Narrator: NASA's MISSION
IS TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN. THERE'S MORE THAT WE DON'T KNOW
THAN WE DO KNOW. THAT'S JUST THE NATURE
OF THE UNIVERSE. Narrator:
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS, IT LAUNCHES SCIENTISTS
INTO SPACE AND CRAFT BEYOND THE EDGE
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. Duke: TAKING RISKS IS PART
OF MAKING DISCOVERIES. SPACE EXPLORATION
IS LIKE LIGHTING A MATCH, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT LURKS
IN THE SHADOWS. THERE COULD BE ANYTHING
OUT THERE. Narrator:
LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS, MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA
IN DEEP SPACE, AND DANGER CLOSE TO HOME... [ EXPLOSION ] ...NASA's MISSIONS
HAVE UNCOVERED DISTURBING ANOMALIES... MAN: Okay, we're seeing
three or four objects. MAN #2: Yeah,
there are three objects. ...THAT CONTINUE TO PERPLEX
OUR FINEST SCIENTIFIC MINDS. THESE ARE
"NASA's UNEXPLAINED FILES." --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
www.vitac.com</font> CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS 230 MILES ABOVE EARTH, AN ASTRONAUT SEES SOMETHING
EXTRAORDINARY. IT'S CLEARLY NOT
A NATURAL PHENOMENON. HE SAID, "I SAW
SOME REALLY WEIRD STUFF DOWN THERE FLYING PAST." AT THIS POINT IN THE MISSION,
THIS IS KIND OF A SHOCK. YOU'RE VERY AWARE, HYPER-AWARE,
WHEN YOU'RE DOING A SPACE WALK 'CAUSE YOU ARE IN
A PRETTY DANGEROUS SITUATION. Narrator: IT'S CHIAO'S FOURTH
AND FINAL TRIP INTO ORBIT. Dr. Chiao:
IT'S EXCITING ON MANY LEVELS
AND ALSO STRESSFUL, TOO, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO
MESS UP YOUR LAST ONE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT
THEY ALL REMEMBER YOU FOR. Narrator:
COSMONAUT SALIZHAN SHARIPOV
WORKS ALONGSIDE CHIAO. BOTH MEN'S LIVES DEPEND
ON AN INCH-WIDE TETHER THAT KEEPS THEM
FROM DRIFTING OFF INTO SPACE. Dr. Chiao:
IF TETHERS BECOME UNDONE, THEN YOU'RE JUST GONNA FLOAT
AWAY FROM THE STATION AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH CURTAINS. Narrator: ORBITING EARTH AT MORE
THAN 17,000 MILES PER HOUR, CHIAO WAS COMPLETELY UNPREPARED
FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. SUDDENLY, I LOOK UP
AND I SEE THESE FIVE LIGHTS. AND THEY SEEM TO FLY BY. AND HE REPORTS, "WOW, I'VE JUST HAD ECHELON
FORMATION OF FIVE LIGHTS." AND THEY'RE FOUR IN A LINE. BUT ONE OF THEM IS SLIGHTLY
OFF-SET FROM THE OTHERS. MY HEART JUST KIND OF LEAPS UP
INTO MY THROAT. AND THEY KIND OF GO FLYING BY,
YOU KNOW, BY THE STATION. AND, YOU KNOW,
WHAT ARE THESE LIGHTS? Narrator: CHIAO IMMEDIATELY
CALLS MISSION CONTROL. NASA ENGINEER JAMES OBERG
OBSERVED THE SPACE WALK. Oberg: WHEN YOU SEE
SOMETHING STRANGE IN SPACE, THE POSSIBILITY ALWAYS IS
THAT IT CAN BITE YOU. YOUR LIFE MIGHT BE ON THE LINE. I CALLED TO SALIZHAN,
MY CREW MATE. I SAID, "SALIZHAN,
DO YOU SEE THOSE LIGHTS? DO YOU SEE THEM FLYING BY?" Narrator: BUT THE RUSSIAN
IS FACING AWAY FROM THE LIGHTS AND SEES NOTHING. EVEN THE SPACE STATION'S
ONBOARD CAMERAS MISS THE ACTION. BUT THE INCIDENT
DOES TRIGGER THE CURIOSITY OF FORMER NASA ENGINEER,
JAMES SMITH. HE DIGS OUT SATELLITE IMAGES FROM AROUND THE TIME
OF CHIAO'S ENCOUNTER. AND SURE ENOUGH,
HE FINDS A PICTURE THAT SHOWS FOUR OR FIVE LIGHTS
IN A ROW IN THE AREA THAT CHIAO HAD FLOWN
OVER A FEW HOURS EARLIER. Narrator: THE IMAGE CONFIRMS
CHIAO'S STORY. SO, WHAT DID HE ACTUALLY SEE? SMITH BEGINS TO SEARCH THROUGH
RECORDS OF SATELLITE PATHS AND EVEN OF
MILITARY AIR FORCE EXERCISES. BUT HE FINDS NOTHING. SMITH THEN TURNS HIS ATTENTION
TO GROUND-BASED ACTIVITIES. IN THE WATERS OFF SOUTH AMERICA, COMMERCIAL FISHING FLEETS
USE HUGE ARRAYS OF LIGHTS TO FISH AT NIGHT. SMITH WONDERS WHETHER THESE WERE
THE LIGHTS SEEN BY CHIAO. THEY CATCH CUTTLEFISH
AND OTHER KINDS OF SQUID BY ATTRACTING THEM
THROUGH IMMENSELY BRIGHT LIGHTS THEY HANG OUT OVER THE WATER. THEY ARE VISIBLE
FROM OUTER SPACE. AND SO, THEY WERE DEPLOYED
IN A LINE UP THE COAST, AND THAT'S WHY -- AND IT WAS
THE ROTATION OF THE EARTH THAT MADE IT APPEAR
THAT THEY WERE FLYING. Narrator:
CHIAO ACCEPTS SMITH'S THEORY, BUT HE ALSO DOESN'T DISMISS
THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE CONTACT
WITH ALIEN LIFE FORMS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE'S
OTHER LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE. BUT WHAT I DOUBT IS, I DON'T THINK
WE'VE FOUND EACH OTHER YET. Narrator: HOW FAR INTO SPACE
