO DO?

Granade: THE MOST TERRIFYING THING

ABOUT A PETRIFICATION WEAPON

IS WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'D BE DOING IT.

IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION,

"CAN YOU TURN A LIVING BEING INSTANTLY INTO STONE?"

I THINK IT HELPS TO GO BACK AND LOOK

AT HOW THE PETRIFICATION THAT WE KNOW ABOUT FUNCTIONS.

Narrator: FOSSILIZATION IS THE MOST WIDELY KNOWN PROCESS

THAT TURNS ORGANIC MATTER INTO STONE,

BUT IT'S SEEMINGLY HARD TO WEAPONIZE,

AS THE TRANSFORMATION IS INCREDIBLY SLOW.

THE NATURAL PROCESS THAT WE SEE OCCURS OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS.

THIS IS NOT A FAST PROCESS AT ALL.

BUT THE REPORT INVOLVES THE TRANSMUTATION HAPPENING

ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY.

ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, THOUGH,

TO SPEED UP THE PETRIFICATION PROCESS

AND MAKE IT HAPPEN ON A MORE HUMAN TIMESCALE

INSTEAD OF MILLIONS OF YEARS?

Narrator: SCIENTISTS IN WASHINGTON STATE

HAVE MADE A BREAKTHROUGH

IN THE BIZARRE SCIENCE OF PETRIFICATION

THAT COULD HOLD THE ANSWER.

THE SCIENTISTS TOOK A CUBE OF WOOD,

SOAKED IT IN ACID FOR TWO DAYS,

AND THEN THEY PUT IT INTO A SILICA SOLUTION

FOR ANOTHER TWO DAYS,

AND THEN BAKED IT AT 1,400 DEGREES CELSIUS,

AND VOILà.

Narrator: RATHER THAN BURNING,

THE WOOD REACTS WITH THE ACID AND SILICON,

TRANSFORMING INTO THE EXTREMELY HARD CERAMIC SILICON CARBIDE.

THE ENTIRE PROCESS TAKES JUST FIVE DAYS,

A MASSIVE RAMPING UP OF THE FOSSILIZATION PROCESS.

IT'S STILL NOT FAST ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN WHAT WENT ON

WITH THE REPORTED SOLDIERS BEING TURNED TO STONE.

CAN THAT PROCESS BE SPED UP

SO THEY COULD HAPPEN IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS OR INSTANTANEOUSLY?

Narrator: BUT THE CERAMIC SILICON CARBIDE

LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THE LIMESTONE-LIKE SUBSTANCE

DESCRIBED IN THE REPORT.

A SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY MADE IN JAPAN IN 2019 SUGGESTS

IT COULD BE SOME EXOTIC BIOLOGICAL WEAPON.

A NEW VIRUS WAS FOUND LIVING IN A HOT SPRING...

...ACANTHAMOEBA CASTELLANII,

BUT IT'S BEEN NICKNAMED "THE MEDUSA VIRUS"

BECAUSE OF ITS SIMILARITIES

TO THE FAMOUS GREEK MYTHOLOGICAL MONSTER

WITH SNAKES FOR HAIR AND A DEADLY GAZE.

ANYBODY WHO SAW HER FACE AND THE SNAKES WERE,

WELL, THEY TURNED TO STONE.

Narrator: JUST LIKE IN THE MYTH, WHEN THE MEDUSA VIRUS

COMES IN CONTACT WITH ITS VICTIMS,

IT LEAVES THEM ENCASED IN A STONE-LIKE SHELL.

WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND IS SORT OF A STONE IMAGE

OF THE LIVING CREATURE.

Narrator: THE MEDUSA VIRUS DISCOVERED IN JAPAN

SO FAR SEEMS ONLY TO AFFECT AMOEBA,

BUT IS IT POSSIBLE AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

COULD WEAPONIZE A VIRUS LIKE THIS

AND AMPLIFY IT TO PETRIFY HUMANS AS DESCRIBED

IN THE RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED REPORT?

Granade: REALLY REMINISCENT OF WHAT WE HEAR IN OLD MYTHS

AND LEGENDS, THE TECHNIQUES AREN'T SUFFICIENT TO TURN

LIVING HUMAN BEINGS INTO STONE INSTANTANEOUSLY LIKE THAT.

IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED,

IT IS USING A PROCESS THAT WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

Narrator: COMING UP...

THE MEDUSA MYSTERY DEEPENS.

Proctor: SOMETHING WENT OFF THAT WAS SO INTENSE IN HEAT,

IT VAPORIZED ALL THE WATER IN THOSE SOLDIERS,

TURNING THEM TO STONE.

