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. TAKING RISKS
IS PART OF MAKING DISCOVERY. SPACE EXPLORATION IS LIKE
LIGHTING A MATCH, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT
LURKS IN THE SHADOWS. THERE COULD BE ANYTHING
OUT THERE. Narrator: STRANGE FLYING OBJECTS
ON THE MOON AND MARS. SOMETHING UP THERE
IS SABOTAGING OR IS TRYING TO SABOTAGE
THE, UH, MIR SPACE STATION. Narrator: INTELLIGENT LIGHTNING
AND ABANDONED SPACE STATIONS... [ BEEP ] UNEXPECTED INTRUDERS
LURKING IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM... OR ALIEN CRAFT
POWERED BY NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS. IT'S REALLY
QUITE ASTONISHING. THIS OBJECT IS NOT
ON ITS OWN IN THE SKY. THERE'S SOMETHING WITH IT. Narrator: NASA's MISSIONS
UNCOVER DISTURBING EVIDENCE... MAN: Okay, we're seeing
three or four objects. MAN: Yeah, there are --
there are three objects. Narrator:
...THAT CONTINUES TO PERPLEX OUR FINEST SCIENTIFIC MINDS. THIS IS A JOURNEY
INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY... INTO "NASA's UNEXPLAINED FILES." CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS Narrator: JULY, 19, 1969. AS "APOLLO 11"
MAKES ITS FINAL APPROACH TO THE MOON, MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS
APPEAR, DAZZLING THE ASTRONAUTS. EVEN THE HARSHEST CRITIC DISCOVERED THE FACT
THIS WAS REAL. THEY ACTUALLY DID SEE
SOMETHING. Narrator:
NASA THINKS IT'S MOON DEBRIS. IT HAD TO BE SOMETHING ELSE. IT'S --
IT REALLY IS A MYSTERY. IS THERE SOMETHING THERE THEY DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC
TO KNOW? [ STATIC ] Narrator: JUST HOURS
BEFORE NASA ASTRONAUTS TAKE MAN'S FIRST STEPS
ON THE MOON, ASTRONOMERS IN GERMANY
REPORT A STRANGE LIGHT COMING FROM
THE ARISTARCHUS CRATER. [ BEEPING, STATIC ] Narrator:
MISSION CONTROL IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE ASTRONAUTS
TO INVESTIGATE. [ STATIC ] Narrator: WHAT "APOLLO 11"
SEES DEFIES EXPLANATION. THE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS
SEE THIS GLOW IN -- IN -- IN THIS CRATER. THEY'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION
BACK AND FORTH WITH CapCom, AND THEY MENTION THAT SUDDENLY
THERE'S INTERFERENCE, THERE'S STATIC,
AND THEN THERE'S SILENCE. [ ALARM SOUNDING ] [ FREQUENCIES WHIZZING ] Narrator:
THE LIVE MISSION BROADCAST DISAPPEARS FOR 89 TENSE SECONDS. IS NASA DELIBERATELY
CUTTING OUT A PUBLIC FEED 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT US
TO KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS ON THE MOON
THAT SHOULDN'T BE? Narrator: NASA ASTRONAUT
CHARLES DUKE DOESN'T THINK SO. HE WAS PART OF THE SHIFT
AT MISSION CONTROL IN THE HOURS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
THE INCIDENT. I WAS THE ONLY GUY TALKING
TO THEM FOR EIGHT HOURS 'TIL WE LANDED ON THE MOON. I DON'T REMEMBER ANY BIG
DISCUSSION ABOUT TRANSIENT... IS THERE SOMETHING THERE THEY DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC
TO KNOW? Narrator: IT'S AN ISSUE THAT'S FASCINATED
LUNAR SCIENTIST PETER SCHULTZ FOR DECADES. I SAW SOMETHING ON THE MOON
MANY YEARS -- 40, 50 YEARS AGO, AND REALIZED
IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO PUBLISH ANYTHING
ABOUT THIS. IT WAS TERRIBLY CONTROVERSIAL.
IT COULD RUIN A CAREER. Narrator:
NASA CALLS THESE SIGHTINGS TRANSIENT LUNAR PHENOMENA, T.L.P. FOR SHORT. T.L.P. COULD BE SOMETHING OTHER
THAN NATURAL. THERE ARE A LOT OF
TRANSIENT EVENTS ON THE MOON, BUT I CAN'T COMMENT
SPECIFICALLY. SOMETIMES IT'S ON.
SOMETIMES IT'S OFF, AND IF IT'S ARTIFICIAL, THAT WOULD BELIE
ALL OF THE STORIES ABOUT THE MOON BEING
A DEAD CELESTIAL BODY. Narrator:
NASA's OFFICIAL POSITION IS THAT ARISTARCHUS GLISTENS BECAUSE IT CONTAINS
REFLECTIVE DUST. BUT PETER SHULTZ CLAIMS THE SUN
WASN'T IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO REFLECT OFF THE CRATER
WHEN "APOLLO 11" SAW IT. ARISTARCHUS WAS
IN THE NIGHT TIME WHEN THE ASTRONAUTS FROM
"APOLLO 11" WENT OVER IT. SO IT CAN'T BE A GLINT
OFF THE SUN. IT HAD TO BE SOMETHING ELSE. IT'S --
IT REALLY IS A MYSTERY. Narrator: SOLAR GLINT REMAINS
NASA's OFFICIAL EXPLANATION, ALTHOUGH NOT EVERYONE AGREES. PEOPLE WERE FIRED BECAUSE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO LOOK
FOR THOSE TRANSIENT PHENOMENA. AMAZING. SO ALL THESE REPORTS,
ALL THESE ASTRONOMERS WHO SAID THEY SAW SOMETHING
AND NOBODY BELIEVED THEM -- THEY WERE PROBABLY RIGHT. [ STATIC, PINGING ] Narrator: ARISTARCHUS
WAS THE FIRST OF MANY SIGHTINGS THAT MAKE MOON WATCHERS
THINK THERE'S MORE TO OUR NEAREST NEIGHBOR
THAN MEETS THE EYE. EVEN TODAY, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE
ARTIFACTS ON THE MOON -- THINGS LEFT BY SOCIETIES. I MEAN,
THINK OF THE MOVIE "2001," THERE'S A BIG MONOLITH
ON THE MOON. Narrator: EARTH'S MOON
MAY STILL HIDE SECRETS, BUT MARS' LARGEST MOON
MIGHT ITSELF BE THE BIGGEST MYSTERY
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. THE DATA THAT WE RETRIEVED
FROM PHOBOS MAKES IT SEEM AS THOUGH PHOBOS
IS HOLLOW. THERE HAVE BEEN THOUGHTS