WILL MANKIND TRAVEL BEFORE ENCOUNTERING ALIEN LIFE? NEW DISCOVERIES SUGGEST EXTRATERRESTRIALS MAY BE CLOSER
THAN WE THINK. LESS THAN HALF A BILLION MILES
FROM EARTH, COULD CREATURES BE LIVING
ON AN ICY WORLD SCARRED RED BY MYSTERIOUS,
BLOODY LINES? HABITATS ON EUROPA
COULD BE THE SAME AS HABITATS WE SEE ON EARTH. SMALL MOONS
SEEM TO BE WHERE IT'S AT. WOMAN:
Bulk was released. We got all
of our verification for that. Narrator: 1995. MAN:<i> Galileo</i> is on its way
to another world. Fly safe. Narrator: THE<i> GALILEO</i> PROBE
EXPLORES JUPITER. BUT THE GAS GIANT
IS NOT NASA's SOLE TARGET. <i> GALILEO</i> IS ALSO INVESTIGATING
THE PLANET'S MOONS, ESPECIALLY
THE ONE CALLED EUROPA. BLOOD-RED VEINS CRISSCROSS
THE MOON'S ICY SURFACE. SOME BEAR AN UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE
TO FREEWAYS ON EARTH. OTHERS ARE CHILLINGLY SIMILAR TO THE MARTIAN RED WEED
CHOKING EARTH IN H.G. WELLS'
"WAR OF THE WORLDS." SCIENTISTS ATTEMPTING TO EXPLAIN
THE BLOOD-COLORED STRIPES REMAIN UNSURE. THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOT
THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT ON EUROPA. Narrator: 2001. NASA SCIENTIST BRAD DALTON
TAKES A SHOT AT EUROPA'S RED-LINE RIDDLE. Dr. Dalton: THEY HAVE
THIS STRANGE REDDISH TINT THAT LOOKS LIKE OF LIKE RUST, BUT ALSO IT LOOKS A LOT
LIKE SOME KIND OF SLIME. IT OCCURRED TO ME, CERTAINLY, WE'VE SEEN ALL KINDS OF FORMS
OF LIFE THAT HAVE
THAT REDDISH-BROWN PIGMENTATION HERE ON EARTH. SO WHY COULDN'T
SOME MICROBES OUT THERE BE PROVIDING THIS COLORATION? Narrator: DALTON MEASURES
INFRARED CHEMICAL SIGNATURES FROM EUROPA'S LUNAR LESIONS AND COMPARES THEM WITH SAMPLES
OF LIFE LIVING IN GEYSERS AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. [ BEEPING ] A POSITIVE RESULT WOULD SUGGEST WE'VE FOUND LIFE
ON ANOTHER WORLD. WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT,
THE INFRARED PART, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING
AT FROM THE<i> GALILEO</i> SPACECRAFT, MATCHED UP ALMOST PERFECTLY. THE FEATURES WE SAW ON EUROPA
COULD BE EXPLAINED BY LIFE. IT WAS ALMOST SCARY
HOW WELL IT MATCHED. Narrator: BUT NOT EVERYONE
AGREES WITH DALTON'S ANALYSIS. Dr. Reid: THE FACT
THAT THE STREAKS ARE RED MEANS THAT THEY'VE GOT A PARTICULAR
KIND OF CHEMICAL IN THEM. AND THE SPECULATION IS
THAT IT'S PROBABLY SULFUR THAT'S CONTRIBUTING
TO THE REDNESS OF THOSE STREAKS. Narrator:
TO PROVE DALTON RIGHT, NASA MUST FIND
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE IN THE MOON'S SLIMY CRACKS. THEY ARE ALREADY LOOKING
FOR THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL -- LIQUID WATER. Dr. Reid:
IF YOU FIND WATER, THAT'S KIND OF THE FIRST STEP
IN SAYING, "WELL, THERE'S A CHANCE
THAT THERE COULD BE LIFE HERE." Narrator:
INCREDIBLY, NASA's DATA
FROM TWO DECADES OF OBSERVATION SUGGEST THAT A HUGE WATER OCEAN FLOWS BENEATH
THE MOON'S ICY CRUST. Dr. Reid:
I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD HAVE
EXPECTED TO FIND LIQUID WATER ON AN ICY SATELLITE OF JUPITER. Dr. Dalton:
THAT OCEAN OF LIQUID WATER IS MORE LIQUID WATER
THAN THERE IS ON THE EARTH. Narrator:
IN 2013, MORE EVIDENCE EMERGES WHEN NASA's HUBBLE TELESCOPE
SPOTS WATER GUSHING OUT OF EUROPA'S GEYSERS. THAT WATER'S BEEN SITTING THERE
FOR 4 BILLION YEARS. COULD IT HAVE COOKED UP
SOME LIFE? YES, IT COULD HAVE. Narrator:
THE CONDITIONS ON EUROPA
COULD NEVER SUPPORT HUMAN LIFE. BUT NASA's CHRIS McKAY
DOESN'T NEED TO TRAVEL FAR TO FIND CREATURES
THAT MIGHT THRIVE THERE. EXTREMOPHILES LIVE IN SOME OF EARTH'S
MOST INTENSE ENVIRONMENTS. EXTREMOPHILES ARE ORGANISMS
THAT LIVE IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT WE HUMANS
WOULD NOT WANT TO LIVE IN, THAT WE WOULD FIND EXTREME. Narrator: EXTREMOPHILES CAN EVEN
AFFECT THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THEY TURN SALT GREEN. AND LIKE CRACKS ON EUROPA,
CREATE BLOODY RED SCARS. Dr. McKay: SO, LIFE ON EUROPA
COULD, INDEED, LOOK LIKE WHAT WE SEE
IN THESE PLACES ON EARTH. Narrator:
IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR LIFE TO EXIST
ON EUROPA'S SURFACE. BUT THE MOON'S OCEANS ARE A
BETTER PLACE FOR LIFE TO THRIVE. Dr. Shostak: ONCE YOU'RE
IN THAT OCEAN, IT'S DARK. EVERY DAY,
IT'S JUST PITCH BLACK. NO PHOTOSYNTHESIS. BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE LIKELY TO BE
WHAT ARE CALLED DEEP SEA VENTS. THEY'RE JUST SORT OF CRACKS