Narrator: AND CATCH ME IF YOU CAN --

THE SPY AT THE VERY HEART OF AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM.

THIS BREACH RISKS US LOSING SPACE TO CHINA.

Narrator: ANALYSTS TRY TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH

ABOUT A RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED KGB REPORT OF ALIEN CREATURES

USING A MYSTERIOUS WEAPON

TO TURN RUSSIAN SOLDIERS INTO STONE.

Baker: IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE KBG, NOW THE FSB --

RUSSIAN INTEL SERVICE -- COULD HAVE ENGAGED

IN DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS OR PROPAGANDA?

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S 100%.

IT'S QUITE LIKELY THAT THEY'RE EXPERIMENTING

WITH NEW AND POTENTIALLY STRANGE TECHNOLOGIES

AND TRYING TO MAKE WEAPONS OUT OF THEM.

Narrator: THE BRIGHT FLASH DETAILED IN THE REPORT

APPEARS TO MATCH THE EXPLOSIVE SIGNATURE

OF THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPONS,

WEAPONS THE RUSSIANS TEST IN REMOTE LOCATIONS LIKE SIBERIA.

Proctor: MAYBE THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WENT OFF

THAT WAS SO INTENSE IN HEAT,

IT VAPORIZED ALL THE WATER IN THOSE SOLDIERS,

TURNING THEM TO STONE.

A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION, IF YOU'RE CLOSE ENOUGH,

WILL FLASH-INCINERATE YOU.

Narrator: SOME SUGGEST THAT WAS REALLY HAPPENED IN SIBERIA

WAS A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT.

HISTORICAL RECORDS REVEAL IT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST.

Gerovitch: THERE WERE REPORTS OF SOLDIERS BEING KILLED

AS A RESULT OF NUCLEAR TESTS IN REMOTE REGIONS

WHERE THERE WERE NOBODY TO WITNESS THAT.

THOUSANDS OF TROOPS WERE EXPOSED TO RADIATION

DURING NUCLEAR TESTS.

Narrator: JAMES OBERG HAS INVESTIGATED

RUSSIAN MILITARY TECHNOLOGY COVERUPS FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

HE FINDS THE KREMLIN OFTEN USES ACCOUNTS OF ALIENS

AS COVER STORIES.

FROM MY OWN STUDIES,

MANY OF THE FAMOUS UFO STORIES FROM RUSSIA

IN THE '60s WERE DIRECTLY CAUSED BY TESTS OF RUSSIAN WEAPONS.

Narrator: MARCH 1967.

THOUSANDS OF SOVIET CITIZENS FROM UKRAINE

TO THE CAUCASUS REPORT

SEEING STRANGE, CRESCENT-SHAPED LIGHTS IN THE SKY.

SIMILAR SIGHTINGS CONTINUE THROUGH THE SPRING OF 1968

AND ARE REPORTED IN NEWSPAPERS

AND ON TELEVISION ACROSS THE SOVIET UNION.

BUT IN FACT, THIS WAS AN ILLEGAL

SPACE-TO-GROUND NUCLEAR WEAPON SYSTEM

BEING TESTED BY THE SOVIETS.

Oberg: THEIR WEAPONS WERE DESIGNED FOR A SURPRISE

FIRST-STRIKE ATTACK ON THE U.S.

SOME OF THEM OCCURRED AT TWILIGHT,

WITH THE SKY DARK BUT WITH THE ROCKET PLUME ILLUMINATED,

PEOPLE ON THE GROUND SAW ASTONISHING-LOOKING SHAPES

IN THE SKY THAT THEY REPORTED AS FLYING SAUCERS.

SOME OF THOSE FAMOUS ONES ARE STILL ONLINE,

ON THE INTERNET AS GENUINE UFOs CERTIFIED

BY THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

Narrator: BUT SOMETHING DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

IF THE KBG REPORT ABOUT ALIENS IN AN ALIEN CRAFT

WAS MEANT TO THROW PEOPLE OFF THE SCENT,

WHY WAS THE REPORT NOT MADE PUBLIC?

THE DESCRIPTION OF THESE ALIENS AND OF THE INCIDENT

IN WHICH RUSSIAN SOLDIERS WERE TURNED INTO STONE,

ALL OF THIS WAS IN A TOP-SECRET REPORT.

IT CANNOT BE DISMISSED AS A MERE COVER STORY.

THE RUSSIAN MEDIA NEVER REPORTED OPENLY.

ON THIS LEVEL,

THE GOVERNMENT DEFINITELY SUPPRESSED THIS REPORT.

Narrator: RUSSIA TODAY REMAINS AS SECRETIVE AS EVER.

