Original subtitles

-WHOA! -NICE!

IF WE WENT FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?

Man: WE WOULD'VE NEVER HAVE MET KENNEDY'S DEADLINE

OF REACHING THERE AND RETURNING BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

Jenkins: COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN HOLLYWOOD

WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS?

IN '69, WE LANDED ON THE MOON.

NASA STANDS FOR "NEVER A STRAIGHT ANSWER."

MAYBE THERE WAS NO MOON LANDING?

♪♪

MAN: We are a go with Apollo 11. Good luck and Godspeed.

Narrator: JULY 20, 1969 --

THE UNITED STATES SUCCESSFULLY LANDS THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOON.

ARMSTRONG: One small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind.

Narrator: BUT SEEING IS NOT ALWAYS BELIEVING.

NOW A FORMER FBI AGENT,

A CONSPIRACY THEORIST AND FORMER AEROSPACE CONSULTANT,

AND AN AMERICAN ASTRONAUT ARE ALL ON A MISSION.

THEY'LL QUESTION WITNESSES...

-THAT'S THE ACTUAL REPORT? -THAT'S IT.

...PICK APART THE EVIDENCE...

WHEN I SAW HIS NAME ON ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS, I WAS SHOCKED.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

Narrator: ...TEST THEORIES WITH NEW EXPERIMENTS...

-OH. -OH.

IT WAS BASICALLY A BOMB.

...AND BUTT HEADS...

LOOK AT THAT. THE APOLLO LANDING SITE.

LOOKS LIKE EVIDENCE OF A BOULDER TO ME.

Narrator: ...TO DETERMINE ONCE AND FOR ALL

IF ONE OF MANKIND'S BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

EVER REALLY HAPPENED.

HISTORY ISN'T ALWAYS CORRECT.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.

OOH. WOW.

AMERICA CELEBRATES

BEING THE FIRST TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON...

ARMSTRONG: We came in peace for all mankind.

Narrator: ...BUT CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

ARGUE THERE'S NO WAY IT HAPPENED.

DUDE, SERIOUSLY, THAT SOUNDS FISHY.

AND THEY SAY SCIENCE IS ON THEIR SIDE...

DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS ARE RIGHT HERE.

...CLAIMING THAT NO HUMAN

COULD'VE MADE IT THROUGH THE RADIATION OF SPACE...

MAN: Lift off on Apollo 11.

Narrator: ...TO LAND ON THE MOON ALIVE.

THESE TWO INTENSE BELTS OF VERY HIGHLY CHARGED PROTONS

ARE JUST GONNA PUT OUT SO MUCH RADIATION

THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY FRY THE ASTRONAUTS INSIDE.

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator: BUT JUST HOW FAR WOULD THE U.S. GO

TO BEAT THE SOVIETS TO THE MOON?

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

THEY BROUGHT NAZIS OVER TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MOON.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

♪♪

NOW, LOOK, THERE'S EVIDENCE THERE.

-LIKE? -THE ROVER TRACKS.

EXCUSE ME IF I'M SKEPTICAL.

I WAS A SPECIAL AGENT WITH THE FBI FOR FOUR YEARS,

BUT NO ONE KNOWS NASA LIKE AN INSIDER.

AS AN ASTRONAUT,

LELAND MELVIN HAS INSIGHT INTO NASA's CAPABILITIES

THAT I COULD NEVER HAVE.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUT HERE.

WE ARE FLYING ON STS-122.

THIS IS THE TAIL OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS.

LOOK AT THAT, RIGHT THERE.

I HATE CONSPIRACY THEORIES,

AND I KNOW THAT MIKE BARA IS A BIG PART

OF THE CONSPIRACY COMMUNITY

THAT CLAIM THE MOON LANDING NEVER HAPPENED.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY

WHO HIGHLY DOUBT WHETHER OR NOT

NASA ACTUALLY LANDED A MAN ON THE MOON.

Melvin: BUT HE WAS ALSO AN AEROSPACE CONSULTANT.

I THINK I CAN CONVINCE HIM ONCE AND FOR ALL

THAT THE MOON LANDING REALLY DID HAPPEN

LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN SINCE 1969.

LET'S FACE IT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY VISUAL EVIDENCE,

ANY VIDEO EVIDENCE.

COME ON. COME ON, DUDE.

I THINK I KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT THE MOON LANDINGS AS ANYBODY,

AND AT THIS POINT, I'M JUST AS SURE I'M RIGHT AS LELAND IS.

Jenkins: IN THE FBI,

WE FOLLOW THE LEADS NO MATTER WHERE THEY TAKE US,

NO MATTER HOW UNPLEASANT THOSE PLACES MAY BE.

IS THERE ANY REAL EVIDENCE THAT WE WENT TO THE MOON IN '69?

POLLS HAVE SHOWN THAT 1 IN 20 PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE

THAT MAN EVER SET FOOT ON THE MOON.

THE MOON HOAX CONSPIRACY THEORY IS REAL.

IT'S A LIVING, GROWING THING.

SO, I'VE GOT A GUY IN PORTLAND THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET.

HE'S BEEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN QUESTIONING

THE MOON-LANDING SCENARIO FOR A LONG TIME,

SO WHO WANTS TO GO WITH ME?

I WANT TO GO. I WANT TO HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

YES, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO USE MY EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

TO DISPUTE WHATEVER WHACKED-OUT CLAIMS HE HAS TO SAY.

♪♪

Bara: I'M TAKING LELAND TO SEE CLYDE LEWIS.

CLYDE'S A LEADING CONSPIRACY THEORIST

AND THE HOST OF "GROUND ZERO,"

A NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO TALK SHOW.

I WANT LELAND TO SEE THAT CONSPIRACY THEORISTS AREN'T JUST

TINFOIL-HAT-WEARING GEEKS.

MOST ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT

AND HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH TO INFORM THEIR OPINIONS.

CLYDE COULD BE A REAL EYE-OPENER FOR HIM.

Bara: FOR YEARS, HE'S HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE MOON LANDINGS --

YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT REALLY HAPPENED.

Melvin: RIGHT.WHY WE REALLY WENT.

Melvin: YOU KNOW, I REALLY HATE THIS.

HOW DO YOU TAKE VISUAL PROOF AND SCIENTIFIC DATA

AND JUST SAY IT NEVER HAPPENED?