IN THE BOTTOMS OF THE OCEAN WHERE A LITTLE BIT OF HEAT
COMES OUT. AND IT TURNS OUT,
THERE ARE LIFE FORMS THAT LIVE OFF THAT HEAT,
THAT CHEMISTRY, HERE ON EARTH, VERY SIMILAR TO THE KIND OF LIFE
THAT COULD EXIST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEANS
OF EUROPA. THERE'S ONLY A LIMITED AMOUNT
THAT WE CAN DO BY LOOKING. AND I THINK THE NEXT STEP
IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE SENDING SOMETHING TO GO THERE, DIG AROUND
DOWN THROUGH THE CRUST AND GO INTO THE WATER ITSELF. Narrator: COMING UP... NASA SPOTS A DEATH STAR
SIPHONING OFF THE SUN. Dr. Cambier: SO, OUR ONLY HOPE,
IT'S NOT A DEATH STAR. OTHERWISE,
WE'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. Narrator: UNINVITED GUESTS
CRASH THE<i> APOLLO 16</i> PARTY. SHEW! PSHEW! Narrator:
AND A MYSTERIOUS DARK SHAPE APPROACHES
THE SPACE SHUTTLE<i> COLUMBIA.</i> I SAID,
"HEY, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. WE HAVE SOMETHING
RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW." Narrator:
240,000 MILES FROM HOME, TWO OFF-ROADING ASTRONAUTS EXPAND THE FRONTIERS
OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE. MAN: Hey, John. This is perfect -- with the... And the Rover and you
and stone mountain. THE EVIDENCE THEY BRING BACK
LEADS TO A MYSTERY THAT SPANS
MORE THAN THREE DECADES. THIS IS A SAUCER-SHAPED OBJECT
WITH A DOME ON TOP. Duke: ANYONE THAT TELLS ME
THAT THEY CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. Narrator: APRIL 21, 1972. 36-YEAR-OLD ASTRONAUT
CHARLES DUKE IS ABOUT TO BECOME
THE YOUNGEST MAN TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON. AND I LOOK UP
AT THIS ENORMOUS SATURN ROCKET. AND IT'S FULLY FUELED,
AND IT'S AN EERIE FEELING BECAUSE IT SEEMS
LIKE IT'S ALIVE. Narrator: THE MISSION --
TO BRING BACK ROCKS FROM PREVIOUSLY UNEXPLORED
LUNAR TERRITORY. WHAT DUKE DOESN'T KNOW IS
THAT HE'S ABOUT TO BRING BACK MORE THAN JUST
GEOLOGICAL SAMPLES. MAN:
Pretty fast. Contact. Stop. Narrator: TOGETHER WITH
MISSION COMMANDER JOHN YOUNG, DUKE TOUCHES DOWN IN THE MOON'S
SOUTHEAST QUADRANT. Orwoll: THE MISSIONS
HAVE REALLY SHIFTED OVER TO A SIGNIFICANT
SCIENTIFIC EMPHASIS HERE. WE'RE REALLY OPERATING NOW
WITH THE LUNAR ROVER, WE'RE EXTENDING FURTHER OUT. As you come around there, there's a rock in the near field
on this rim That has some white
on the top of it. We'd like you to pick it up
as a grab sample. This one right here? That's it.
You got it right there. Narrator:
THREE DAYS LATER, WITH 200 POUNDS OF MOON ROCKS
SAFELY STOWED, IT'S TIME FOR HOME. What a ride.
What a ride. DUKE GUIDES THE LUNAR MODULE
TO THE RENDEZVOUS WITH THE COMMAND MODULE FLOATING
IN LUNAR ORBIT. BEFORE SETTING OFF FOR EARTH,
THEY RETRIEVE FILM CANISTERS FROM CAMERAS
OUTSIDE THE SPACE CRAFT. A TEXTBOOK SPLASHDOWN APPEARS TO MARK THE END
OF A PERFECT MISSION. BUT WHEN THE FILM IS PROCESSED, THE IMAGES SUGGEST<i> APOLLO 16</i>
MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ALONE. THERE'S SOMETHING
IN ONE OF THE IMAGES. WHAT IS IT? THAT'S THE QUESTION
EVERYBODY'S ASKING. Pope: THE ONLY THING
EVERYONE AGREES ON IS THIS IS JUST ABOUT
AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TO THE KIND OF FLYING SAUCER THAT YOU SEE
IN A HOLLYWOOD SCI-FI MOVIE. Narrator:
BUT WHEN THE ASTRONAUTS REVIEW
THE FOOTAGE, THEY DON'T BUY
THE UFO EXPLANATION. Duke: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE
TO HAVE TAKEN THAT AND HAD THERE BEEN
AN ACTUAL OBJECT OUT THERE NOT TO HAVE SEEN IT. I'M LOOKING
AT WHAT THE CAMERA'S SEEING, AND I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE SEEN AN OBJECT THAT WAS REAL
THAT WAS THAT BIG. Narrator:
NASA's JIM OBERG CONCLUDES THAT THIS SEEMINGLY SOLID OBJECT MUST BE A PHOTO OF EARTH
AS SEEN FROM THE MOON. THE TROUBLE IS,
THE EARTH IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. Oberg: SOME UFO BUFF CHECKED OUT
THE MOON'S POSITION AND FOUND OUT IT COULDN'T
HAVE BEEN THE EARTH, THAT THAT IDENTIFICATION WAS
WRONG AND I HAD BEEN MISTAKEN. Narrator:
THE MYSTERY REMAINS UNSOLVED
FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. UNTIL 2004,
WHEN ADVANCES IN IMAGE ANALYSIS RESURRECT NASA's INVESTIGATION. 32 YEARS AFTER THIS SIGHTING,
NASA BOOSTS THE IMAGE RESOLUTION AND COMBINES
SEVERAL DIFFERENT FRAMES. Narrator: THE NEW TECHNIQUES REVEAL SOMETHING UNSEEN
IN PREVIOUS IMAGES -- A STRUT THAT APPEARS TO CONNECT
THE FLYING SAUCER TO THE COMMAND MODULE. AFTER THREE DECADES