THAT IT MIGHT BE THE REMNANTS OF A HUGE SPACE STATION. IF THAT WERE TRUE, HOLY COW,
THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. [ STATIC ] Narrator: SMALL, FAST,
AND IMPOSSIBLY LOW -- PHOBOS STREAKS JUST 5,800
MILES ABOVE THE SURFACE OF MARS, AND ITS ORBIT IS SHRINKING. ASTRONOMISTS CALCULATE
THAT PHOBOS WILL COLLIDE WITH THE PLANET
IN THE NEXT 10 MILLION YEARS -- A BLINK OF AN EYE
IN ASTRONOMICAL TIME, AND THAT POSES
SOME DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. IN -- IN ASTRONOMY, YOU HAVE
SOMETHING THAT WILL ONLY LAST FOR 10 MILLION YEARS, IT'S NOT FROM THE FORMATION
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. IT'S SOMETHING MORE RECENT. HOW DO YOU GET
THAT MORE RECENT THING? HOW DID PHOBOS GET CAPTURED
INTO AN ORBIT AROUND MARS? Narrator: IN 1958, RUSSIAN ASTROPHYSICIST
YOSEF SLAVSKI ASKED THE SAME THING. WHEN HE MEASURED
THE ORBITAL VELOCITY OF PHOBOS, HE MADE
AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY. TO HIS SURPRISE,
THE MOON CHANGES SPEED, BUT THERE WAS MORE. IT WAS HIS INVESTIGATION --
HIS RESEARCH INTO PHOBOS THAT SUGGESTED THE IDEA
THAT PHOBOS WAS HOLLOW, AND THAT IS SO TANTALIZING
FOR EXPERTS AT NASA THAT, THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE REASONS
WE WERE DRIVEN TO MARS -- JUST TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY
THAT MARS HAD A HOLLOW MOON. Narrator:
BECAUSE IF PHOBIS IS HOLLOW, THAT OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW SET
OF POSSIBILITIES. IF INDEED IT'S HOLLOW, THAT CERTAINLY MEANS
SOMEBODY PUT IT UP. WHY WOULD YOU EVEN WANT
TO BUILD A HOLLOW MOON
IN MARS' ORBIT ANYWAY? A REFUELING STATION?
A JUMPING OFF POINT? IF I WERE INVOLVED IN SETTING
PRIORITIES FOR NASA, I WOULD BE INTERESTED
IN PHOBOS TOO. NASA's BUDGET, -- A LOT
OF THAT BUDGET IS BLACK BUDGET. IT'S A SECRET BUDGET. IT'S DOING MISSIONS
FOR THE MILITARY AND DOING MISSIONS
FOR THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. BUT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE,
ONE OF THOSE MISSIONS HAS TO BE
TO EXPLORE CELESTIAL BODIES -- MOONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY
HOLLOW ON THE INSIDE. WHOEVER GETS TO PHOBOS FIRST
MAY STAND TO WIN POINTS WITH WHATEVER INTELLIGENCE
PUT IT UP. Narrator: LANDING ON PHOBOS IS
A MASSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL HURDLE THAT NO HUMAN AGENCY
HAS SO FAR MANAGED TO JUMP. INTERESTING THAT EVERY TIME WE TRY TO SEND SOMETHING
TO PHOBOS, IT FAILS FOR SOME REASON. MAYBE SOMETHING'S STOPPING US
FROM GETTING THERE. Narrator: PERHAPS OUR FIRST
SUCCESSFUL MISSION TO PHOBOS WILL SIGNIFY A MAJOR MILESTONE
FOR HUMANKIND AND ANYONE ELSE WHO'S WATCHING. BUT ASTRONOMER JJ KAVELAARS IS NOT CONVINCED THAT PHOBIS
IS ARTIFICIAL. WHEN WE DO SPECTROSCOPY
OF PHOBOS' SURFACE. [ COMPUTER BEEPING ] WE SEE THAT IT'S MADE FROM THE SAME SORT OF THING AS
THE ASTEROIDS ARE MADE FROM. SO THIS GIVES
A PRETTY GOOD INDICATION OF WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. IF IT WAS
A MORE EXOTIC MATERIAL, YOU WOULD DETECT THAT. Narrator:
IF PHOBOS IS AN ASTEROID, HOW<i> CAN</i> IT BE HOLLOW? PHOBOS IS BASICALLY MADE UP OF A BUNCH OF BOULDERS
AND LOOSELY AGGREGATED DUST. AND SO THERE'S LOTS OF VOIDS,
SPACE, BETWEEN THE ROCKS. AND SO THE DENSITY
OF THE OBJECT ITSELF IS REALLY QUITE LOW COMPARED TO
THE ROCKS THAT IT'S MADE FROM. Narrator: NASA BELIEVES
THAT OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS, THE PULL OF GRAVITY HAS DRAWN
BITS OF ORBITAL DEBRIS TOGETHER. PHOBOS IS JUST A BIG PILE
OF ROCKS. DEFINITELY NOT
A SPACE STATION. PHOBOS IS NOT
A SPACE STATION. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT PHOBOS CAN'T<i> BECOME</i>
A GREAT SPACE STATION. IT IS PERFECTLY LOCATED TO BE THE BASE FROM WHICH
WE CAN EXPLORE MARS, POSSIBLY OCCUPY MARS. IF PHOBOS ISN'T
A SPACE STATION YET, DON'T WORRY. IT WILL BE. Narrator: WE'RE A LONG WAY
FROM PUTTING A MAN ON MARS, BUT NASA's LATEST MISSION
SUGGESTS THAT SOMETHING OR<i> SOMEONE</i>
HAS ALREADY BEEN THERE. WE FINALLY LAND ROVERS
ON MARS, AND WHAT'S THE FIRST THING
WE SEE? TWO OBJECTS FLYING AWAY. WE GO 5 MILLION MILES, AND WE SEE U.F.O.s
FLY OVER MARS. Narrator:
AS NASA's CURIOSITY ROVER BEGINS A NEW ERA
IN MARS EXPLORATION... IT'S A REAL MAJOR LIFE EVENT
FOR EVERYBODY AROUND YOU. Narrator: ASTONISHING FOOTAGE
LEAVES SCIENTISTS STUNNED. WE GET NOT JUST ONE,
BUT A DOUBLE U.F.O. SIGHTING. DOESN'T THAT STRIKE YOU
AS ODD? Narrator: AUGUST 6, 2012 -- DEPUTY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
JIM BELL WAITS AS NASA's INNOVATIVE
NEW SKY CRANE LANDING SYSTEM LOWERS THE CURIOSITY ROVER
ONTO THE SURFACE OF MARS. THERE'S THIS IMMENSE WAVE
OF RELIEF THAT KIND OF WASHES
OVER EVERYBODY. [ CHEERING ] Narrator:
AFTER AN 8-MONTH WAIT, SCIENTISTS WILL FINALLY SEE
THE FIRST HIGH RESOLUTION PICTURES
OF THE RED PLANET. BUT THE IMAGES THAT GRAB
THE WORLD'S ATTENTION SUGGEST CURIOSITY HAS COMPANY. WE'VE WANTED SO LONG TO BE
ON MARS LOOKING AROUND. WE'VE GOT CURIOSITY THERE. WE FLIP ON THE CAMERAS.