THE TRUTH OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SIBERIAN WILDERNESS

MAY NEVER BE FULLY REVEALED.

THERE REMAINS THE POSSIBILITY THAT RUSSIA,

WHICH IS STILL A MILITARY SUPERPOWER,

POSSESSES A SECRET WEAPON THAT CAN TURN MAN INTO STONE,

WHETHER DEVELOPED BY ITS OWN SCIENTISTS

OR STUMBLED UPON FROM ELSEWHERE.

WE COULD BE LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF NEW WARFARE.

[ MEN GROANING, CRACKING ]

♪♪

Narrator: JANUARY 2019.

CHINA MAKES HISTORY.

FOR THE FIRST TIME,

A ROVER LANDS ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.

A TRIUMPH FOR CHINESE SPACE SCIENCE,

OR IS IT ACHIEVED WITH STOLEN AMERICAN SPACE SCIENCE?

CHINA, IT SEEMS, HAS SPIES EVERYWHERE.

Gutheinz: THEY HAVE AGENTS IN EVERY MAJOR CITY,

AROUND EVERY MILITARY BASE.

THEY HAVE AGENTS AROUND EVERY NASA FACILITY.

Narrator: IN JUST 16 YEARS,

SINCE ITS FIRST ASTRONAUT WENT INTO ORBIT,

CHINA HAS RACED AHEAD OF AMERICA AND RUSSIA,

WHO USED TO BE THE ONLY TWO PLAYERS IN THE GAME.

CHINA IS REALLY AGGRESSIVELY EXPANDING ITS FOOTHOLD IN SPACE.

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE GLOBAL AMBITIONS,

WHICH THE CHINESE DO, IS THE CONQUEST OF SPACE.

Moran: WE'D BEEN CAUGHT BLINDSIDED,

REALLY SORT OF CAUGHT WITH OUR PANTS DOWN.

WHEN YOU SEE AN ADVANCEMENT THIS RAPID,

YOU REALLY START TO LOOK AT HOW THEY DID IT,

AND YOU START TO GET CONCERNED.

Narrator: CHINA HASN'T MADE GIANT LEAPS INTO SPACE

BY PLAYING BY THE RULES.

IT'S BEEN STEALING FROM ITS RIVALS,

AND THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM IS A PRIME TARGET.

AND THEY EVEN SUSPECT

THERE'S A SPY INSIDE THE SPACE PROGRAM ITSELF.

THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO FIND THAT SECURITY HOLE AND PLUG IT.

Narrator: THE FBI STARTS TO LOOK FOR LEADS

AND POSSIBLE SUSPECTS.

Moran: THEY FIND THE NAME OF A CHINESE-BORN AMERICAN --

DONGFAN CHUNG -- WHO'S ASSUMED THE AMERICAN NAME "GREG."

Narrator: HE WORKS FOR ONE OF NASA'S BIGGEST CONTRACTORS.

HE WAS A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER FOR ROCKWELL

AND A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER FOR BOEING,

AND WHAT DO BOTH COMPANIES DO?

THEY BUILD AND MAINTAIN THE SHUTTLE FLEET.

Narrator: CHUNG HELPED DESIGN THE CREW CABIN

OF THE DOOMED SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA

AND TESTS THE FUSELAGES OF SPACECRAFT.

IMPORTANT WORK, BUT DOESN'T MAKE YOU A MILLIONAIRE.

YET CHUNG HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AT HIS DISPOSAL.

Orwoll: HE'S MAKING ABOUT $60,000 A YEAR,

YET HE HAS PURCHASED MULTIPLE BUSINESSES, LAND,

HE HAS BUILT A HOUSE ON THE LAND,

PAID FOR IT WITH CASH.

IT DOESN'T ADD UP FOR HOW MUCH HE'S MAKING.

Narrator: THE FBI BEGINS TO MONITOR CHUNG'S MOVEMENTS.

CHUNG LEAVES HIS HOUSE,

CARRYING WHAT WILL TURN OUT TO BE DIPLOMATIC POUCHES.

HE DRIVES 400 MILES TO SAN FRANCISCO

AND PAYS A VISIT TO THE CHINESE CONSULATE.

THAT IS NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER.

WHAT IS CHUNG CARRYING IN THOSE DIPLOMATIC POUCHES?

Narrator: IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT,

AGENTS LOOK THROUGH HIS TRASH CANS.

Moran: WHAT THEY DISCOVER,

SLIPPED IN BETWEEN PAGES OF CHINESE-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS,

ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

FROM ROCKWELL AND BOEING.

THE DOCUMENTS HAVE GOT SOME LETTERS LIKE "OV" AND "STS."