OF SPECULATION, THE SIGHTING CAN BE EXPLAINED. Pope:
THE OBJECT, IN REALITY, WAS THE COMMAND MODULE
SPACE WALK FLOODLIGHT. Orwoll: JUST THE SAME AS
ANY WORK SITE HERE IN AMERICA, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE OPERATING
AT NIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA NEED FLOODLIGHTS. SO, THEY NEEDED A FLOODLIGHT TO BE ABLE TO SEE
WHAT THEY WERE DOING. Narrator:
THE 30-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY SEEMS
TO HAVE BEEN PUT TO REST. THIS FLYING SAUCER, AT LEAST,
TURNS OUT TO BE A FANTASY. [ EERIE MUSIC PLAYS ] STILL TO COME... AN ANCIENT METEORITE BRINGS
WORM-LIKE ENTITIES TO EARTH. Pope:
THE PRESIDENT GOES ON LIVE TV AND SAYS,
"IT MAY NOT JUST BE US." Narrator:
AND A MYSTERIOUS FIREBALL
VIOLATES RUSSIAN AIR SPACE. SOMETHING CAME TOWARDS IT. IT SEEMED TO HIT IT. MAYBE THAT'S
WHAT CAUSED IT TO EXPLODE. Narrator:
ERUPTING FROM THE EASTERN SKY, A FIREBALL STREAKS
ACROSS RUSSIAN AIR SPACE AND APPEARS TO BLOW APART. SOMETHING IS DIRECTED
TOWARDS THE OBJECT. MAYBE THAT'S
WHAT CAUSED IT TO EXPLODE. Narrator:
DID THE COLD WAR JUST RE-IGNITE? [ SCREAMING ] FRIDAY MORNING IN CHELYABINSK, AN INDUSTRIAL CITY
IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA. COMMUTERS, SCHOOLCHILDREN,
OFFICE WORKERS, SETTLE IN FOR THE DAY AHEAD. 9:20 A.M. A STRANGE, BLINDING LIGHT
CASTS A SHADOW ACROSS THE CITY, BRINGING PEOPLE
OUT ONTO THE STREETS. THE LIGHT SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS. LOOKING TO THE SKY, ASTONISHED RESIDENTS FILM
A VAST VAPOR TRAIL OVERHEAD. MINUTES LATER... [ EXPLOSION ] [ SCREAMING ] [ CAR ALARM BLARES ] ...AN EXPLOSION ROCKS THE CITY. SCIENTISTS RECORD A BLAST
25 TIMES LARGER THAN NAGASAKI. WINDOWS SHATTER
AND PEOPLE FLY OFF THEIR FEET. THE CITY'S SHATTERED RESIDENTS TRY TO MAKE SENSE
OF THIS AERIAL BOMBARDMENT. RUMORS OF A HOSTILE ACT AGAINST
RUSSIA FLOOD THE INTERNET. POLITICIAN VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY
EVEN ACCUSES THE U.S. OF INVOLVEMENT
IN THE STRIKE ON THE CITY. IN MOSCOW, NASA SCIENTIST SLAVA TURYSHEV
SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS. THERE ARE
MANY CONFLICTING REPORTS. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY WHETHER OR NOT
IT'S A SINGLE EVENT OR MAYBE THERE WILL BE
OTHER EVENTS. Narrator:
WHILE NASA RUSHES TO DISCOVER
THE CAUSE OF THE CATACLYSM, THE MYSTERY DEEPENS. THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW
THIS SENSATIONAL EVENT, WORD BEGINS TO SPREAD. MAYBE THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE
GOING ON. THERE ARE NEWS FEEDS
THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THAT AS THIS THING
IS ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE AS A GLOWING FIREBALL, THAT SOMETHING IS DIRECTED
TOWARDS THE OBJECT -- POSSIBLY STOPPING IT,
POSSIBLY BREAKING IT UP. PEOPLE ARE SAYING,
"YEAH, SOMETHING CAME TOWARDS IT AND SEEMED TO HIT IT." MAYBE THAT'S WHAT CAUSED IT
TO EXPLODE. Narrator: IMAGES OF
THE FIREBALL'S STRANGE COLLISION CAPTURE THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION. BUT WHEN NASA STUDIES
THE ENTIRE EVENT, BUILDING
A MOMENT-BY-MOMENT TIMELINE FROM DOZENS
OF DIFFERENT CAMERAS, THEY SEE A DIFFERENT PHENOMENON. THE PEOPLE OF CHELYABINSK WITNESSES
A METEOR DISINTEGRATING AS IT SMASHED
THROUGH EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. Binzel: AS THIS OBJECT COMES
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE, PIECES ARE BREAKING APART. YOU SEE STUFF FLYING
IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. IT'S VERY EASY
TO GET A PERCEPTION OF SOMETHING VERY ODD. AFTER ALL, THIS IS
AN INCREDIBLY RARE EVENT. Narrator:
THE FIREBALL'S INTERCEPTOR IS REALLY A FRAGMENT
OF THE METEOR KEEPING PACE WITH THE FIREBALL. BUT NASA's EXPLANATION DOESN'T SATISFY
THE CITIZENS OF CHELYABINSK, WHO ARE LEFT
WITH A DEVASTATED CITY. WHILE SEARCHING
FOR AN IMPACT CRATER THAT MATCHES
THE EXPLOSIVE SHOCKWAVE, THEY FIND NOTHING BIGGER
THAN A SWIMMING POOL. THE IDEA THAT WHATEVER CREATED
THE TINY IMPACTS COULD ALSO TOPPLE A CITY
SEEMS LAUGHABLE. BUT ACCORDING
TO PROFESSOR LAURENCE GARVIE, AN EXPERT IN METEORITES,
THE DESTRUCTION IN CHELYABINSK COULD BE EXPLAINED BY THE PHYSICS
OF A LARGE, FAST-MOVING OBJECT STREAKING
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE. WHAT WE'RE SEEING, FIRST,
WITH THE CHELYABINSK METEOR IS ITS VISUAL EFFECT. IT'S COMING IN.