THESE CONSPIRACY THEORIES ARE JUST CRAZY.

HE'S A FAIRLY GROUNDED DUDE,

SO THAT'S WHY I TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY.

GROUNDED IS GOOD.

YEAH, WE LIKE GROUNDED, RIGHT?

MIKE AND I HAVE VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS

ON WHAT "GROUNDED" MEANS.

THIS WILL BE AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.

♪♪

I'M CLYDE LEWIS, AND THIS IS "GROUND ZERO."

TONIGHT, A MAJOR DISCUSSION

ABOUT PROJECT HORIZON FROM THE 1950s.

IT WAS A VERY AMBITIOUS EFFORT

BY THE MILITARY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES

TO HAVE SPACE DOMINANCE.

OF COURSE, THEY WANTED TO PLANT A FLAG ON THE MOON.

♪♪

CLYDE, HOW ARE YOU, MAN?

GOOD TO SEE YOU, MIKE.

-THIS IS LELAND. -HI, CLYDE. I'M LELAND, MAN.

HEY, LELAND. GOOD TO SEE YOU.

-NICE TO MEET YOU. -GOOD TO MEET YOU, TOO.

YOU BET.

Melvin: THANKS FOR BRINGING US OVER.

OH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE.

THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS, SO...

MISSION CONTROL LIKE?

IT IS. IT'S MISSION CONTROL.

IT'S A LOT LIKE WHAT YOU'RE USED TO.

OH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT I'M USED TO.

ALRIGHT.

I'M KNOWN AS THE GUY --

AT TIMES, THE GUY THAT QUESTIONS THE 1969 MOON LANDING.

YOU KNOW, THERE WERE THE RUMORS THAT,

BEFORE THE MOON LANDING, TO PUT A MOON BASE UP THERE.

SO MILITARIZING THE MOON?

-YEAH. -IS THAT WHAT --

IT WAS A MILITARY OBJECTIVE IN THE BEGINNING

TO HAVE AN OUTPOST ON THE MOON, AND IT WAS CALLED HORIZON.

IS THERE ANY -- ANY PROOF THAT THIS HAPPENED,

AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING?

WELL, YEAH, I HAVE DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS RIGHT HERE

THAT SHOW THAT THE PROPOSAL BEGAN IN THE 1950s --

I BELIEVE 1957, 1958.

♪♪

FIRST A DREAM OF WERNHER VON BRAUN,

ALREADY DISCUSSED BY THE RUSSIANS LONG BEFORE THAT.

Bara: WERNHER VON BRAUN WAS AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER

WHO DESIGNED ROCKETS FOR GERMANY DURING WORLD WAR II

AND LATER BECAME A PIONEER AND ARCHITECT

OF THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM.

Lewis: THIS IS BEFORE KENNEDY.

THIS WAS EVEN BEFORE NASA WAS FORMED.

Melvin: CLYDE IS PRESENTING DOCUMENTATION

FOR THE EARLIEST PLANS OF THE MOON MISSION,

BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING

DISPROVING THE MOON LANDING IN 1969.

CLYDE, IF THEY'RE THIS DESPERATE TO GET TO THE MOON

THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO INVEST

THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND TIME AND EFFORT,

THEN THIS IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW --

IN SOME WAYS...IT'S NOT PROOF.

...IT'S A MORE AMBITIOUS PROJECT THAN EVEN APOLLO WAS.

WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. IT WASAN AMBITIOUS PROJECT.

WE'RE LOOKING AT 250,000 MILES OUT.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT

THAT'S HOW FAR THE MOON IS.

YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE TIME

WAS THE SAME EQUIVALENT AS A TOASTER OVEN --

PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRIMITIVE.

I MEAN, WE HAVE MORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN OUR CELLPHONES.

BUT WHY DO YOU THINK WE WERE FAKING?

♪♪

UH, P.R.

THE RUSSIANS ACTUALLY WERE AHEAD OF US IN THE SPACE PROGRAM

LONG BEFORE WE LANDED ANYTHING ON THE MOON.

WE WERE RACING TO THE MOON.

WE WANTED TO SHOW DOMINANCE.

I MEAN, WE WERE LIKE THE FAT KID ON THE TRACK

LOOKING AT THE ATHLETE, GOING, "I'M GONNA RUN A RACE.

I'M GONNA BEAT YOU."

"I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM.""I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM."

ARMSTRONG: One giant leap for mankind.

YOU'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND --

WHAT IF WE SENT ARMSTRONG TO THE MOON,

AND HE WALKS OFF THE LIMB

AND IMMEDIATELY GETS SUCKED INTO THE MOON,

AND HE'S, LIKE, GRASPING FOR AIR,

AND HERE IT IS ON NATIONAL TV.

THEY WOULDN'T WANT THAT, WOULD THEY?

I'M TRYING NOT TO LAUGH HERE.

THIS IS A RADIO HOST TELLING A FORMER ASTRONAUT

THAT NASA DIDN'T HAVE SOLID DATA

ON THE GRAVITY OF THE MOON AND ATMOSPHERICS.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE FIRED THREE ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE.

400, 500 MILES OUT, BEFORE THE VAN ALLEN BELT,

THEY COULD BE ORBITING AROUND,

WHILE DOWN ON THE PLANET, WE HAVE A NICE STUDIO SET ASIDE

TO KEEP THE ASTRONAUTS FROM MAKING ANY BIG MISTAKES

OR ANYTHING GOING ON.

IMAGINE THIS -- THE ASTRONAUTS ARE KIND OF ORBITING UP THERE,

AND THEN THEY SPLASH BACK DOWN AGAIN,

AND NO ONE IS THE WISER.

THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE THEY COVERED EVERY SINGLE BASE,

INCLUDING HAVING A GOOD P.R. SITUATION GOING ON,

WITH NO ONE DYING ON THE MOON.

FOR 24 YEARS, I'VE WORKED FOR NASA,

AND THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THOSE 24 YEARS,

I HAVE SEEN THE UTMOST IN INTEGRITY,

ESPECIALLY WITH OUR SPACE PROGRAM.

AND THERE'S A HUGE P.R. MACHINE AT NASA

TO MAKE THINGS LOOK GOOD

FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND EVERYTHING,

BUT THEY HAVE SACRIFICED THEIR FAMILIES...

MM-HMM....THEIR CHILDREN...