WELL, THAT STANDS FOR ORBITING VEHICLE

AND SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

IT'S SHUTTLE TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: THE SPY HUNTERS MAKE THEIR MOVE.

THEY CONFRONT CHUNG.

THE CHINESE ENGINEER FLATLY DENIES

THAT HE IS PASSING SPACE SECRETS TO THE CHINESE.

THE FBI KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE TO CRACK THIS GUY.

Narrator: THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE EVIDENCE --

A LETTER ADDRESSED TO CHUNG

FROM A TOP AVIATION OFFICIAL IN CHINA.

Moran: IT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

PLANS TO BUILD AN EARTH-ORBITING SPACE STATION,

AND THEY WANT CHUNG TO GATHER

ANY RELEVANT TECHNOLOGICAL INFORMATION.

Narrator: BUT THIS IS AMERICA.

ACCORDING TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW,

THE FEDS NEED IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE

THAT CHUNG HAS PASSED ON SECRETS,

AND THEY CAN'T RAID EMBASSIES OR START SEARCHING DIPLOMATIC BAGS.

Moran: WHILE THE LETTER ASKS CHUNG TO STEAL SECRETS,

THE FBI STILL NEEDS TO FIND PROOF

THAT HE'S ACTUALLY DONE IT.

Narrator: COMING UP,

HAVE THE FEDS FOUND A CLUE THAT NAILS THE MOLE?

Baker: HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP

TO SCREW OVER THIS COUNTRY

AND OUR ALLIES IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY.

Narrator: AND A MESSAGE FROM OUTER SPACE.

SCIENTISTS WARN US NOT TO OPEN IT.

WHATEVER'S MAKING THAT SIGNAL

HAS GOT TO BE VERY, VERY POWERFUL.

♪♪

Narrator: FBI AGENTS SEARCH THE HOME

OF SUSPECTED CHINESE SPY GREG CHUNG,

BUT THEY FIND NOTHING.

THE HOUSE HAS BEEN SCRUBBED CLEAN,

AND THERE ARE NO TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

RELATING TO SPACE SCIENCE.

THEY'RE NOT FINDING ANYTHING REALLY INSIDE THE HOUSE,

BUT THEN THEY DISCOVER SOMETHING UNDER THE HOUSE.

Narrator: ONE OF THE AGENTS FINDS A HIDDEN DOOR

UNDER THE DECK AT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.

IT LEADS TO A SECRET ROOM UNDER THE BUILDING.

WHAT THEY FIND INSIDE CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Orwoll: THERE'S FLOOR-TO-CEILING SHELVES IN THIS ROOM

JUST FILLED WITH DOCUMENTS.

Baker: HE HAD OVER A QUARTER MILLION DOCUMENTS

SITTING IN A CRAWL SPACE UNDERNEATH HIS HOME.

THIS WAS A MASSIVE DUMP OF MATERIAL.

Narrator: THE HORDE OF MATERIAL CONTAINS DETAILS

ON SOME OF AMERICA'S MOST CLASSIFIED TECHNOLOGY,

INCLUDING THE DELTA IV BOOSTER ROCKET

USED FOR LAUNCHING MEN INTO SPACE,

A MASSIVE BOON FOR CHINA'S AMBITIONS TO REACH THE STARS.

IT COVERED EVERYTHING FROM SPACE SHUTTLE SYSTEMS

TO ROCKET TECHNOLOGY, MILITARY HARDWARE.

BY THE TIME HE WAS WRAPPED UP,

HE HAD BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

Narrator: FBI AGENTS FINALLY ARREST CHUNG,

AND HE IS BROUGHT TO TRIAL.

IT'S DISCOVERED HE HAD AMASSED OVER $3 MILLION

FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

CHUNG IS THE FIRST AMERICAN CITIZEN TO BE CONVICTED

UNDER THE ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE ACT,

AND THIS IS A MAJOR SUCCESS FOR THE FBI.

Narrator: CHUNG GETS 15 YEARS IN JAIL,

BUT THE EXTENT OF HIS TREACHERY

MAY HAVE PUT CHINA AHEAD IN THE SPACE RACE.

IT WAS A BIT OF A HOLLOW VICTORY

'CAUSE HE HAD ALREADY DONE THE DAMAGE.

THE CHINESE HAD ALREADY BENEFITED

FROM ALL OF THAT EFFORT.

Moran: CHINA APPEARS POISED

TO ACHIEVE SOME KIND OF MILESTONE IN SPACE

BEFORE THE U.S. DOES.

IT WOULD KIND OF BE LIKE A SPUTNIK MOMENT RELIVED.

♪♪

AUGUST 2017.