WHAT DO WE SEE? VERY FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS --
TWO FLYING OBJECTS. Narrator: AN EERIE CLOUD-LIKE
SHAPE HOVERS ON THE HORIZON, AND THAT'S NOT ALL. MOVING ACROSS THE CLOUD, A WHITE OBJECT
TRAVELS AT HIGH SPEED. A DOUBLE U.F.O. SIGHTING --
THAT SEEMS VERY STRANGE TO ME. MIGHT BE WHAT YOU'D EXPECT
IF THERE WERE BEINGS PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT
WE'RE DOING IN OUTER SPACE. Narrator: A THEORY EMERGES THAT THE WHITE DOT COULD BE
A SNAPSHOT OF EITHER DEIMOS OR PHOBOS,
THE MOONS OF MARS. BUT BELL ISN'T CONVINCED. WHAT'S ACTUALLY SEEN
IN THOSE PICTURES OR THE RIGHT SPEED
OR THE RIGHT BRIGHTNESS TO BE EITHER PHOBOS OR DEIMOS,
MARS' OTHER MOON. Narrator: FOR JIM BELL, THE VERY MOVEMENT OF THE OBJECT
IS A PROBLEM. [ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING ] BECAUSE THE FIRST PICTURE
CURIOSITY TOOK AFTER LANDING WAS NOT A MOVING IMAGE. WE TOOK A FEW PICTURES
WITH THE CURIOSITY CAMERAS RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME. BUT WE DIDN'T TAKE
A TIME-LAPSE SERIES OF -- OF IMAGES. WE DIDN'T TAKE A MOVIE
WITH THOSE CAMERAS. Narrator:
CURIOSITY'S HAZARD CAMERA TOOK ONLY EIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS
AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING, AND ALL OF THEM
WERE STILL IMAGES. [ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS ] [ WHIRRING ] SO IF A DOT
IS MOVING ACROSS THE PICTURE, IT HAS TO HAVE BEEN
ADDED LATER. THIS IMAGE IS JUST THAT --
ONE IMAGE. SO HOW CAN YOU HAVE A MOVIE
FROM JUST ONE IMAGE? Narrator:
ASTRONOMER MARC D'ANTONIO IS ALSO
A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE ANALYST. HE CAN PROVE JUST HOW EASY IT IS
TO DOCTOR A PICTURE LIKE THIS. [ CLICK ] I'VE TAKEN THIS SIMILAR IMAGE TAKEN OF THE BILLOWING CLOUD
ON THE HORIZON. YOU SEE IT JUST THERE,
RIGHT THERE ON THE HORIZON. AND I'VE ADDED
A U.F.O. OF MY OWN. AND WHEN I HIT
THE "PLAY" BUTTON, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT
MOVING ACROSS, AND THEN OFF IT GOES. IT DISAPPEARS
AND IT GOES BEHIND THAT PART OF THE STRUCTURE
OF THE ROVER. BUT I ADDED THAT IN.
IT'S ALL FAKE. [ CLICKS ] Narrator: IT'S THAT EASY
TO ALTER NASA's FOOTAGE. WE POST OUR IMAGES
ON THE INTERNET IN ALMOST REAL TIME. ANYONE IN THE WORLD
CAN DOWNLOAD THEM, AND IF YOU WANNA GO IN AND CHANGE THE BRIGHTNESS
OF SOME PIXELS AND DUPLICATE THE IMAGES
AND MAKE A LITTLE TIME-LAP, IT'S POSSIBLE. PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOOD WITH IMAGE PROCESSING SOFTWARE
RIGHT NOW. Narrator:
ONE FINAL PIECE OF PROOF IS THE CLOUD SEEN BILLOWING
ON THE HORIZON. THE CLOUD
WASN'T MOVING AT ALL, AND THAT WAS A PROBLEM FOR ME
'CAUSE THAT MADE ME FEEL LIKE, WELL, THIS IS CLEARLY A HOAX. Narrator: YET THAT DOESN'T
EXPLAIN THE PRESENCE OF THE CLOUD IN THE FIRST PLACE. SOMETHING MUST HAVE CAUSED IT. FOR THE ANSWER TO THIS,
JIM BELL BELIEVES WE NEED TO STUDY THE EVENTS
LEADING UP TO THE LANDING. MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES THINK
THAT WE SORT OF ACCIDENTALLY CAPTURED THE -- THE CRASH AND
THE EXPLOSION OF THE SKY CRANE. THIS WHOLE PACKAGE FLIES AWAY
OFF TO THE HORIZON, STILL HAS A WHOLE BUNCH
OF FUEL ON IT, AND AS IT HITS THE GROUND,
THAT FUEL EXPLODES, CREATES THIS BIG PLUME AND -- AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE SEEING IN THOSE IMAGES. Narrator: BUT NOT EVERYONE ACCEPTS
THE SKY CRANE EXPLANATION. IT'S TOO SIMPLISTIC.