MM-HMM....EVERYTHING

TO DO THIS THING AS AMERICANS.

BUT TO SAY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, THE '69 --

IS THERE ANYTHING IN HISTORY THAT YOU QUESTION?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT

ALL THESE THINGS STARTED THE WAY THEY TOLD YOU?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HISTORY TOLD YOU THE TRUTH?

I THINK THERE'S REVISIONIST HISTORY.

YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE THING,

IS THAT IT'S PEOPLE WHO MANIPULATE THE STORY,

AND WHEN YOU QUESTION THE MANIPULATION,

IMMEDIATELY YOU'RE A VILLAIN FOR DOING SO.

NO, I'M DOING IT BECAUSE I WANT TO BELIEVE.

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT MY ASTRONAUTS DIDN'T LIE TO ME.

IN FACT, MY HEART TELLS ME THEY DIDN'T,

BUT MY BRAIN IS ENGAGING NOW, AND MY CONFUSION IS THERE.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT

THAT WHEN I QUESTION,

IMMEDIATELY PEOPLE GET PISSED OFF.

NOW, WHY IS THAT?

I THINK SOME PEOPLE GET PISSED OFF

BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICES THAT --

WE LOST THESE LIVES. RIGHT.

AND THEN SOMEONE IS PISSING OVER THE GRAVES.

I GUESS BEING SO CLOSE TO IT AND LISTENING TO JOHN YOUNG.

THIS MAN OF UTMOST INTEGRITY.

MM-HMM.

I WOULD WALK MY DOGS AROUND TO HIS HOUSE,

AND HE WOULD PET MY DOGS ON THE HEAD,

AND WE'D HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS

ABOUT HIM WALKING ON THE MOON.

AND I JUST -- THERE IS NO WAY

THAT I COULD EVER SEE A MAN LIKE THAT LYING.

IT HAPPENED, BUT NOT THE WAY THEY SAID IT DID.

SO YOU'RE CALLING JOHN YOUNG A LIAR?

NO, I'M NOT.

I'M NOT. I'M SAYING IT DIDN'T HAPPEN --

IF YOU SAY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

AND JOHN YOUNG TOLD ME THAT IT DID --

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THE WAY THEY SAID IT DID.

HE SAID IT DID.

IN '69, WE LANDED ON THE MOON.

NASA STANDS FOR "NEVER A STRAIGHT ANSWER,"

AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.

OOH. WOW.

DON'T PUNCH HIM.

Bara: I'M GLAD THEY STOPPED WHEN THEY DID.

CLYDE CLEARLY GOT UNDER HIS SKIN AND KEPT PUSHING.

♪♪

I -- I -- YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED,

BUT I WAS STARTING TO GET A LITTLE BIT UPSET BECAUSE...

YEAH, I DID. YEAH.

HOW DARE HE INSULT MY INTEGRITY

AND THE INTEGRITY OF THOSE THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD --

AND, ACTUALLY, THOSE WHO HAVE DIED?

I MET NEIL ARMSTRONG. I KNEW BUZZ ALDRIN.

YOU KNOW, THESE -- THESE PEOPLE ARE THESE --

THEY'VE WORKED THEIR BUTTS OFF.

REGARDLESS IF IT UPSETS LELAND OR NOT,

I STILL QUESTION WHETHER WE WENT TO THE MOON.

CLYDE LEWIS REALLY TICKED ME OFF,

BUT HE DID HAVE DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

BACKING UP SOME OF HIS CLAIMS.

THAT TELLS ME THAT THE INVESTIGATIONS

THAT MIKE, CHAD, AND I ARE DOING

ARE VALUABLE FOR PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CONSPIRACY THEORY.

Bara: CLYDE BROUGHT UP WERNHER VON BRAUN.

HE'S CENTRAL TO A HUGE CONSPIRACY THEORY

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S LIES AND COVER-UPS

RELATED TO OUR RACE TO SPACE.

I KEEP ON COMING ACROSS SUSPICIOUS INFORMATION

IN MY RESEARCH.

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

OPERATION: PAPERCLIP.

[ CROWD CHEERS ]

WHEN I SAW HIS NAME ON ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS, I WAS SHOCKED.

Melvin: WOULD WE HAVE GONE TO SPACE

WITHOUT THESE NAZI SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS?

♪♪

♪♪

Jenkins: THE CONSPIRACY THEORY IS ALIVE AND WELL,

AND SO IS OUR INVESTIGATION.

♪♪

I KEEP ON COMING ACROSS SUSPICIOUS INFORMATION --

OPERATION PAPERCLIP.

♪♪

ONE OF THE MORE INTRIGUING STORIES

LURKING BEHIND THE MOON LANDING.

APPARENTLY, A SECRET U.S. GOVERNMENT OPERATION

BACK IN THE 1950s

TO BRING FORMER NAZI SCIENTISTS...

NAZIS?

♪♪

YES.

...INTO THE U.S. TO HELP START THE SPACE PROGRAM.

AT THE START OF WORLD WAR II,

GERMAN ENGINEERS WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING ROCKETS

FOR SPACE EXPLORATION,

BUT THEN, THE COMMAND FROM THE THIRD REICH WAS,

"MAKE THESE ROCKETS INTO WEAPONS."

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

THIS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE V-2 IN THE LATE 1930s.

IT WAS A GAME CHANGER --

THE WORLD'S FIRST LONG-RANGE GUIDED BALLISTIC MISSILE.

♪♪

THE GERMAN ROCKETEERS HAD LEARNED

TO GENERATE ENOUGH THRUST

TO DELIVER ONE-TON PAYLOADS OF HIGH EXPLOSIVE

200 MILES ACROSS THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT.

♪♪

THE GERMANS WERE BUILDING THESE ROCKET MISSILES

AT A BREAKNECK SPEED.

THE V-2 WAS SUCH AN EFFECTIVE DELIVERY SYSTEM

THAT IT PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR THE PRESENT-DAY SCUD MISSILE.

Bara: I 100% BELIEVE THAT

THE U.S. WAS SO DESPERATE TO BEAT THE SOVIETS TO THE MOON

THAT THEY RECRUIT NAZIS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR TECHNOLOGIES.

I'VE SEEN THE EVIDENCE THAT PROVES THIS.

Melvin: YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT OUR COUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP

WOULD BRING IN ACTIVE WAR CRIMINALS

TO AID AMERICA'S RACE TO THE MOON.