TECH BILLIONAIRE YURI MILNER SPENDS $100 MILLION

OF HIS FORTUNE SEARCHING FOR ALIEN SIGNALS IN SPACE.

TODAY, HE STRIKES GOLD.

HIS BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN PROJECT DETECTS 15 STRANGE SIGNALS

COMING FROM THE AURIGA STAR SYSTEM.

IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A BEACON OF RADIO ENERGY

RIPPLING OUTWARDS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE,

KIND OF LIKE A STONE MAKES RIPPLES IN A POND.

THE SIGNALS STAND OUT AS DISTINCTLY ARTIFICIAL.

[ BEEPING, STATIC ]

IT REPEATS OVER AND OVER.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE SORT OF THING THAT WE WOULD

LOOK FOR IN A SIGNAL FROM E.T.

Narrator: NOW SCIENTISTS FACE A MASSIVE CHALLENGE.

IF THIS IS A MESSAGE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN,

AND HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY DECIPHER AN ALIEN CODE?

Narrator: SCIENCE-FICTION MAKES IT LOOK EASY.

WE'RE FROM MARS.

DON'T BE AFRAID.

Shostak: ON TV, YOU KNOW,

THE ALIENS ALWAYS SPEAK IDIOMATIC ENGLISH,

AND USUALLY BETTER THAN THE ENGLISH SPOKEN

BY MY RELATIVES, RIGHT?

BUT IN REALITY, THAT'S NOT LIKELY BEING THE CASE.

THEY'RE NOT GONNA SPEAK ENGLISH.

Narrator: WHATEVER MESSAGE MAY BE HIDDEN

IN THE MYSTERIOUS RADIO SIGNAL

WILL BE MUCH HARDER TO DECIPHER THAN ANY HUMAN LANGUAGE.

WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED WHEN WE INTERCEPT ALIEN LANGUAGES.

NOT JUST AN ALIEN VERSION OF ENGLISH,

BUT A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DIMENSION OF SOUNDS,

SIGHTS, SMELLS, COLORS, THAT ALIENS MAY USE.

Narrator: NASA HAS POURED MILLIONS INTO RESEARCHING

THE WAYS ANIMALS RECEIVE AND RELAY INFORMATION

AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND

HOW ALIENS MIGHT COMMUNICATE.

EVEN ON THE PLANET EARTH, ANIMALS COMMUNICATE

IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY THAN WE COMMUNICATE.

TAKE A BAT, FOR EXAMPLE.

IF YOU COULD SOMEHOW BREED A BAT THAT BECOMES INTELLIGENT,

THEY WOULD TALK TO YOU WITH SONAR.

IF YOU WERE TO TALK TO A RACE OF BIRDS,

THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH MELODIES.

OR TAKE A DOG.

DOGS THINK IN TERMS OF SMELLS.

THOUSANDS OF SMELLS DRIFTING IN AND OUT OF THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS.

THAT'S HOW THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE.

Narrator: THE SPACE AGENCY'S LARGEST INVESTMENT HAS BEEN

IN AN ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH DOLPHINS --

THE NEAREST THING WE HAVE ON EARTH TO INTELLIGENT ALIENS.

THEY AREN'T TERRESTRIAL. THEY DON'T LIVE ON THE LAND.

THESE ARE AQUATIC CREATURES,

BUT THEY'RE INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT.

Narrator: THREE DOLPHINS,

INCLUDING A PARTICULARLY CLEVER ONE CALLED PETER,

ARE BROUGHT TO A SPECIALLY BUILT SUBMERGED LABORATORY

IN THE CARIBBEAN.

Man: PERHAPS SOMEDAY, WE'LL UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.

Vakoch: THERE WAS SUCH A FEELING OF OPTIMISM

THAT THE SCIENTISTS DUBBED THEMSELVES

THE ORDER OF THE DOLPHIN.

[ DOLPHIN SQUEAKING ]

THEY BELIEVED THAT DOLPHINS COULD ONE DAY

TAKE A SEAT IN THE U.N.

AND REPRESENT THEIR ENTIRE SPECIES TO THE WORLD

AND EVEN MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD AFFAIRS.

Narrator: BUT AFTER THREE YEARS OF HARD WORK,

IT ALL COMES TO NOTHING.

Szulgit: BY PUTTING HIS MOUTH HALFWAY OUT OF THE WATER,

PETER DID LEARN TO SAY SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE,

"HELLO, MARGARET."

WHETHER PETER REALLY KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT OR NOT,

WE DON'T KNOW.

Narrator: THE TEAM RUN UP AGAINST A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM

OF CROSS-SPECIES COMMUNICATION,

WHICH MAKES CRACKING NEWLY RECEIVED ALIEN CODE

SEEM ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.