TOO EASY. I THINK
WE WOULD CERTAINLY KNOW IF THE SKY CRANE WAS GOING AWAY
AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO IT. WE'D KNOW ABOUT THAT. Narrator: TO DATE, NASA HAS
OFFERED NO OFFICIAL EXPLANATION FOR THE ANOMALY. PERHAPS WE NEED
TO LOOK FARTHER AFIELD FOR SIGNS OF ALIEN ACTIVITY. FAR OUT
IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS, SCIENTISTS HAVE SPOTTED
SOMETHING THAT RAISES
INTRIGUING POSSIBILITIES. WHEN WE SEE HIGH-ENERGY RADIATION
COMING FROM DEEP SPACE, YOU KNOW, ONE POSSIBILITY IS, WELL, MAYBE THAT'S
SOMEBODY ELSE'S NUCLEAR ROCKET. [ WHOOSHES ] IT'S THE MOST AWESOME
SURFING EXPERIENCE YOU CAN IMAGINE. [ CLICK ] Narrator: NASA's SCIENTISTS
DETECT STRANGE X-RAY SIGNALS IN A NEIGHBORING GALAXY. MAYBE THAT'S SOMEBODY ELSE'S
NUCLEAR ROCKET. Narrator: COULD THEY BE TRACES
OF AN ALIEN STAR DRIVE? DUMPING NUCLEAR BOMBS
OUT THE REAR HATCH AND RIDING THE WAVE. IT NEEDS
FURTHER INVESTIGATION. [ STATIC ] Narrator: 2010 --
NASA's CHANDRA OBSERVATORY DETECTS AN X-RAY SIGNATURE
IN A NEIGHBORING GALAXY CLUSTER KNOWN AS
THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD. [ STATIC ] Narrator: ASTRONOMERS INITIALLY
INTERPRET THE X-RAY AS A PULSAR. PULSARS ARE
SPINNING NEUTRON STARS, AND THEY RESULT FROM
THE COLLAPSE OF MASSIVE STARS. Narrator:
WHEN THE STAR COLLAPSES, ALL OF ITS MASS CONCENTRATES
INTO A TINY SPHERE -- THE PULSAR. IT'S CALLED PULSAR
BECAUSE WHEN THESE VERY, VERY DENSE OBJECTS
ROTATE, THEY EMIT X-RAYS IN PULSES. Narrator: BUT THIS PULSAR
IS BEHAVING VERY WEIRDLY. THE OBJECT TAKES 18 MINUTES
TO ROTATE, WAY LONGER
THAN ANY PULSAR SHOULD. TO HAVE A PULSAR THAT ROTATES
AT ONLY 18 MINUTES, WITH A PERIOD OF 18 MINUTES
IS PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE. THE DATA THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT
DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. [ STATIC ] Narrator:
IF THE SIGNAL ISN'T A PULSAR, WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE? WHEN WE SEE
HIGH-ENERGY RADIATION COMING FROM DEEP SPACE, YOU KNOW, ONE POSSIBILITY IS WELL, MAYBE THAT'S
SOMEBODY ELSE'S NUCLEAR ROCKET. [ STATIC ] Narrator: A NUCLEAR ROCKET
THAT EXPLODES REGULARLY EVERY 18 MINUTES
MIGHT SOUND UNLIKELY, BUT THE PHYSICS MAKES SENSE. [ STATIC ] IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REACTION, ACCORDING
TO NEWTON'S SECOND LAW. ONE WAY TO DO THAT
IS TO BURN CHEMICAL FUEL IN OUR ROCKETS
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. ANOTHER IS TO DROP
LITTLE BOMBS BEHIND YOURSELF AND JUST EXPLODE THEM AND LET THE EXPLOSION
PUSH YOU FORWARD. EARLY IN THE SPACE AGE, IT WAS THOUGHT THAT WE COULD
DO THAT WITH ATOMIC BOMBS. RADIATION WOULD PUSH ON
THE PLATE BEHIND THE SPACECRAFT AND THEN MOVE IT FORWARD. [ EXPLOSIONS ] PUSHING THEM, BAM, BAM, BAM,
THROUGH SPACE. [ EXPLOSIONS ] YOU'RE DUMPING
NUCLEAR BOMBS OUT THE REAR HATCH
AND RIDING THE WAVE. IT'S THE MOST AWESOME SURFING
EXPERIENCE YOU CAN IMAGINE. Narrator: IT SOUNDS LIKE
SCIENCE FICTION, BUT IT ISN'T. [ STATIC ] FOOTAGE FROM
A TOP SECRET 1950s PROJECT SHOWS THAT NASA WAS SERIOUSLY
CONSIDERING USING ATOMIC BOMBS AS A METHOD OF PROPULSION. THE SCHEME
WAS CALLED PROJECT ORION. [ EXPLOSIONS ] THERE WAS TALK OF USING
AN ATOMIC BOMB TO MOVE A PRE-FORMED COLONY THE SIZE OF
THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING TO MARS. THERE WAS
SERIOUS DISCUSSION OF IT, AND ON PAPER IT WOULD WORK. [ STATIC ] ONE DESIGN, UH, ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD USE NUCLEAR BOMBS,
UH, EVEN AT THE LAUNCH, AND THEREFORE THERE WOULD BE
SEVERAL NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE. [ EXPLOSION ] Narrator: PROJECT ORION WAS
EVENTUALLY ABANDONED IN 1964 BECAUSE
OF NUCLEAR TEST TREATIES. BUT HUMAN TREATIES WOULDN'T KEEP
OTHER CIVILIZATIONS FROM USING THE TECHNOLOGY. IF WE WERE TO SEE A SIGNAL
FROM THAT FAR AWAY, IT WOULD REQUIRE A CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNT OF ENERGY -- MUCH LARGER THAN
ANY NUCLEAR BOMB THAT WE COULD EVER PRODUCE. IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THIS SIGNAL
WAS INDEED PRODUCED BY AN ADVANCED CIVILIZATION. Narrator: IF THIS IS NOT
AN ALIEN ORION DRIVE, SCIENTISTS HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE POTENTIAL PULSARS'
STRANGE BEHAVIOR. CURRENTLY, WE DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY IT'S SPINNING THIS SLOWLY. BUT THE THEORY IS THAT IN SOME WAY ITS INTERACTION
WITH A COMPANION STAR IS ACTUALLY SLOWING IT DOWN