I'VE LOCATED SOMEONE THAT FIRST UNCOVERED THIS STORY,

SO WE'RE GOING TO FLORIDA.

Jenkins: WHATEVER OPERATION PAPERCLIP WAS,

IT INVOLVES THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WE'RE MEETING WITH THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

WHO BROKE THE STORY

OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BRINGING NAZIS INTO THE SPACE PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO TALK TO LINDA HUNT,

FORMER REPORTER.

-WHERE WAS SHE A REPORTER? -CNN.

Hunt: UNDER PAPERCLIP POLICY,

WAR CRIMINALS AND ARDENT NAZIS

WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED.

THIS IS DIETER GRAU,

WHO, LIKE MOST OF THOSE UNDER INVESTIGATION,

LIVES IN HUNTSVILLE,

WHERE HE WORKED FOR NASA AS DIRECTOR OF A LAB

AT THE MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER.

Bara: I'VE KNOWN ABOUT LINDA FOR YEARS.

SHE'S WON AWARDS FOR HER INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM.

I WANT CHAD AND LELAND TO HEAR

HOW AMERICA RECRUITED NOT JUST GERMAN ENGINEERS,

BUT NAZI PARTY ENGINEERS

TO HELP GET THE U.S. TO THE MOON.

IF THIS IS TRUE AND THEY WERE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH NAZIS

TO GET INTO SPACE,

THAT CASTS A HUGE SHADOW OVER NASA.

-HELLO? -HELLO.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING ABLE TO SPEAK TO US TODAY.

WE UNDERSTAND YOU BROKE

-THE OPERATION PAPERCLIP STORY. -YES.

CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THAT TOOK PLACE

AND HOW YOU BROKE THAT STORY?

I HAD A REPUTATION AS BEING...

SOMEWHAT OF A TENACIOUS JOURNALIST.

AROUND '89, '90, I HEARD A RUMOR THAT THEY BROUGHT NAZIS OVER

FOR PAPERCLIP TO WORK IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.

IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, SOME OF THE RECORDS WERE THERE,

SO I STARTED DECLASSIFYING THE FILES

OF THE GERMANS WHO WERE BROUGHT OVER.

♪♪

IT WAS A LONG STRUGGLE.

I MEAN, IT WAS TERRIBLE.

SO WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO TO UNCOVER ALL THE DETAILS

ABOUT THIS PART OF IT?

HARDCORE RESEARCH, WHICH I LOVE.

A LOT OF LIBRARY RESEARCH, BACKGROUNDING,

-AND THEN AFTER THE RECORDS. -MM-HMM.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT OVER

FOR OPERATION PAPERCLIP?

1,500.

1,500 PEOPLE?

SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, I MEAN...

CHEMICAL WARFARE, AIR FORCE.

♪♪

THE MYTH WAS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE CAREFULLY CHECKED...

♪♪

...AND THEY DIDN'T BRING ANY WAR CRIMINALS OR BAD PEOPLE OVER.

THE MINUTE I GOT SOME OF THE RECORDS,

IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T TRUE.

[ SHOUTING IN GERMAN ]

♪♪

THE RECORDS CONTAINED BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

DONE IN GERMANY BY ARMY INTELLIGENCE,

WHICH REVEALED A LOT ABOUT THEIR NAZI PAST...

MM-HMM.

...WHICH THEY COVERED UP.

THEY BROUGHT NAZIS OVER TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MOON.

Crowd: SIEG HEIL!

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

Hunt: THEY BROUGHT VON BRAUN AND A HUNDRED MORE

TO WORK IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WHEN ALLIED FORCES CAPTURED THE GERMANS' V-2 ROCKET COMPLEX

IN 1944,

VON BRAUN AND MORE THAN A HUNDRED OF HIS TOP ENGINEERS

HAD ALREADY WORKED OUT A DEAL TO GET THEMSELVES TO THE U.S.

AS PART OF OPERATION PAPERCLIP,

THE TEAM OF NAZI ROCKETEERS

WAS INSTALLED AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS,

TO BEGIN WORK DESIGNING ROCKETS FOR THE U.S. ARMY.

PAPERCLIP WAS A TOP-SECRET ENDEAVOR,

ORCHESTRATED UNDER THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

AND CARRIED OUT BY ARMY COUNTERINTELLIGENCE.

WERNHER VON BRAUN WAS REALLY ADMIRED AT NASA

FOR HIS ROLE IN THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WHEN I SAW HIS NAME ON ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS, I WAS SHOCKED.

♪♪

VON BRAUN'S FILE --

THE RECORDS THAT I GOT WERE COPIES, BUT NOT THE ORIGINALS.

I THINK THEY'D BEEN DESTROYED.

WHY DO YOU THINK THOSE RECORDS OF VON BRAUN

WERE DESTROYED BY OUR U.S. GOVERNMENT?

BECAUSE THEY SHOWED HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE SS.

FRIGHTENING. FRIGHTENING.

THEY JUST COVERED IT UP.

HE WAS A MAJOR IN THE SS.

HOW DID YOU FIND THAT OUT?

I GOT A TIP.

AND I'M ASSUMING THAT TIP WAS WITHIN THE MILITARY, CORRECT?

I KNOW NOTHING.

[ LAUGHS ] [ LAUGHS ]

HERE'S HIS SS RECORD.

NASA -- THE SAME AGENCY THAT I TRAINED AND WORKED FOR

RECRUITED NAZIS TO DEVELOP THE VERY SAME TECHNOLOGIES

THAT I WOULD UTILIZE DECADES LATER.

THIS IS TRULY DISTURBING.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO COME TO TERMS WITH THIS.

WOULD WE HAVE GONE TO SPACE

WITHOUT THESE NAZI SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS?

♪♪

Narrator: THE TEST RESULTS THAT COULD DISPROVE

EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE 1969 MOON LANDING.

SO, THE CAPSULES WERE MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM.

WE'RE GOING TO SHOW THE BLOCKING POWER OF ALUMINUM.

♪♪

-OH! -OH!

♪♪

WOULD WE HAVE GONE TO SPACE

WITHOUT THESE NAZI SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS?

♪♪

I DON'T THINK SO.

IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY THAT,

BUT I DON'T THINK SO, TO BE HONEST.

HMM.

OUR PEOPLE WEREN'T TRAINED LIKE THAT.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OR THE EXPERIENCE.