THEY'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH

OR ANY OTHER LANGUAGE.

THAT'S JUST NOT PART OF THEIR BRAIN STRUCTURE.

Szulgit: IF IN THE END, WE CAN'T SPEAK WITH DOLPHINS,

WHO ARE BIOLOGICALLY VERY SIMILAR,

WHAT'S THE CHANCE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ALIENS

FROM A DIFFERENT CIVILIZATION?

Narrator: COMING UP, A WAY TO CRACK THE ALIEN CODE,

BUT COULD THIS MESSAGE BE A WEAPON IN DISGUISE?

IT COULD BE A VIRUS THAT COULD MORPH

AND TAKE OVER EVERYTHING THERE IS ON EARTH.

Narrator: AND AN ENGINEER

INVESTIGATING THE APOLLO 1 TRAGEDY

IS SUDDENLY KILLED.

BARREN CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN VISITED BY A MAN IN BLACK.

♪♪

Narrator: SOME SCIENTISTS HOPE THERE MIGHT BE A WAY TO CRACK

WHAT SEEMS TO BE A CODED SIGNAL FROM ANOTHER STAR SYSTEM.

MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

OF THE UNIVERSE.

Vakoch: THE ENGINEERS WHO BUILD THE RADIO TELESCOPES

ON OTHER PLANETS NEED TO KNOW SOME BASIC MATH AND PHYSICS.

THAT'S WHAT WE USE AS OUR UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

IT'S VERY EASY TO EXPLAIN MATH TO ANOTHER CULTURE

IF THEY KNOW MATH THEMSELVES.

WHILE THEY MAY NOT USE THE LINE UP AND DOWN FOR ONE

AND A CIRCLE FOR A ZERO,

THEY USE SOME SYMBOL FOR A ONE AND A ZERO OR ON AND OFF.

Narrator: BUT AS SOME SCIENTISTS

WORK OUT A POSSIBLE WAY TO DECODE

THE SIGNAL FROM AURIGA, OTHERS URGE THEM TO STOP.

Shostak: WHATEVER'S MAKING THAT SIGNAL

HAS GOT TO BE VERY, VERY POWERFUL.

Narrator: IN 2018,

ASTROPHYSICIST JOHN LEARNED RELEASES A PAPER,

WARNING THAT SIGNALS POTENTIALLY SENT BY AN ALIEN CIVILIZATION,

LIKE THE ONE PICKED UP BY BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN,

COULD BE AN ATTACK RATHER THAN A GREETING.

IS THIS A CIVILIZATION THAT WANTS TO JUST REACH OUT

AND FIND OUT IF WE EXIST?

DO THEY WANT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE?

IF THEY ARE MUCH MORE ADVANCED THAN US, THEN WATCH OUT.

WE MAY BE INSECTS TO THEM.

OR FOR THAT MATTER, WE MAY BE LUNCH TO THEM.

WHO KNOWS?

Taylor: IT MIGHT EVEN BE DANGEROUS TO OPEN IT

'CAUSE IT COULD BE SOME SORT OF "SUPER WEAPON."

A HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, SUPERIOR CIVILIZATION

COULD SEND US A MESSAGE.

AND IN THAT MESSAGE, IT COULD BE A VERY INTELLIGENT VIRUS

THAT COULD MORPH AND TAKE OVER EVERYTHING

THAT THERE IS ON EARTH.

Narrator: LEARNED WARNS AN ALIEN SIGNAL

COULD SHUT DOWN OUR COMPUTERS,

BRINGING OUR TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY TO AN END.

OR WORSE, IT COULD EVEN HIJACK OUR LABORATORIES AND FACTORIES

TO START THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ALIEN CIVILIZATION ON EARTH.

IT COULD BE SOME KIND OF DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM

THAT WOULD OPEN UP AND THEN TELL OTHER THINGS

TO START REPLICATING.

THAT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE MOST SENSIBLE WAY TO ME

TO SPREAD YOUR SPECIES.

Narrator: THE BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN SIGNAL

REMAINS UNEXPLAINED AND UNDECIPHERED.

MANY BELIEVE THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE LEFT.

IF WE DO RECEIVE AND DECODE AN ALIEN MESSAGE,

IT COULD BE OUR UNDOING.

IT'S A TERRIFYING PROSPECT,

AND WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.

♪♪

Man #2: A HORSE-DRAWN CAISSON BEARS THE BODY

OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL VIRGIL "GUS" GRISSOM,

ONE OF THREE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS KILLED

IN A TRAGIC FLASH FIRE AT CAPE KENNEDY.