RATHER THAN SPEEDING IT UP. IT'S STILL SOMETHING
THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND. IF THIS IS A PULSAR, IT'S NOT ACTING LIKE
ANY PULSAR WE'VE EVER SEEN. IT'S UNIQUE SOMEHOW
IN THE UNIVERSE OR AT LEAST
TO OUR PERCEPTION, BUT IT GOES EXACTLY
LIKE WHAT I WOULD EXPECT A PROJECT ORION DRIVE
TO BEHAVE. EVERY TIME WE SEE SOMETHING THAT'S CREEPILY,
STRANGELY REGULAR, IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE A CORNER
OF OUR BRAIN THAT SAYS, "WHAT IF SOMEBODY
MEANT THAT TO HAPPEN?" Narrator: UP NEXT... [ THUNDERCLAP ] WHAT IF LIGHTNING
CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ITSELF? YOU SEE ONE FLASH ON ONE STORM,
AND ABOUT A FEW SECONDS LATER, YOU SEE ANOTHER FLASH
ON THE OTHER STORM. Narrator: SECRET SIGNS IN
THE SKY SUGGEST AN ALIEN CODE. THEY LOOK LIKE THEY WERE
ACTUALLY TALKING TO EACH OTHER. [ STATIC ] Narrator: ASTRONAUTS IN ORBIT
WITNESS A BAFFLING PHENOMENON UNDETECTABLE
FROM THE EARTH'S SURFACE. SOMETIMES WE'LL BE CONFRONTED
WITH THINGS THAT WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND,
THAT ARE JUST WEIRD. IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
GOING ON UP THERE. [ THUNDERCLAP ] Narrator: LIGHTNING STORMS
HUNDREDS OF MILES APART APPEAR TO COMMUNICATE
WITH EACH OTHER. THUNDERSTORM CELLS
ARE QUITE DISTANT. HOW COULD ONE STORM KNOW WHAT
THE OTHER STORM IS DOING? [ STATIC ] [ ALARM SOUNDING ] Narrator:
AFTER THE TRAGIC BREAKUP OF THE "COLUMBIA" SHUTTLE
DURING RE-ENTRY, NASA SCIENTISTS ANALYZE
THE FOOTAGE BEAMED BACK FROM ITS FINAL MISSION. THE ASTONISHING IMAGES
PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR SOMETHING ASTRONAUTS HAVE REPORTED SINCE
THE EARLY DAYS OF SPACE FLIGHT. WHEN YOU'RE UP IN ORBIT
200 MILES UP, AND YOU'RE LOOKING OUT
A THOUSAND MILES IN ANY PARTICULAR DIRECTION,
IT JUST SEEMS AMAZING TO ME THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS
GONNA SEE LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING STRIKES
ALL OVER THE PLANET MILLIONS OF TIMES A DAY. IT KILLS A LOT OF PEOPLE,
CAUSES A LOT OF DAMAGE. WE, IN SOME SENSE, KNOW HOW
THE INSIDE OF STARS WORK BETTER THAN HOW THE INSIDE
OF A THUNDERSTORM WORKS JUST A FEW MILES
OVER OUR HEADS. Narrator: ASTRONAUTS REPORT
BOLTS OF LIGHTNING HUNDREDS OF MILES APART, FLASHING IN PRECISELY
ORCHESTRATED SEQUENCES. ALL OF A SUDDEN,
SOMEWHERE THERE WOULD BE A-A LIGHTNING STRIKE, AND IT LOOKED LIKE
IT TRIGGERED A WHOLE SERIES
OF LIGHTNING STRIKES. A REAL CHAIN REACTION
TYPE OF THING. [ WHOOSH ] IT'S GOING... [ IMITATES LIGHTNING WHOOSHING ]
AND JUST SORT OF RUNNING OVER THE CLOUD AND --
AND DISCHARGING THE CLOUD. SO IT HAS A PATTERN,
YOU KNOW? IT WOULD SEEM TO WALK
ACROSS THE CLOUD LIKE THAT. Narrator:
WEATHER SPECIALIST SKEET VAUGHAN HAS A NAME
FOR THE UNCANNY PHENOMENON. HE CALLS IT
SYMPATHETIC LIGHTNING. OUR DEFINITION
OF SYMPATHETIC LIGHTNING WAS ARRIVED AT BECAUSE
WE SAW TWO BIG ELECTRICAL STORMS ABOUT 1,500 MILES APART. YOU SEE ONE FLASH ON ONE STORM,
AND ABOUT A FEW SECONDS LATER, YOU SEE ANOTHER FLASH
ON THE OTHER STORM. AND SO THEY LOOK LIKE
THEY WERE ACTUALLY TALKING
TO EACH OTHER. THIS IS HARD TO FIGURE OUT.
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? THUNDERSTORM CELLS
ARE QUITE DISTANT. UM, HOW COULD ONE STORM KNOW
WHAT THE OTHER STORM IS DOING? YOU WONDER
IF THESE TWO THINGS ARE SENDING COMMUNICATIONS
BACK AND FORTH. AND IT APPEARS THEY MAYBE --
MAYBE ARE. Narrator:
PHYSICIST STANTON FRIEDMAN WONDERS IF THERE IS
SOME OTHER EXPLANATION FOR THIS STRANGE PHENOMENON. [ ELECTRICITY SURGES ] I THINK THERE ARE REALLY
INTERESTING PHENOMENA HERE, AND WE'RE NOT BEING TOLD
ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. [ LIGHTNING STRIKING ] I THINK IF WE LOOK CAREFULLY
AT SOME OF THE REPORTS WE GET OF FLYING SAUCERS,
WE FIND ELECTRICAL ASPECTS. FOR EXAMPLE, COLOR IN THE REGION
AROUND THE CRAFT CHANGES AS IT
CHANGES DIRECTION. THE COLOR CHANGES
WHEN THE SPEED CHANGES. Narrator: THE PROCESS
OF HARNESSING ELECTRICITY TO IMPROVE FLIGHT
IS CALLED MAGNETO-AERODYNAMICS. THIS WOULD BE INTERACTIONS
OF CRAFT IN THE ATMOSPHERE, ELECTRICAL INTERACTIONS. [ STATIC, BEEP ] [ KEYBOARD KEYS CLICK ] WHEN I DID A SURVEY
ON MAGNETO-AERODYNAMICS, I FOUND THAT THERE WERE 900
REFERENCES TO GOVERNMENT REPORTS USING THAT ONE KEY WORD. LIKE IT OR NOT, 90% OF THOSE REFERENCES
WERE CLASSIFIED. [ KEYS CLACK ] I WOULD SURE LOVE TO SEE
THOSE CLASSIFIED FILES ABOUT MAGNETO-AERODYNAMICS.