VON BRAUN AND THE GROUP PROVIDED A BASE OF EDUCATION

FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MOON.

-IT'S A REAL DILEMMA. -MM-HMM.

IT'S THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS.

DO YOU THINK THAT WAS WORTH IT?

A SURVIVOR OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMP --

I ASK HIM THE QUESTION, AND I'LL GIVE YOU HIS ANSWER.

MM-HMM.

MAYBE, BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID A LITTLE BIT FOR THEIR CRIME.

♪♪

Jenkins: I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M KIND OF WRESTLING

WITH KNOWING WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT WAS WILLING TO OVERLOOK

IN ORDER TO MEET ITS OBJECTIVE

OF TRYING TO GET TO THE MOON FIRST.

Melvin: WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, I WAS SURPRISED

THAT WE'VE GOT NAZIS HELPING US GET TO THE MOON.

Melvin: WHAT LINDA TOLD US WAS REALLY SHOCKING.

I HAD NO IDEA HOW DESPERATE WE WERE

TO CATCH UP WITH THE SOVIETS IN THE SPACE RACE.

Jenkins: LESS THAN 20 YEARS AFTER THE NUREMBERG TRIALS

THAT SENTENCED NAZIS TO DEATH AND IMPRISONMENT,

OTHER KNOWN MEMBERS OF THE NAZI PARTY AND SS

WERE COLLECTING GOVERNMENT PAYCHECKS FROM NASA.

IF NASA CAN COVER UP A SECRET THIS BIG,

WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE THEY'VE HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC?

WERE THEY CAPABLE OF FAKING THE MOON LANDING

AND KEEPING THAT HOAX A SECRET, AS WELL?

♪♪

WHAT LINDA TOLD US REALLY MAKES YOU BELIEVE

THAT NASA HAS SOME DARK SECRETS.

Bara: THIS IS WHY CONSPIRACY THEORISTS THINK

NASA's BEEN FEEDING US A LITANY OF LIES FOR DECADES.

LOOK, EVEN IF TRUE THAT WE USED FORMER NAZIS,

IT IS SO DISTURBING,

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DIDN'T GO TO THE MOON.

I'M GONNA CALL B.S.

WHAT IT SHOWS IS THAT AMERICA IS WILLING TO LIE

ABOUT THINGS THAT IT'S ASHAMED OF,

AND LETTING DOWN THE LATE JFK's PROMISE

TO GET TO THE MOON SEEMS PRETTY SHAMEFUL TO ME.

WHEN VON BRAUN TRANSFERRED TO NASA IN 1960,

HE MADE ACQUAINTANCE

WITH FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE JAMES VAN ALLEN.

♪♪

IN 1958, JAMES VAN ALLEN,

ANALYZING DATA FROM SATELLITE MISSIONS,

DISCOVERED TWO ENORMOUS BELTS OF HIGH RADIATION

SURROUNDING THE PLANET,

TRAPPED IN PLACE BY EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD.

♪♪

AND THESE VAN ALLEN BELTS ARE THE FOUNDATION

OF ANOTHER MAJOR CONSPIRACY THEORY.

LOOK, IF NASA WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH OUR FORMER ENEMIES,

THE GERMANS, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN WAR CRIMINALS,

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULDN'T BE THAT MUCH OF A STRETCH

TO ASSUME THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO TAKE BIG RISKS

WITH THE ASTRONAUTS BEING IRRADIATED

BY THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

♪♪

Announcer: WILL A COMBINATION OF RADIATION AND WEIGHTLESSNESS

BE A HAZARD ON LONG-DURATION MANNED SPACE FLIGHTS?

Jenkins: THE STRENGTH OF THE RADIATION IS SO POWERFUL,

SCIENTISTS AT FIRST THOUGHT THEY RECORDED A SOVIET NUCLEAR TEST.

THESE BELTS WERE A HUGE POTENTIAL THREAT

TO OUR ASTRONAUTS.

THE INTENSE RADIATION COULD'VE SHOT THROUGH THEM

LIKE AN ATOMIC CANNONBALL,

CAUSING LETHAL GENETIC BREAKDOWN.

Bara: RADIOACTIVITY IS MEASURED IN RADS.

300 RADS CAN BE A LETHAL DOES.

THE VAN ALLEN BELT HAS BEEN GAUGED

AT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF RADS.

THE THREAT THAT IT PRESENTS IS VERY REAL.

THIS IS NOT X-RAY-LEVEL RADIATION.

THE AMOUNT OF RADIATION IN THOSE BELTS WOULD BURN SKIN,

MELT BONES,

AND VOID THE HUMAN DNA STRUCTURE OF THOSE ASTRONAUTS.

Melvin: THE INNER VAN ALLEN BELT,

AT AN ALTITUDE ROUGHLY 600 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH,

HAS A LOT OF REALLY DANGEROUS PROTON PARTICLES --

FLUX ALPHA PARTICLES.

BUT THE OUTER BELT, FROM 8,400 TO 36,000 MILES IN SPACE,

IS POSSIBLY DEADLIER.

WITH AN EXTREMELY HIGH FLUX OF ELECTRONS, OR BETA PARTICLES,

THIS IS THE SUBATOMIC RADIATION

THAT PENETRATES SKIN AND BODY TISSUE.

♪♪

Bara: IT WAS ONLY RECENTLY THAT SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED

THAT THERE WAS LESS RADIATION THAN IMAGINED

IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

IN THE 1960s, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE NASA THINK

THEY COULD ROCKET THROUGH THEM?

THE ALTERNATIVE -- IF THEY DECIDED

THAT THAT RISK WASN'T WORTH IT,

MAYBE THEY WOULD MAKE ANOTHER CHOICE.

MAYBE THEY WOULD CHOOSE NOT TO GO AT ALL.

THE PRIMARY CONSPIRACY THEORY IS THAT

NEIL ARMSTRONG, BUZZ ALDRIN, AND MIKE COLLINS

CIRCLED THE PLANET IN A LOW-EARTH ORBIT

WHILE A STAGED MOON-LANDING FILM AIRED,

AND THEN THEY SPLASHED BACK DOWN TO EARTH AFTERWARDS.

MAYBE WE NEVER WENT THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

MAYBE THERE WAS NO MOON LANDING.

WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS MYSTERY.