Narrator: AMERICA IS UNITED

IN A STATE OF SHOCK AND MOURNING.

NASA HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED A TRAGEDY LIKE THIS.

IN 1967, THREE OF ITS MOST SENIOR ASTRONAUTS

ARE KILLED IN A TERRIFYING WAY.

BUT HALF A CENTURY LATER, THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATH

REMAINS A MATTER OF DISPUTE AND CONTROVERSY.

JANUARY 27, 1967,

CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA.

NASA'S NEW APOLLO 1 COMMAND MODULE

STANDS ATOP THE SATURN 1B ROCKET THAT WILL TAKE IT INTO ORBIT.

Szulgit: APOLLO 1

IS THE MOST COMPLICATED PIECE OF SPACE EQUIPMENT

THAT HAS BEEN BUILT AT THE TIME.

Shira Teitel: THIS WAS THE FLIGHT THAT WAS GOING TO PROVE

THE NEW, LARGE, THREE-PERSON SPACECRAFT

WAS UP TO THE TASK OF GOING TO THE MOON.

Man #3: THIS MISSION

IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SPACE FLIGHTS TO DATE.

Narrator: NASA SELECTS A HIGHLY DECORATED CREW

FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS MISSION.

COMMAND PILOT GUS GRISSOM,

SENIOR PILOT ED WHITE,

AND PILOT ROGER CHAFFEE.

Vakoch: THEY NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS FIRST APOLLO MISSION

WOULD BE BY THE BEST ASTRONAUTS THAT THEY HAVE.

Narrator: A MONTH BEFORE THE SCHEDULED LAUNCH,

THE CREW BUCKLE IN FOR A FULL SYSTEM CHECK.

Oberg: THEY'RE INSIDE THE CABIN AND THE HATCH WAS CLOSED,

EVERYTHING WAS ISOLATED.

Narrator: AS THE CABIN IS PRESSURED WITH PURE OXYGEN

TO SIMULATE MISSION CONDITIONS...

THE CABIN WAS FULL OF FLAMMABLE MATERIAL.

AND THEIR SUITS ARE STARTING TO CATCH ON FIRE.

Man #4: GET IN THERE AND HELP THEM.

PURE OXYGEN -- EVEN THINGS LIKE SKIN WILL BURST INTO FIRE.

[ RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: THE THREE ASTRONAUTS FIGHT FRANTICALLY TO OPEN

THE CAPSULE'S HATCH AS FIRE CREWS REACH THE CRAFT,

WHICH IS NOW POURING WITH SMOKE.

BUT THE HATCH REFUSES TO OPEN.

Mars: IN A MATTER OF SECONDS,

THE PRESSURE IN THE CAPSULE BUILT SO MUCH,

THERE WAS NO WAY YOU COULD PULL THAT HATCH IN

AGAINST THAT PRESSURE.

YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITH A WRECKER.

Vakoch: BY THE TIME THE ESCAPE HATCH HAD BEEN OPENED,

THEY WERE CHARRED. THEY WERE DEAD.

Mars: CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING ON THE CREW AT THE PAD,

HAVING TO BRING OUT THOSE BODIES?

THAT JUST HAD TO BE ONE OF THE MOST TRAUMATIC,

EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES A PERSON COULD HAVE.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: JANUARY 1967 --

NASA HAS NEVER BEFORE LOST AN ASTRONAUT WHILE ON A MISSION.

SUDDENLY, IN THE MOST HORRIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES,

IT LOSES THREE OF ITS BEST.

IT LEADS SOME TO SUSPECT THAT AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM

HAS BEEN TARGETED BY THE SOVIETS.

ANY TIME THERE'S A FATAL ACCIDENT INVOLVING AN ASTRONAUT,

THERE HAS TO BE THE PRESUMPTION

THAT THIS COULD BE A CRIME SCENE.

A MOTIVATION CERTAINLY COULD BE THAT THE RUSSIANS

COMPETING WITH THE AMERICANS

DID NOT WANT THEM TO GET A LEG UP.

Mars: THERE WAS A RUSSIAN SHIP OFF CAPE CANAVERAL

DURING THAT LAUNCH, LISTENING TO US,

WATCHING US, SEEING WHAT WE'RE DOING.

Narrator: BUT ONE MAN BELIEVES THE CULPRITS BEHIND THE FIRE

ARE MUCH CLOSER TO HOME

AND IS DETERMINED TO EXPOSE WHAT HE SEES AS THE TRUTH.

Szulgit: THOMAS BARREN WAS A QUALITY-CONTROL ENGINEER

WHO FILED A 500-PAGE REPORT CRITICIZING THE PROJECT.