WOW. Narrator: THE CONTENTS
OF THE MYSTERIOUS FILES ON MAGNETO-AERODYNAMICS
REMAIN CLASSIFIED. AND FOR THE TIME BEING,
AT LEAST, THE PHENOMENON KNOWN AS
SYMPATHETIC LIGHTNING MUST REMAIN...UNEXPLAINED. SOMETHING STRANGE
IS GOING ON. Narrator: IN SPACE, SOMETHING
EVEN STRANGER IS HAPPENING. COMING UP... SOMETHING UP THERE IS SABOTAGING
THE MIR SPACE STATION. Narrator: AND STRANGE OBJECTS DOG THE LAST MISSION
ON THE MOON. WAS THIS A WARNING FROM SOME KIND OF
EXTRATERRESTRIAL CULTURE, "STAY OFF THE MOON.
IT'S NOT YOURS. IT'S OURS"? Narrator: MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS BUZZ
THE MIR SPACE STATION. [ STATIC, PINGING ] CHRIS HADFIELD SAW SOMETHING
OUT THE WINDOW. HE ALMOST WONDERS IF SOMETHING
UP THERE IS SABOTAGING OR IS TRYING TO SABOTAGE
THE MIR SPACE STATION. COULD IT BE E.T. PROBES LOOKING
AT THE MIR SPACE STATION? MAN: Flight crew OTT,
close and lock your visors. Have a good flight. Narrator: IN THE WAKE
OF THE COLD WAR, NASA's SHUTTLE "ATLANTIS"
IS ABOUT TO TRY ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS SPACE
MANEUVERS EVER ATTEMPTED. Man: AND LIFTOFF
OF SPACE SHUTTLE "ATLANTIS" WITH THE RUSSIAN
DOCKING MODULE, A THRESHOLD TO WORLD COOPERATION
IN SPACE. [ PINGING ] Narrator: THE SHUTTLE MUST DOCK
WITH RUSSIA'S MIR SPACE STATION. THE LIVES OF THOSE ABOARD, LIKE MISSION SPECIALIST
JERRY ROSS, DEPEND ON IT. [ RADIO CHATTER ] 177 FEET STOPPED. ALL RIGHT. IT HAD NEVER BEEN DESIGNED
FOR A LARGE VEHICLE SUCH AS A SPACE SHUTTLE
TO COME UP AND DOCK TO IT. AND IT REALLY WAS A PRETTY
PRECARIOUS THING FOR US TO COME IN AND DOCK DIRECTLY TO THE MIR SPACE STATION
WITH A SPACE SHUTTLE. MAN:
"Atlantis," go with throttling. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT
THE MIR SPACE STATION PROBABLY WEIGHED
A HALF A MILLION POUNDS, AND THE SPACE SHUTTLE WEIGHED
A QUARTER OF A MILLION POUNDS. AND WE'RE BOTH FLYING
AT 5 MILES PER SECOND, 200 AND SOME MILES ABOVE
THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH. SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE PLAYING
INTO WHAT YOU'RE DOING. .1 OR .06? .06. Narrator:
THE SLIGHTEST MISJUDGMENT COULD END IN TRAGEDY. BUT JUST AS THEY THINK THE HARDEST PART
OF THEIR MISSION IS OVER, SOMETHING UNEXPECTED DISTRACTS
THE ASTRONAUTS. I RECALL CHRIS HADFIELD
MENTIONING THAT HE SAW SOMETHING
OUT THE WINDOW, AND SEVERAL OF US CAME UP
TO THE WINDOW. WE GRABBED SOME CAMERAS
AND SOME BINOCULARS, AND WE WERE TRYING
TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT WAS. Orwoll:
DURING THIS DOCKING PROCESS, THEY START TO NOTICE
THAT THERE ARE OBJECTS MOVING AND ESSENTIALLY FLYING,
UH, FROM THE LOOK OF IT, AROUND THE MIR SPACE STATION. [ STATIC, PINGING ] START WONDERING
WHAT ALL THIS IS. [ STATIC ] [ RADIO CHATTER ] [ MEN SPEAKING
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE ] Narrator: NASA SAYS THE OBJECTS
ARE ICE PARTICLES SHAKEN FREE BY THRUSTER VIBRATIONS. WE HAVE ICE ALL OVER THE PLACE
BECAUSE WATER CANNOT EXIST IN A VACUUM AS WATER. IT HAS TO FLASH
IMMEDIATELY INTO ICE. SO WHEN WE DUMP WATER
OVERBOARD, FOR EXAMPLE, IT IMMEDIATELY TURNS
INTO ICE...INSTANTLY. MAN: There is a tremendous
amount of ice that we saw coming
off the back end, some very large chunks of it. ANY OF THESE LITTLE CHUNKS
OF ICE WILL FLOAT OUT AWAY FROM YOU. THEY'LL REFLECT SUNLIGHT. SO IF YOU SEE THEM OUT THERE
A WAYS AWAY FROM YOU, SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE
LIGHT SHINING. Narrator: BUT THE EXPLANATION
RAISES MORE QUESTIONS THAN IT ANSWERS. LOT OF ICE PARTICLES
IN SPACE. BUT THE PROBLEM IS,
IF THEY'RE ICE PARTICLES THAT FLAKED OFF MIR, WOULDN'T THEY BE GOING
IN THE SAME DIRECTION OR IN SIMILAR DIRECTIONS?