IT'S BREAKING UP. WE'RE NOT HEARING ANYTHING 'CAUSE THE LIGHT IS TRAVELING
TO US ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY. WE CAN SEE IT IMMEDIATELY. BUT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, WE'RE UNAWARE THAT TRAVELING
TOWARDS US AT THE SPEED OF SOUND IS THE SHOCKWAVE. AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE A FIST
PUNCHING A WINDOW REALLY HARD... [ CRASH ] ...BUT PUNCHING
EVERY SINGLE WINDOW IN THE TOWN AT THE SAME TIME. Narrator: THE ENERGY RELEASED AS THE SUPERSONIC ROCK
DISINTEGRATED ABOVE THE CITY EXPLAINS
THE DESTRUCTIVE SHOCKWAVE. BUT THE DEVASTATION
COULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE. THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
SHIELDED CHELYABINSK AGAINST THE METEORITE'S
FULL POTENTIAL. NASA CALCULATIONS SUGGEST THAT OUR NATURAL DEFENSES
ONLY WORKED BECAUSE THE METEOR WAS MADE
OF RELATIVELY SOFT ROCK. HAD THE 60-FOOT-WIDE METEOR
BEEN MADE OF METAL INSTEAD, IT COULD HAVE RELEASED
THE ENERGY OF 60 NAGASAKIS. Garvie:
HERE IN ARIZONA, WE HAVE THE PERFECT EXAMPLE
OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. WHAT LOOKS LIKE A 45-METER HILL
HERE IS ACTUALLY THE EDGE, THE RIM
OF THIS SPECTACULAR CRATER. THIS GIVES YOU SOME SENSE OF WHAT A LARGE METEOR IMPACT
WOULD DO. Narrator: THERE ARE MORE
THAN 80,000 METALLIC ASTEROIDS FLOATING NEAR US IN SPACE. SOME OF THEM MAY EVEN BE HEADING
OUR WAY RIGHT NOW. [ CRASH ] NEXT..."STAR WARS"
COMES TO A SUN NEAR YOU. Dr. Cambier: SO OUR ONLY HOPE,
IT'S NOT A DEATH STAR. OTHERWISE,
WE'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. Narrator: SOMETHING HAS INVADED
THE SPACE CLOSE TO THE SUN. IT LOOKED LIKE SPACESHIPS. Dr. Hoeksema:
WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS
10 TIMES BIGGER THAN THE EARTH. IMAGINE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO BUILD A SPACESHIP
LARGER THAN A PLANET. Narrator: IN MARCH 2012,
ASTRONOMERS MONITORING IMAGES FROM A SOLAR TELESCOPE
IN EARTH'S ORBIT SEE SOMETHING OMINOUS JUST TO THE WEST
OF THE SUN'S SOUTH POLE. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? IT'S DARTH VADER'S BIG VEHICLE,
OF COURSE. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEATH STAR
FROM "STAR WARS." Dr. Cambier: OUR ONLY HOPE,
IT'S NOT A DEATH STAR. OTHERWISE,
WE'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. Narrator:
PLANET-SIZED TENDRILS APPEAR
TO CONNECT THE GLOBE OF DARKNESS TO THE SUN'S SURFACE. THIS CONNECTION
FUELS SPECULATION THAT THE SINISTER SPHERE'S
PRESENCE NEAR OUR STAR IS NO COINCIDENCE. WHY WOULD ANYBODY VISIT THE SUN? WELL, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE
TO REFUEL. Narrator:
THE SUN BURNS HYDROGEN,
THE PERFECT FUEL FOR A STARSHIP. COULD SPACESHIPS BE REFUELING BY GETTING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE
TO STARS AND SAPPING UP THAT ENERGY AND THAT'S WHAT'S FUELING THEM
THROUGH SPACE? THAT IMAGE CERTAINLY RAISES
THAT POSSIBILITY. Dr. Hoeksema: THE SUN PUTS OUT
MORE POWER IN A SECOND THAN HUMANITY HAS USED
IN ALL OF HISTORY. Narrator: BUT THE
3-MILLION-DEGREE TEMPERATURES IN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE WOULD DESTROY
ANY HUMAN TECHNOLOGY. Dr. Birnes: WE CAN'T USE THE SUN
FOR A SPACECRAFT. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN SOME
VERY ADVANCED ALIEN RACE CAN'T. IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME
MASSIVE ENGINEERING ADVANCES. YOU DON'T WANT THE SPACECRAFT
TO VAPORIZE. IT'S NOT INSANE TO THINK
THERE IS AN UNOBTANIUM THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE
TO BUILD A DEATH STAR THAT CAN ROLL
RIGHT INTO A STAR TO REFUEL. ALL IT IS, IS A MATTER OF BEING
ABLE TO HANDLE THE HEAT. Narrator: ONCE THE DEATH STAR'S
FUEL TANK IS FILLED, THE COLOSSAL NOZZLE DETACHES
AND THE CRAFT ZOOMS OFF TO WREAK MAYHEM
ELSEWHERE IN THE GALAXY. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE IDEA --
TOO INCREDIBLE FOR NASA, WHO COME UP
WITH THEIR OWN EXPLANATION FOR THE BLACK ORB INVOLVING EQUALLY ASTONISHING
NON-ALIEN PHENOMENA. Dr. Hoeksema:
WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROMINENCE
IN THE MAGNETIC BUBBLE. IT'S THE MAGNETIC BUBBLE THAT
LOOKS LIKE A BIG DEATH STAR. Narrator:
THE TENDRILS ARE PROMINENCES,
CLOUDS OF HYDROGEN CLINGING TO THE EDGE
OF THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE. THE DEATH STAR ITSELF
IS A SOLAR MAGNETIC BUBBLE THE SIZE OF JUPITER,
FULL OF SUPER-HOT PLASMA. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE BALL
IN PLACE IS A MAGNETIC FIELD, WHICH CAN SHIFT AT ANY MOMENT. EVENTUALLY, THEY ERUPT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING
AT THE END, THIS ERUPTION OFF INTO SPACE. SO, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T SEE IT
HERE ON EARTH, THERE ARE THESE HUGE EXPLOSIONS
GOING ON IN THE SUN ALL THE TIME. Narrator:
EVEN IF THE NASA FOOTAGE
HASN'T CAPTURED A PLANET-DESTROYING DEATH STAR, OUR SUN