Narrator: BARREN CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND

MANUFACTURING PROBLEMS

THAT HE SAYS MAKE APOLLO A DEATH TRAP.

BEFORE FILING HIS REPORT, BARREN TOLD NASA

THAT THERE WERE IRREGULARITIES AND IMPROPER ACTIONS

AT THE LAUNCH PAD.

Narrator: AND AFTER THIS, BARREN CLAIMS

A SINISTER CAMPAIGN OF INTIMIDATION BEGINS.

Szulgit: BARREN CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN VISITED

BY A MAN IN BLACK WHO HARASSED HIM.

Man #5: IN WASHINGTON, ASTRONAUTS BORMAN,

McDIVITT, CLAYTON, SHIRRA, AND SHEPARD

ATTEND A CONGRESSIONAL SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING,

PROBING THE APOLLO CAPSULE DISASTER.

Narrator: DESPITE THE APPARENT INTIMIDATION,

BARREN GIVES CRITICAL TESTIMONY

IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THE FIRE.

A LOT OF THINGS THAT HE HAD PERSONALLY WITNESSED

IN THE DESIGN OF THE SPACECRAFT IN CHECKING OUT THE SPACECRAFT

THAT HE THOUGHT WAS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Oberg: A NUMBER OF STUDIES WERE FOUND

THAT A LOT OF HIS CONCERNS WERE LEGITIMATE.

Narrator: BUT HIS REPORT

DOESN'T JUST ADDRESS TECHNICAL ISSUES.

HE WAS FOCUSING ON MORALE QUESTIONS AND DISSATISFACTION

WITH SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES.

Murphy: YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT THE POTENTIAL POSSIBILITY

OF SOME DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE SABOTAGING SOMETHING.

Mars: DON'T KNOW FROM THE STANDPOINT

OF EVERY BIT OF DETAIL THAT HE WROTE IN THERE,

WHETHER IT WAS 100% ACCURATE OR NOT,

BUT IT WAS ACCURATE ENOUGH THAT WE HAD TO LOOK AT IT

AND WE HAD TO ANSWER ALL OF HIS QUESTIONS.

Narrator: BUT THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO THE REPORT

IS DISMISSIVE.

I SAY, "YES, BUT WE'RE WORKING THOSE, WE'RE FIXING THESE,

FIXING THAT."

Narrator: FOR HIS EFFORTS, BARREN IS FIRED FROM HIS JOB

AS ENGINEERING INSPECTOR.

IN MY OPINION, THEY SHOT HIM DOWN.

Narrator: AND SIX DAYS LATER, BARREN IS DEAD.

Mars: HE AND HIS WIFE AND TWO KIDS

WERE KILLED AT A TRAIN CROSSING IN TITUSVILLE.

[ SIREN WAILING ]

Narrator: STATE TROOPERS SAY IT'S AN ACCIDENT,

THAT HE TRIED TO CROSS IN HIS CAR

JUST AS A TRAIN WAS COMING.

BUT MANY FELT BARREN'S DEATH

SO SOON AFTER HE GAVE TESTIMONY WAS SUSPICIOUS.

Szulgit: SOME WOULD QUESTION,

"IS THIS A PATTERN THAT POINTS TOWARD CONSPIRACY

TO SILENCE THE CRITICS OF THE SPACE PROGRAM?"

Narrator: AFTER THREE MONTHS OF THOROUGH INVESTIGATION,

NASA DETERMINES APOLLO 1 WAS NOT SABOTAGED

BUT WAS DESTROYED BY A SERIES OF ACCIDENTAL FACTORS.

THEY NEVER COULD SAY CONCLUSIVELY

WHERE OR WHAT IGNITED THE FIRE WITHIN THE CAPSULE.

Narrator: FORMER COMMITTEE EXPERTS

PRAISE BARREN'S TENACITY IN FILING HIS REPORT,

BUT DENY ANY CONSPIRACY TO HIDE THE TRUTH.

SABOTAGE WAS NEVER CONSIDERED TO BE A VIABLE INSPECTION POINT.

Narrator: BARREN'S DEATH MAY HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT...

OR MAYBE NOT.

WHATEVER THE TRUTH, NASA ENGINEERS ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE,

COMPLETING THE MISSION OF THE THREE ASTRONAUTS

WHO DIED ON THE LAUNCH PAD THAT DAY WHEN TWO YEARS LATER,

APOLLO 11 SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON THE MOON.

Armstrong: THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN...

...ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.

Szulgit: WHEN ARMSTRONG FINALLY LANDED ON THE MOON,

HE PLACED AN APOLLO 1 PATCH THERE

IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES,

AND IT'S STILL THERE TODAY.