BUT THESE OBJECTS ARE FLYING ALL OVER
THE PLACE. SO WHATEVER THEY ARE, THEY CERTAINLY DON'T ACT
LIKE ICE PARTICLES. ICE PARTICLES SHOULD
MOVE AWAY AND STAY AWAY. THEY SHOULDN'T MOVE AROUND AS IF THEY WERE PROPELLED
BY SOMETHING. I HAVE NO DOUBT
THAT ON SOME OCCASIONS, ICE PARTICLES HAVE
BEEN KNOCKED OFF BECAUSE OF MOTION WITHIN
THE CRAFT OR WHATEVER. BUT WHAT -- NOT NEARLY AS MANY
AS NASA IS CLAIMING. IT'S AN EASY OUT,
AND NOBODY IS CHECKING. Narrator:
IN 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY, MIR SUFFERS DANGEROUS FIRES, A NEAR CATASTROPHIC COLLISION, AND PERIODS
OF OUT OF CONTROL TUMBLING. IT HAS LED SOME OF HER CREW
TO SUSPECT THEY WERE NOT ALONE. I MEAN, THERE WERE ISSUES
WITH MIR, AND CHRIS HADFIELD COMMENTS THAT HE ALMOST WONDERS
IF SOMETHING UP THERE IS SABOTAGING OR IS
"TRYING TO SABOTAGE" THE, UH, MIR SPACE STATION. Narrator: BAD LUCK, DANCING ICE,
OR SPACE SABOTEURS? THE MIR MYSTERY REMAINS
UNEXPLAINED. STILL TO COME -- STRANGE SIGHTINGS ON
NASA's LAST MISSION TO THE MOON. THERE'S NO QUESTION
THAT THE EASIEST EXPLANATION FOR WHY WE DIDN'T GO ON
PAST "APOLLO 17" IS THAT SOMEBODY
OUT THERE SAID, "STAY THE HECK
OFF OUR MOON." Narrator:
AND WHEN ONE ASTRONOMER GOES LOOKING FOR ASTEROIDS,
HE FINDS SOMETHING UNEXPECTED. IT WAS REALLY
QUITE ASTONISHING. THIS OBJECT IS NOT
ON ITS OWN IN THE SKY. THERE'S SOMETHING WITH IT. IT'S THE GREAT UNKNOWN. IT'S THE FAR FRONTIER
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. Narrator: SOMETHING APPEARS
TO BE SHADOWING THE ASTRONAUTS
OF THE "APOLLO 17" MISSION. YOU SEE
THIS VERY, VERY THIN, UH, RECTANGULAR IMAGE
THAT'S KIND OF HOVERING, SEEMINGLY ALMOST FLYING. [ STATIC ] IS IT SOMETHING
WATCHING THE ASTRONAUTS? WE'VE GOT TO PULL OUT. WHAT IS THIS THING THAT'S FLYING
ABOVE THE LUNAR LANDSCAPE? WAS THIS A WARNING,
"STAY OFF THE MOON. IT'S NOT YOURS. IT'S OURS"? It's got to be one of the most
proud moments of my life, I guarantee ya. Narrator: DECEMBER 14, 1972. [ PINGING ] "APOLLO 17" ASTRONAUTS,
EUGENE CERNAN AND JACK SCHMITT, ARE PLANTING EXPLOSIVES
ON THE MOON. THE ASTRONAUTS SET UP
A NETWORK OF SEISMOMETERS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE,
AND THESE IMPACTS WOULD GIVE YOU CLUES
TO THE INTERIOR OF THE MOON. Narrator: THE EXPLOSIVES ARE
PART OF A GEOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT WHICH WILL PROFILE
THE UPPER CRUST OF THE MOON. [ STATIC ] BEFORE THE ASTRONAUTS LEAVE, CERNAN TAKES SOME
LAST MINUTE PHOTOGRAPHS. YEARS LATER,
ONE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS CATCHES THE ATTENTION
OF ASTRONOMER JIM SCOTTI. SO I'M LOOKING AT THESE IMAGES,
AND I SEE THE MOSTLY BLACK SKY, BUT I SEE A LITTLE STREAK UP
IN THE TOP PART OF THE IMAGE. I START THINKING ABOUT WHAT
SORT OF NATURAL PHENOMENA OR MANMADE PHENOMENA WE'RE
ACTUALLY SEEING IN THE SKY. Orwoll: WHAT IS THIS STRANGE,
SMALL, RECTANGULAR SHAPE THAT WE'RE SEEING FLYING
ABOVE THE LUNAR SURFACE? IS IT SOME KIND OF CRAFT,
OR WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE? [ STATIC ] IS THERE SOMETHING
OUT THERE WATCHING<i> US</i> WHILE WE'RE WALKING
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE? WHEN I SEE SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T QUITE RECOGNIZE
RIGHT AWAY, UH, YOU CAN SORT OF TAKE
THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH, OR YOU CAN
JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS, AND I PREFER
THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH. I LOOK AT THE, UH, PRINT,
THE HIGH-RESOLUTION PRINT, AND I CAN SEE THE SHAPE,
AND I -- IT GIVES ME AN IDEA OF... Okay, Bob, I've got my tools
of the trade right here. Narrator: SCOTTI THINKS
THE SOLUTION LIES WITH JACK SCHMITT. NASA PICKED HIM
FOR THE "APOLLO 17" CREW BECAUSE OF HIS BACKGROUND
AS A GEOLOGIST. Let's see if I can't crack
the corner and get that contact. JACK SCHMITT WAS THE FIRST
SCIENTIST-TO-ASTRONAUT TO WALK ON THE MOON --
THE ONLY GEOLOGIST EVEN TODAY THAT HAS EVER WALKED
ON THE MOON. It's obviously very, uh,
very cohesive. WE NEED TO KNOW A GREAT DEAL
MORE ABOUT THE VARIATION OF THE CONCENTRATION
OF DIFFERENT MINERALS. THEY WANT TO KNOW IN DETAIL. WHERE'S THE GOOD STUFF? I can see it from here!
It's orange! Yeah, that is really orange. Narrator: THE ASTRONAUTS SPOT
TELLTALE SIGNS OF TITANIUM AND OTHER EXOTIC MINERALS. THEY ARE EAGER TO CONTINUE
THEIR SURVEY. THERE ISN'T ENOUGH TIME,
TONY. WE NEED MORE TIME. THEY GOT TO LEAVE
AT A CERTAIN TIME REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE GOT. Narrator: RUNNING LOW ON OXYGEN,
THEY MUST END THE SPACE WALK. [ STATIC ] JUST BEFORE THEY HEAD BACK
TO THE MODULE, CERNAN ASKS THE MISSION'S
GEOLOGIST AN ODD QUESTION. GENE CERNAN SAYS,
"CAN I THROW THE HAMMER? ARE WE DONE WITH IT?" JACK SAYS, "CAN I THROW THE HAMMER?