IS STILL A VERY REAL THREAT TO CIVILIZATION ON EARTH. THE ERUPTION SEEN HERE
IS A CORONAL MASS EJECTION. IT RELEASES
1,000 TIMES MORE ENERGY THAN THE DEATH STAR BUBBLE. IF WE TAKE A HIT
FROM ONE OF THESE, IT CAN WREAK HAVOC ON EARTH. THESE THINGS
CAN KNOCK OUT SATELLITES. ELECTRONICS WON'T FUNCTION. Dr. Hoeksema: IT HAS EFFECTS
ON COMMUNICATIONS, IT HAS EFFECTS ON THE POWER
GRIDS AND POWER DISTRIBUTION. Narrator: EVEN WORSE, WILD
VARIATIONS IN SOLAR ACTIVITY CAN PUSH THE EARTH
INTO PROLONGED ICE AGES OR COVER THE PLANET
WITH SWELTERING JUNGLES AND BURNING DESERTS. Friedman: THE SUN,
IT'S THE BIG GUY ON THE BLOCK. AND WE HAVE, IN THE PAST,
IGNORED IT AT OUR PERIL. Narrator: UP NEXT... TELEPATHY IN SPACE. Pope: HE SEES WHETHER HE CAN
SEND TELEPATHIC MESSAGES BACK TO FRIENDS ON EARTH. Narrator: AND A VISITOR
FROM ANOTHER WORLD. THEY FIND THIS POTATO-SHAPED
ROCK, AND IT WAS GREEN. Narrator:
ASTRONAUTS OFTEN SEE THINGS
THEIR INSTRUMENTS DON'T PICK UP. SUDDENLY, THERE SEEMS TO BE, LIKE, AN EXPLOSION
IN MY RIGHT EYE. THEN THEY LOOK LIKE A STREAK. SHEW! PSHEW! Narrator: THE PHENOMENON PROMPTS
A SERIES OF SECRET EXPERIMENTS. COULD THE EXPLANATION
BE OUT OF THIS WORLD? THEY ARE COMMUNICATING
TELEPATHICALLY WITH THE ASTRONAUTS. [ BEEPING ] Narrator: IN 1969,
THE FIRST MEN ON THE MOON RETURNED TO A HEROES' WELCOME. DURING THE DEBRIEF,
BUZZ ALDRIN RISKS BEING GROUNDED WHEN HE TALKS
ABOUT FLASHES OF LIGHT INSIDE THE SPACE CRAFT'S CABIN. FOUR MONTHS LATER,
DURING THE<i> APOLLO 12</i> MISSION, ALAN BEAN EXPERIENCES
A DIFFERENT, STRANGE ENCOUNTER. Bean:
THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEM, I WAS ON THE BACKSIDE
OF THE MOON AND I WAS LOOKING DOWN
AT A CRATER, AND I SAW A FLASH. AND I THOUGHT,
"DID I REALLY SEE A FLASH? THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON
DOWN THERE." Narrator: STRANGE LIGHTS
BECOME A REGULAR FEATURE OF THE<i> APOLLO</i> MISSION LOGS. BIZARRELY,
THEY APPEAR MORE OFTEN ON THE WAY TO THE MOON
THAN ON THE WAY BACK. IT'S LIKE FOURTH OF JULY.
THEY STREAK. THEY'RE FIREWORKS. Narrator: SOMETHING IS HAPPENING
TO NASA's ASTRONAUTS. WITH NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE
AVAILABLE, ASTRONAUTS CAN ONLY SPECULATE
ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES. LUNAR MODULE PILOT ED MITCHELL
BELIEVES THAT OUTER SPACE MAY BE THE PERFECT MEDIUM
FOR TELEPATHY. WITHOUT NASA's KNOWLEDGE,
HE CONDUCTS HIS OWN EXPERIMENT. EDGAR MITCHELL DECIDES
TO CONDUCT SOME ESP EXPERIMENTS. IN SPACE, HE SEES WHETHER HE CAN
SEND TELEPATHIC MESSAGES BACK TO FRIENDS ON EARTH
AND VICE VERSA. Narrator: BUT MITCHELL'S EFFORTS
LEAD NOWHERE. THESE FLASHES HAVE NOTHING TO DO
WITH TELEPATHY. NASA EVENTUALLY DECIDES TO
DIRECTLY INVESTIGATE THE LIGHTS. A SERIES OF ASTRONAUTS
WEAR SPECIAL GOGGLES THAT RECORD PARTICLES NORMALLY INVISIBLE
TO THE HUMAN EYE AND REPORT
WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE A FLASH. WE PUT ON NIGHT GOGGLES,
AND THEN WE SAT THERE. AND THEN MAYBE EVERY MINUTE
OR LESS, ALL OF A SUDDEN
THERE'D BE MAYBE A BURST. WE DESCRIBED IT. SHEW! THEY ARE GOING BY
AT AN OUTRAGEOUS SPEED. PSHEW! GOLLY. Narrator:
THE GOGGLES RECORD THE FLASHES EXACTLY AS THE ASTRONAUTS
DESCRIBE THEM. SO WHAT ARE THEY? NASA's OFFICIAL EXPLANATION IS
THAT THE LIGHTS ARE COSMIC RAYS, HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLES
RIPPING THROUGH SPACE NEAR THE SPEED OF LIGHT, BOMBARDING THE ASTRONAUTS
AND THEIR CRAFT. BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN. EVEN NOW, NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN
WHY ASTRONAUTS SEE MORE STRANGE LIGHTS
WHILE MOVING AWAY FROM EARTH. FOR NOW,
IT REMAINS A COSMIC MYSTERY. WITH MILLIONS OF GALAXIES
AND BILLIONS OF STARS, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE,
ALIEN LIFE MUST EXIST. BUT WHAT IF EXTRATERRESTRIALS
ARE ALREADY HERE? MARTIAN HORDES
INVADE THE EARTH... [ SCREAMING ] ...BRINGING DEATH
AND DESTRUCTION. [ SCREAMING ] "WAR OF THE WORLDS"
MADE US RE-THINK OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE. IT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY STARTED TO THINK,
"WE MIGHT NOT BE ALONE." Narrator:
WE HAVE LONG BEEN FASCINATED WITH THE POSSIBILITY
OF LIFE ON THE RED PLANET. ONCE WE START DISCOVERING LIFE
IN PLACES LIKE MARS, THAT MEANS THAT INHOSPITABLE
PLANETS CAN ACTUALLY HOST LIFE. AND THAT REALLY OPENS UP
THE UNIVERSE TO US. Man:
INVADERS FROM MARS. Narrator:
DOES NASA HAVE EVIDENCE THAT INVADERS FROM MARS HAVE
ALREADY LANDED ON PLANET EARTH? GEE WHIZ! ANTARCTICA. MINUS 50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. A HARDENED TEAM TREK
ACROSS THE FROZEN WASTELAND, SEARCHING FOR INTRUDERS
FROM OUTER SPACE. THE U.S. RUNS EXPEDITIONS
EVERY YEAR DOWN TO ANTARCTICA TO LOOK FOR METEORITES. MOSTLY BLACK ROCKS SITTING
ON EITHER THE WHITE SNOW OR THE BLUE ICE. Narrator:
IN THE ALLAN HILLS, EXPEDITION MEMBER SCOTT SANFORD
IS DRAWN TO ONE VERY STRANGE LUMP
OF ROCK. THEY FIND THIS POTATO-SHAPED
ROCK, AND IT WAS GREEN. Narrator:
THE TEAM HAVE NEVER SEEN
A ROCK LIKE THIS BEFORE. THEY TAG IT, BAG IT, AND SEND IT
TO NASA FOR ANALYSIS. THE METEORITE IS LOGGED
AS 84001. Dr. Treiman: 84 FOR THE YEAR AND 01 BECAUSE IT WAS
THE FIRST ONE THEY OPENED UP OUT OF THE PACKAGE TO LOOK AT. Garvie: THIS METEORITE
IS LIKE A LITTLE BOOK. YOU KNOW, YOU OPEN IT UP
AND WE, AS SCIENTISTS, ARE READING THAT BOOK
BY LOOKING AT THE CHEMISTRY AND THE STRUCTURE
AND THE ISOTOPES AND UNDERSTANDING
ITS EARLY HISTORY. Narrator:
THE ROCK IS OLD -- VERY OLD -- AND IT LOOKS DIFFERENT
BECAUSE IT'S NOT OF THIS WORLD. WHAT THEY HAVE IN FRONT OF THEM IS AN ANCIENT PIECE
OF MARTIAN ROCK, A TIME CAPSULE
FROM ANOTHER PLANET. THE METEORITE,
ALLAN HILLS 84001, IS ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING
AS ONE OF THE OLDEST METEORITES THAT WE'VE EVER UNCOVERED
FROM MARS, DATING BACK TO A PERIOD ON MARS
WHEN THERE WAS WATER. Narrator:
16 MILLION YEARS AGO, A MASSIVE METEORITE SMASHES
INTO ANCIENT MARS. Garvie: IF WE HAVE
A LARGE ENOUGH IMPACT ON MARS, THE IMPACT ITSELF
WILL EJECT MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF MARS
BACK OUT INTO SPACE. Narrator: PLANETARY DEBRIS
SPIRALS INTO SPACE AND CRASH LANDS ON EARTH. NOW THIS FIVE-POUND
CHUNK OF ROCK HAS BECOME A WINDOW INTO A TIME WHEN MARS HAD OCEANS
JUST LIKE EARTH. BUT ASTONISHINGLY,
NASA HALTS THEIR STUDY, LOCKING THE ROCK AWAY. ITS SECRETS REMAIN HIDDEN... UNTIL NINE YEARS LATER WHEN ANOTHER RESEARCH TEAM
DECIDES TO REVISIT IT. Garvie: SO, HERE'S A ROCK
THAT'S BEEN SITTING THERE, LYING PRETTY MUCH UN-STUDIED
FOR A DECADE. AND SUDDENLY PEOPLE REALIZE THERE'S SOMETHING
REALLY UNUSUAL ABOUT THIS STONE. Narrator:
BELIEVING THAT ITS COMPOSITION MIGHT HELP EXPLAIN
HOW MARS FORMED, THE TEAM SPLITS THE ROCK OPEN. THEY FIND SOMETHING
TRULY ASTONISHING. CONCEALED IN THE ROCK
IS WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE FOSSILIZED REMAINS
OF A WEIRD, WORM-LIKE CREATURE, EVIDENCE OF AN ALIEN LIFE FORM THAT TRAVELED FROM MARS
TO EARTH. Garvie: THIS IS
THE FIRST CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE LIFE FROM SPACE. I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN SPECULATING
ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. BUT HERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE
SOMETHING FROM ANOTHER PLANET THAT LOOKS
LIKE IT HAD LIFE IN IT. THIS IS IT, THE REAL THING. [ CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING ] IT'S FRONT-PAGE NEWS
ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE PRESIDENT GOES ON LIVE TV
AND SAYS, "IT MAY NOT JUST BE US." IF THIS DISCOVERY IS CONFIRMED,
IT WILL SURELY BE ONE OF THE MOST STUNNING
INSIGHTS INTO OUR UNIVERSE
THAT SCIENCE HAS EVER UNCOVERED. ITS IMPLICATIONS ARE AS
FAR-REACHING AND AWE-INSPIRING AS CAN BE IMAGINED. Narrator: BUT DEFINITIVE PROOF
THAT THIS IS AN ALIEN LIFE FORM REMAINS ELUSIVE. WHEN THE ANALYSIS OF THE MARS
METEORITE WAS FIRST DONE, IT GOT A LOT OF CRITICISM
FROM PEOPLE SAYING, "WELL, IT'S BEEN ON EARTH
FOR A LONG TIME, "LAYING IN ANTARCTICA. THIS COULD ALL BE
CONTAMINATION." ACTUALLY,
THERE IS A WAY TO TEST THAT. IT'S POSSIBLE NOWADAYS TO TAKE A LITTLE BITTY SLICE
OF THAT ROCK OUT AND LOOK AT OUR LITTLE BUG
IN CROSS-SECTION. BUT THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM
FOR ME, AT LEAST, THAT THERE'S A WAY TO TEST
THIS IDEA, THAT THE BUGS ARE BIOLOGICAL
OR WHETHER THEY'RE ARTIFACTS, AND IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE. SO, I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I DON'T KNOW WHY. I DO NOT KNOW. [ CHUCKLES ] Narrator:
SCIENTISTS CONTINUE TO DEBATE IF 84001 CONTAINS
FOSSILIZED LIFE FORMS FROM MARS. BUT THERE<i> ARE</i> OTHER SPACE ROCKS
OUT THERE. AND WHO KNOWS
WHAT THEY MIGHT CONTAIN? NEXT... <i> COLUMBIA</i> ASTRONAUTS SEE
A FAMILIAR BLACK SHAPE. WE HAVE SOMETHING
RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. Narrator: IT'S BEEN SEEN
AND REPORTED COUNTLESS TIMES IN DIFFERENT PLACES
BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. HANGING, HOVERING IN THE SKY,
A BIZARRE BLACK TRIANGLE. PEOPLE ARE SEEING TRIANGULAR
AIRCRAFT OR VEHICLES IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYWHERE
NOWADAYS. Woman:
WHAT THE [BLEEP] IS THAT? Woman #2:
HAVE YOU GOT IT ON THERE? YEAH. THERE'S BEEN OVER 10,000
SIGHTINGS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. Narrator: CAN ALL THESE
SIGHTINGS BE DISMISSED AS SECRET STEALTH PLANES
SPYING IN THE SKY? OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE? Man:
IT'S A WEIRD-LOOKING THING. WE BELIEVE
THAT UFOs ARE FROM OUTER SPACE. Narrator: THE BLACK TRIANGLE
HAD ONLY BEEN SEEN FROM EARTH UNTIL 1986
WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED. JANUARY 12, 1986. MAN: Minus 10.