♪♪

OUR TEAM IS GOING TO SEE THE APOLLO 11 CAPSULE

AND INVESTIGATE WHETHER ITS CONSTRUCTION

IS SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH

TO HAVE SURVIVED VAN ALLEN BELT RADIATION.

IF IT IS, THAT COULD HELP PROVE

THAT THE CRAFT MADE IT THROUGH THE BELTS,

PROTECTING THE ASTRONAUTS,

AND EVEN GETTING THEM ALL THE WAY TO THE MOON.

Melvin: THE ENGINEERS AT NASA KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

ON EARTH, THE ATMOSPHERE AND MAGNETIC FIELD

CAN PROTECT US FROM SPACE RADIATION,

BUT ALUMINUM AND OTHER MATERIALS USED IN THOSE SPACECRAFT

WERE ABLE TO ABSORB A LOT OF THAT RADIATION.

THAT PROTECTION IS WHAT SOME QUESTION.

Melvin: MM-HMM.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IN SEATTLE.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO GET EYES ON A REALLY UNIQUE ARTIFACT.

Jenkins: TO CELEBRATE

THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOON LANDING,

THE ACTUAL APOLLO 11 CAPSULE IS TOURING THE COUNTRY.

THAT'S THE CAPSULE THAT

NEIL, BUZZ, AND MICHAEL FLEW HOME IN.

[ BEEPS ]

MAN: Roger, we got you coming home.

♪♪

-SO, LET'S GO SEE THE CASTLE. -LET'S GO SEE...

THAT IS AWESOME.

♪♪

♪♪

WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO GET EYES ON A REALLY UNIQUE ARTIFACT.

BRING IT.

♪♪

Melvin: I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE CAPSULE.

THIS MAKES ME REALLY EXCITED.

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT THE ENGINEERS AT NASA

RESEARCHED AND TESTED AND TESTED AGAIN

AND GOT THIS DESIGN EXACTLY RIGHT.

Bara: CHAD HAS ARRANGED FOR US TO SCAN THE APOLLO CAPSULE

TO FIND OUT JUST HOW PROTECTED THE ASTRONAUTS WERE

WHEN THEY TRAVELED THROUGH THE RADIATION

OF THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

-THIS IS PRETTY COOL. -THIS IS REALLY COOL.

-"DESTINATION MOON." -LOOK AT THAT.

THEY GOT AN SR-71 AND EVERYTHING.

WE'RE INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM THAT RADIOACTIVITY IN SPACE

MADE IT TOO DANGEROUS TO SEND ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON.

WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, THE ARGUMENT IS THAT,

IF WE REALLY WENT TO THE MOON,

YOU WOULD REQUIRE SO MUCH SHIELDING THAT, BASICALLY,

THE SPACECRAFT WOULD BE TOO HEAVY TO GET OFF THE GROUND.

YOU'D NEVER GET TO THE MOON AND GET BACK

BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

THESE TWO VERY, VERY INTENSE BELTS

OF VERY HIGHLY CHARGED PROTONS

THAT ARE JUST GONNA PUT OUT SO MUCH RADIATION

THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY FRY THE ASTRONAUTS INSIDE,

AND THE ARGUMENT IS THAT YOU WOULD NEED, LIKE,

UP TO A FOOT OF LEAD SHIELDING.

SO, I'M WILLING TO INVESTIGATE THIS,

BUT, DUDE, YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN TO SPACE, RIGHT?

RIGHT. BUT IN LOW-EARTH ORBIT.

YOU DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELT.

BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONVINCE ME OF THIS.

-OKAY. -OKAY?

YEAH, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

LET'S GO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAPSULE.

LET'S FIND OUT.

-ALRIGHT. -OKAY.

♪♪

SO, THERE IT IS.

THAT IS AWESOME.

[ BREATHES DEEPLY ]

TO THINK THREE ASTRONAUTS TRAVELED TO THE MOON AND BACK

IN THAT TINY CAPSULE,

SETTING IN MOTION ALL THE EVENTS THAT WOULD COME NEXT

AND CHANGE MY LIFE.

♪♪

THIS COMMAND MODULE WAS DEVELOPED AND BUILT FOR NASA

TO BE THE MOTHERSHIP OF THE APOLLO 11 SPACECRAFT.

MAN: Ignition sequence started.

THE 13,000-POUND CAPSULE IS ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH

AND LESS THAN 13 FEET AT ITS MAXIMUM DIAMETER --

AN INCREDIBLY TIGHT SPACE

FOR THREE MEN TO LIVE AND WORK FOR EIGHT DAYS.

IN TOTAL, ITS PANELS HAVE 24 INSTRUMENTS, 566 SWITCHES,

40 EVENT INDICATORS, AND 71 LIGHTS.

DUKE: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston.

How did it go? Over.

COLLINS: Time to open up the LRL doors, Charlie.

LEARNING FROM THE TRAGEDY OF THE APOLLO 1 FIRE,

NASA HAD THIS MODULE DESIGNED WITH A HATCH

THAT COULD OPEN OUTWARD IN FIVE SECONDS.

EARLIER DESIGNS COULD TAKE UP TO 90 SECONDS TO OPEN.

THE CAPSULE IS CONSTRUCTED OF A STAINLESS-STEEL OUTER SHELL

SURROUNDING AN INNER SHELL OF ALUMINUM,

SEVERAL INCHES OF FIBERGLASS INSULATION BETWEEN.

SINCE THE 5,000-DEGREE HEAT OF RE-ENTRY COULD MELT MOST METALS,

THE OUTER SHELL ALSO HAD A RESIN SHIELD

DESIGNED TO CHAR AND MELT OFF,

ABSORBING AND CARRYING AWAY MUCH OF THAT HEAT IN THE PROCESS...

MAN: Roger, we got you coming home.

Melvin: ...BEFORE SPLASHING DOWN IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

SO, YOU KNOW, NOBODY DISPUTES

THAT THIS SPACECRAFT WENT TO SPACE.

WHAT THEY DISPUTE IS WHETHER IT WENT TO THE MOON AND BACK,

WHETHER IT COULD'VE SURVIVED

THE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT IN SPACE.

WE'RE GONNA PROVE THAT.

WHILE I HAVE MY SUSPICIONS, THIS IS STILL REALLY COOL --

THE CAPSULE THAT ACTUALLY TOOK

NEIL, MIKE, AND BUZZ TO SPACE,

AND, POSSIBLY, TO THE MOON.

BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT,

LET ALONE GET INSIDE THE CAPSULE TO SEE HOW THICK IT IS,

I'VE ARRANGED FOR A TEAM TO COME OVER.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH SHIELDING EXISTS

INSIDE THE CAPSULE.

WHENEVER I NEED HIGH-TECH GEAR FOR INVESTIGATIONS,

I CALL IN SPECIALISTS LIKE DARRYN MacDOUGALL.

SINCE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT,

DARRYN'S LIDAR SCANNER CAN COMPUTE THE THICKNESS

OF THE CAPSULE WALLS FOR US.

HERE'S DARRYN WITH THE SCANNER.

-HOW YOU DOING? -GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED YOU HAVE THE SCANNER HERE.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT

AND HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS?SURE.

IT'S A LIDAR SCANNER -- LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING.

IT'S GONNA TAKE POSITIONS AROUND HERE,

AND IT'S GONNA ACTUALLY CREATE A 3-D MODEL ON A COMPUTER.

ALRIGHT, WONDERFUL. WELL, LET'S SEE IT GO TO USE.

♪♪

Jenkins: LIDAR'S THE SAME TECHNOLOGY

USED IN LASER GUIDANCE, ARCHAEOLOGY,

HIGH-RES MAP MAKING, AND IN DRIVERLESS CARS.

-SOME LIGHT. -SURE.

[ WHIRRING ]

THE FOOTAGE WILL GET AN EXACT READ

ON JUST HOW PROTECTED THE ASTRONAUTS WERE

WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

Melvin: NON-CONTACTING, NON-DESTRUCTIVE,

BUT CAN GET OUT INFORMATION

THAT'S GONNA MAYBE HELP US SOLVE THIS MYSTERY.

YEAH.

Bara: JUST LOOKING AT IT, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE

THERE'S THE LEAD I THINK IT WOULD NEED

TO PASS THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

Jenkins: WE'RE GONNA HEAD BACK TO THE SITUATION ROOM

AND ANALYZE THE RESULTS.

♪♪

Jenkins: IT HINGES ON WHETHER THERE WAS ENOUGH PROTECTION

TO SAFEGUARD THE ASTRONAUTS,

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE CAN TEST.

THAT HAS RADIOACTIVE STICKERS.

HOW DANGEROUS IS THAT RIGHT NOW?

[ BEEPING, TONE PLAYS ]

♪♪

I GOT TO TELL YOU, THE OUTER SKIN WAS SO RAVAGED

BY THE RETURN BURN

INTO THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,

I WAS PRETTY SHOCKED.

I FEEL LIKE, GIVEN THE RADIATION OUT THERE,

THERE NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST A FOOT OF LEAD

MAKING UP THE CAPSULE WALLS

TO PROTECT THE ASTRONAUTS.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THOSE RETURNS ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE,

TRAVELING AT 17,500 MILES PER HOUR.

RE-ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE, THAT SHUTTLE HEATED UP

TO 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, RE-ENTRY'S CHALLENGING FOR ANY SPACECRAFT.

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT, BUT THE REAL ISSUE HERE

IS THE AMOUNT OF SHIELDING THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY

TO GO THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY THE POINT OF CONTENTION.

♪♪

I GOT TO TELL YOU. THE RESULTS WERE STAGGERING.

LESS THAN THREE INCHES OF STEEL AND ALUMINUM.

♪♪

OKAY, SO THREE INCHES -- THAT'S, LIKE, WOW.

IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS NO WAY

THERE WAS ENOUGH SHIELDING FOR THEM TO BE PROTECTED

GOING THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

THE WALLS OF THE CAPSULE

WERE JUST NOT THICK ENOUGH TO STOP IT.

MAYBE THERE WAS NO MOON LANDING.

SO, THE IDEA -- IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHIELDING,

IS THAT EVIDENCE THAT WE DIDN'T GO TO THE MOON?

OKAY, THREE INCHES IS PRETTY SURPRISING,

BUT I'M SURE THERE'S AN EXPLANATION.

MAYBE THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO TEST THIS THEORY.

Jenkins: REALLY, IT HINGES ON WHETHER

THERE WAS ENOUGH PROTECTION

TO SAFEGUARD THE ASTRONAUTS,

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE CAN TEST.

THERE'S A TEAM THAT'S INVESTIGATING

HOW MUCH PROTECTION IS REALLY NEEDED

FOR THE VAN ALLEN BELT RADIATION.

[ CLAPS HANDS ]

Melvin: WE'RE HEADING TO

THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION FOR SCIENCE,

WHERE WE'LL TEST THE RADIATION EFFECTS ON A SPACE CAPSULE.

Jenkins: WHENEVER MY INVESTIGATIONS REQUIRE

ANALYSIS OF ENERGY AND RADIATION,

I GO TO MICHAEL WALTER AND HIS TEAM AT CARNEGIE

TO BREAK DOWN THE INFORMATION.

WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TEST JUST HOW DANGEROUS

THE VAN ALLEN BELT RADIATION WAS

BEFORE WE CAN DRAW ANY CONCLUSIONS.

WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO SEE WHAT RISKS ARE POSED

BY THE RADIATION GOING THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

RIGHT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF RADIATION EXPOSURE POTENTIAL

DURING THE APOLLO MISSIONS,

AND THE VAN ALLEN BELTS, OF COURSE,

ARE A BIG PART OF THAT,

AND SO A LOT OF THE CONSPIRACY CROWD HAVE ARGUED THAT,

IN ORDER TO SURVIVE THE RADIATION INTENSITY

THAT THE ASTRONAUTS WENT THROUGH,

THE THING WOULD HAVE TO BE BUILT

OUT OF A LOT STRONGER MATERIAL,

YOU KNOW, SHIELDED WITH LEAD --

THAT IT SIMPLY WASN'T POSSIBLE TO GO THROUGH

WITHOUT GETTING BURNT TO A CRISP.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT TAKE

TO BLOCK THE RADIATION OF THE VAN ALLEN BELTS?

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT RADIATION'S ALL ABOUT.

THESE ARE PARTICLES, AND THESE PARTICLES ARE THREE KINDS --

PROTONS, ELECTRONS, OR BETA PARTICLES,

AND ALPHA PARTICLES,

WHICH ARE TWO PROTONS AND TWO NEUTRONS.