I'M THE GEOLOGIST." Narrator: SCOTTI THINKS
THIS CONVERSATION IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING
THE MYSTERY OF THE ANOMALY
IN CERNAN'S PHOTOGRAPHS. MOST LIKELY, THESE THREE IMAGES
WERE TAKEN BY GENE CERNAN, WHO WAS CARRYING A CAMERA
WITH BLACK AND WHITE FILM, AND IT'S VERY CONSISTENT
WITH HIM TAKING SOME IMAGES
OF THE HAMMER IN FLIGHT. MYSTERY SOLVED. Man:
THIS CLOSES A GOLDEN CHAPTER IN THE AGE OF SPACE EXPLORATION. [ CLICKING ] Narrator: MANKIND NEVER RETURNED
TO THE MOON. [ ELECTRICITY POWERS DOWN ] AS ONE CHAPTER CLOSES, ANOTHER OPENS ON THE FURTHEST
REACHES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. THE KUIPER BELT
IS THE NEW MYSTERIOUS ZONE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. IT'S THE GREAT UNKNOWN. Narrator:
BUT SOMETHING IS MISSING. IT MUST HAVE BEEN THERE
ONCE UPON A TIME. Narrator: MORE THAN 90%
OF WHAT SHOULD BE THERE HAS SIMPLY DISAPPEARED. SO WHY IS
THE KUIPER BELT DEPLETED? THERE'S A LOT WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND. IT'S A TOTAL MYSTERY. [ STATIC ] Narrator: HAWAII, AUGUST 2001. JJ KAVELAARS
SEARCHES THE KUIPER BELT, THE VAST AREA OF SPACE AT THE FAR FRONTIER
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. [ WHIRS ] USING A STATE-OF-THE ART
TELESCOPE, HE'S HUNTING THE DEBRIS
LEFTOVER FROM PLANET FORMATION. WE'RE BASICALLY DOING
ARCHAEOLOGY. WE'RE DIGGING THROUGH
THE SKY AND LOOKING AT THESE OBJECTS, TRYING TO MAP OUT THE EVOLUTION
OF OUR PLANETARY SYSTEM. [ CLANK ] Narrator:
HE'S TRACKING A TINY OBJECT LABELED "2001 QW322." I ENTER THE COORDINATES
FOR 2001 QW322 INTO THE TELESCOPE CONTROL
SYSTEM. THE TELESCOPE SLEWS OVER,
POINTS AT THAT PART OF THE SKY, AND I ACQUIRE AN IMAGE. [ ELECTRICITY WHIZZING ] Narrator: BUT THIS IS
NO ROUTINE OBSERVATION. IT WAS REALLY
QUITE ASTONISHING. THIS OBJECT
IS NOT ON ITS OWN IN THE SKY. THERE'S SOMETHING WITH IT. Narrator:
THE OBJECT IS A BINARY PAIR -- TWO TINY ASTEROIDS
BOUND TOGETHER BY THE PULL
OF THEIR OWN GRAVITY. THAT SHOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. THERE'S ALMOST 80,000 MILES
BETWEEN THE PAIR -- THE DIAMETER OF 10 EARTHS. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO US
THAT SUCH TINY, TINY OBJECTS CAN BE BOUND TOGETHER AND BE SEPARATED
BY SUCH A LARGE DISTANCE. Narrator:
BUT THEY'RE STILL TOGETHER, AND THERE ARE OTHERS
JUST LIKE THEM. THIS ISN'T
THE ONLY LOOSELY BOUND BINARY IN THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM. SO NOW WE KNOW
THERE'S A WHOLE POPULATION OF THESE KINDS OF ORBITS
OUT THERE. Narrator: THAT LEADS SCIENTISTS
TO A MIND-BLOWING CONCLUSION. IN ORDER FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, A STAGGERING 99%
OF THE MATERIAL THAT SHOULD BE
IN THE KUIPER BELT MUST HAVE DISAPPEARED. [ WHOOSH ] COULD THAT HAPPEN NATURALLY? ONE OF THE LEADING THEORIES
FOR WHY THE KUIPER BELT COULD BE DEPLETED IS THAT THE GAS GIANTS -- JUPITER,
SATURN, NEPTUNE, AND URANUS DIDN'T JUST FORM WHERE
THEY'RE AT NOW AND STAY THERE. WE THINK THAT MAYBE THERE WAS ALMOST SOME COSMIC BILLIARDS
THAT WENT ON UH, AS THE ORBITS
OF THE PLANETS WERE SETTLING THEMSELVES
INTO PLACE. THESE THINGS ARE
PRETTY HEAVY DUTY PLAYERS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM, AND SO THEY WERE THROWING
THEIR WEIGHT AROUND. THE THEORY IS, IS THAT
THEIR GRAVITATIONAL INFLUENCE GOT RID OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY
IN THE KUIPER BELT. Narrator:
ASTRONOMER MARC D'ANTONIO HAS ANOTHER THEORY. HE BLAMES AN UNKNOWN INTRUDER FOR GRABBING THE MATERIAL ON
ITS WAY OUT OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. WE HAVE A SIMULATION OF
THE KUIPER BELT RIGHT HERE, WHERE WE USE THIS MAGNET,
AND WE RUN IT UNDERNEATH. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE HOW ATTRACTIVE FORCES
PULL AND TUG PARTICLES OUT OF THE WAY. IN OUR KUIPER BELT,
THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF PULLING PLANETS
AND ASTEROIDS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN
SPECULATE ABOUT IS WHETHER WE HAD MORE PLANETS
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM OR NOT. IF THAT'S TRUE,
THEN IF IT WAS EJECTED BY SOME GRAVITATIONAL
INTERACTION WITH JUPITER OR ONE OF THE OTHER PLANETS, IT WOULD HAVE ALSO LEFT
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM AND GOING RIGHT OUT
LIKE THIS AND TAKEN A WHOLE BUNCH OF
KUIPER BELT OBJECTS WITH IT. THE KUIPER BELT IS
THE NEW MYSTERIOUS ZONE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. IT'S THE GREAT UNKNOWN. IT'S THE FAR FRONTIER
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, AND WE HAVE A NASA MISSION
THAT'S GOING TO GO FIND OUT
WHAT'S OUT THERE. IT'S CALLED NEW HORIZONS,
AND OUR DESTINATION IS PLUTO. Morris: ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS
THAT WE HAVE WILL REMAIN UNANSWERED
UNTIL THE NEW HORIZONS MISSION GETS THERE AND PROVIDES US WITH
HOPEFULLY SOME OF THESE ANSWERS. Narrator: NASA's UNCEASING QUEST
FOR ANSWERS TAKES US TO THE OUTER EDGES
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND. ROVERS CROSS FARAWAY PLANETS, AND TELESCOPES LOOK
TO DISTANT STARS, SHEDDING NEW LIGHT
ON OUR OWN PLANET'S MYSTERIES, OFFERING GLIMPSES
OF EXCITING NEW POSSIBILITIES. THE ANSWERS TO SPACE'S GREATEST
CHALLENGES ARE OUT THERE. --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
www.vitac.com</font>