Go for engine start. Narrator: LAUNCH
OF SPACE SHUTTLE<i> COLUMBIA.</i> MAN: We have ignition.
We have lift off. Narrator:
IT'S HOOT GIBSON'S FIRST MISSION
AS SHUTTLE COMMANDER. Gibson:
AS THE COMMANDER, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE QUITE A BIT
OF ADRENALINE RUNNING. YOU CAN'T BE
MORE THAN THREE DEGREES OFF OR THE VEHICLE
WILL BE DESTROYED. Narrator:
BUT THINGS QUICKLY GO WRONG. WE WERE CHASING MALFUNCTIONS
ALL THE WAY TO ORBIT. MAN: Roger. We copy. Narrator: NUMEROUS SYSTEMS FAIL
WHILE HOOT FIGHTS HARD TO GET HIS CREW
SAFELY INTO SPACE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENGINES
SHUT DOWN AND YOU'RE WEIGHTLESS. EVERYTHING'S FLOATING. Narrator:
IN SPACE IN ONE PIECE. BUT THEN HE SEES
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED. I SAID,
"HEY, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. WE HAVE SOMETHING
OUT THE WINDOW." IT'S JUST RIGHT OUTSIDE
THE WINDOW. IT WAS A TRIANGULAR OBJECT
THAT WE SAW. IT WAS FAIRLY THIN, ALMOST LIKE A WEDGE OF PIE
OR A WEDGE OF PIZZA. WE TALKED TO MISSION CONTROL
ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HELP US WITH THINGS THAT MIGHT BE
A PROBLEM. IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG,
YOU'RE REENTERING RIGHT NOW. Narrator:
THE IMAGES HIT THE PUBLIC EYE. THE BLACK TRIANGLE IN SPACE. NASA's JIM OBERG
DOESN'T BUY THE IDEA OF SECRET MILITARY
STEALTH AIRCRAFT. THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD
BE FLOWN NEAR A SPACE SHUTTLE WITHOUT THE PEOPLE
AT MISSION CONTROL KNOWING THAT IS NOT GONNA BE ALLOWED. THERE'S NO VALUE TO IT
TO THE MILITARY OR TO NASA AND THERE'S A LOT OF HAZARDS
TO IT. SO, I THINK THAT IDEA IS ONE
THAT, AFTER CONSIDERATION, CAN PRETTY EASILY BE ELIMINATED. Narrator: BUT IT'S SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN THE OBJECT AND THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED
BLACK TRIANGLES THAT MAKE IT SO INTRIGUING. HOOT REMAINS CAUTIOUS. FOR ONE THING,
IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO JUDGE SCALE AND DISTANCE
IN THE EMPTINESS OF SPACE. THE INTERESTING THING
ABOUT THE PHOTO THAT WAS TOOK IS THAT THIS COULD BE A VERY
LARGE OBJECT VERY FAR AWAY OR IT COULD BE A SMALL OBJECT
VERY CLOSE. Narrator:
FOR 27 YEARS, THE SIGHTING
REMAINS A DEEP MYSTERY. THEN IN 2013, NASA RELEASES
A HIGHER DEFINITION IMAGE OF THE TRIANGLE IN SPACE. WITH SHARPENED CONTOURS, NASA AND HOOT BELIEVE THEY CAN
FINALLY IDENTIFY THE OBJECT. IT WAS A SMALL PIECE OF BLACK
TILE THAT CAME OFF OF<i> COLUMBIA.</i> Narrator:
IT MAY BE A SMALL TILE, BUT TO ANYONE ON BOARD
A SHUTTLE, SEEING A PIECE
OF FLOATING INSULATION IS JUST AS ALARMING
AS ANY ALIEN ENCOUNTER. IN 2003, DAMAGE
TO THE SHUTTLE'S INSULATION LED TO<i> COLUMBIA'S</i> DESTRUCTION
DURING REENTRY. TRAGICALLY,<i>
COLUMBIA'S</i> CREW OF SEVEN DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE BREACH
IN THE SHIP'S PROTECTIVE SKIN. Oberg: NOBODY SAW IT. THEY WERE LOOKING
AT OTHER THINGS AND UN-WARNED. THE ASTRONAUTS
AND MISSION CONTROL DID NOT KNOW THAT THE SHUTTLE
HAD BEEN LETHALLY DAMAGED, AND THE CREW WAS LOST
DURING REENTRY. Narrator:
WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT, THE SINISTER BLACK TRIANGLE SEEN
IN 1986 MAY HAVE BEEN
AN EARLY WARNING SIGN FOR THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM. NASA's CONTINUING MISSION
TO EXPLORE SPACE HAS FORCED US TO LOOK AT OUR OWN
UNIVERSE WITH NEW EYES -- ALIEN ENVIRONMENTS,
ALIEN OBJECTS, FORCES BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION. WE CONTINUE TO UNCOVER MYSTERIES LURKING IN THE DARKEST RECESSES
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. MANY REMAIN UNEXPLAINED.