THE INNER VAN ALLEN BELT HAS A LOT OF PROTON FLUX,

AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS,

SO WHAT NASA DID WAS SIMPLY AVOID IT

BECAUSE IT'S RELATIVELY SMALLER

AND YOU CAN MANAGE TO GET AROUND IT.

BUT YOU CAN'T GET AROUND THE OUTER BELT,

AND THE OUTER BELT HAS A VERY HIGH FLUX

OF BETA PARTICLES -- THOSE ARE ELECTRONS.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY

IS TEST THE MATERIAL THAT THE SPACECRAFT WAS MADE OF

WAS SUFFICIENT TO BLOCK MOST OF THE RADIATION

AND THAT THE RADIATION THAT DID GET THROUGH WASN'T LETHAL

BECAUSE THE TIME SPENT IN THE RADIATION BELT

WAS RELATIVELY SHORT.

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BASICALLY

IS IT'S NOT JUST THE INTENSITY OF THE RADIATION

OR THE TYPE OF THE RADIATION --

IT'S ALSO THE EXPOSURE TIME THAT MATTERS.

EXACTLY.

SO, WE HAVE A PLEXIGLASS MOCK-UP OF THE CAPSULE.

WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF RADIATION SOURCES HERE

THAT EMULATE THE KIND OF RADIATION

THAT EXISTS IN THE OUTER VAN ALLEN BELT,

WHICH IS WHAT THE CAPSULE WENT THROUGH.

♪♪

THAT HAS RADIOACTIVE STICKERS.

HOW DANGEROUS IS THAT RIGHT NOW?

THESE AREN'T DANGEROUS.

THE FLUX IS SO LOW THAT IT'S MUCH, MUCH LESS

THAN GETTING AN X-RAY AT A DENTAL OFFICE.

ALRIGHT, JUST "CAUTION -- RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL"

KIND OF ALERTS MY, UH, SENSES.

-OF COURSE. -[ CHUCKLES ]

[ BEEPS ]

HERE IS OUR ALPHA PARTICLE EMITTER.

IT'S RADIOACTIVE.[ TONE PLAYS ]

AND YOU CAN HEAR ALL THE COUNTS

GOING INTO THAT GEIGER COUNTER.

IT'S ABOUT A MILLIRAD PER HOUR.

Bara: I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THIS RADIATION TEST SHOWS US,

BECAUSE IT WILL DEFINITIVELY TELL US

WHETHER OR NOT THE ASTRONAUTS COULD'VE SURVIVED A TRIP

THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELTS.

SO, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU

THE STOPPING POWER OF JUST THE PLEXIGLASS

IN OUR MOCK-UP CAPSULE HERE.

DR. WALTER IS PLACING HIS PLEXIGLASS REPLICA

OF THE APOLLO 11 CAPSULE

ON TOP OF THE RADIOACTIVE PELLET.

HE'S GONNA MEASURE HOW MUCH RADIATION

GETS THROUGH THE BARRIER.

PUT THAT THERE.

HERE'S OUR CAPSULE.

WE'LL LOWER OUR GEIGER COUNTER IN.

[ BEEPS ]

♪♪

♪♪

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU

THE STOPPING POWER OF JUST THE PLEXIGLASS

IN OUR MOCK-UP CAPSULE HERE.

Jenkins: WE'RE TESTING IF THE MATERIALS

THE APOLLO 11 CAPSULE WAS MADE OF

WOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND A LETHAL DOSE OF RADIATION

FROM THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

PUT THAT THERE.

Bara: IF THIS SCALED-DOWN TEST OF THESE MATERIALS

CANNOT BLOCK SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF RADIATION,

IT MEANS THE ASTRONAUTS DID NOT GO TO THE MOON.

THERE'S OUR CAPSULE.

Jenkins: THE VAN ALLEN BELTS HAVE BEEN GAUGED

AT MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF MILLIRADS.

EVEN A SCALED-DOWN TEST LIKE THIS

CAN DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE OF RADIATION THAT GETS BLOCKED.

Melvin: THE DISK IS EMITTING A LOW DOSE

OF RADIOACTIVE PROTONS, OR ALPHA PARTICLES --

APPROXIMATELY ONE MILLIRAD WORTH --

NOT ENOUGH TO BE HARMFUL, BUT WE'RE GONNA SEE

HOW MUCH CAN GET THROUGH A PIECE OF PLEXIGLASS.

[ BEEPS ]

♪♪

AND WE'RE GETTING A COUPLE OF COUNTS --

0.05 MILLIRADS PER HOUR.

♪♪

WITH A SIMPLE PIECE OF PLASTIC, WE'RE ABLE TO DROP

THE RADIOACTIVITY OF ALPHA PARTICLES BY 99%.

IN TERMS OF THE ALPHA PARTICLES,

NO PROBLEM.

SO, NOW, LET'S TEST THE BETA PARTICLES.

THERE'S A MUCH HIGHER FLUX OF BETA PARTICLES

IN THE VAN ALLEN BELT, AND THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER.

THEY'RE ELECTRONS,

AND SO THEY CAN PENETRATE THROUGH MATERIAL.

Bara: SO, THIS IS A CRUCIAL TEST.

SINCE BETA PARTICLES HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME

BREAKING THROUGH PROTECTIVE SURFACES,

THEY POSE A MUCH GREATER DANGER TO THE ASTRONAUTS.

WE ARE GOING TO PUT THE HIGHEST FLUX THAT WE CAN IN HERE.

"HIGHEST FLUX" MEANING...

MEANING THE MOST ELECTRONS...

POSSIBLE? POSSIBLE.

SO, WE'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF DISKS HERE

EMITTING BETA PARTICLES.[ BEEPING ]

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE FLUX

IS ABOUT 2 MILLIRADS PER HOUR,

SO CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD

WITH THE ALPHA PARTICLES.

-OKAY. -OKAY?

OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK

AT THE BLOCKING POWER OF A THIN LAYER OF PLEXIGLASS.

[ BEEPING ]

OKAY, SO, NOW WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 0.9 TO 1.

SO WE'VE BLOCKED ABOUT HALF OF -- HALF OF THEM.

Bara: HALF OF THE BETA PARTICLES ARE STILL GETTING THROUGH,

AND LAST TIME I CHECKED,

THEY DON'T COVER YOU WITH A PLASTIC-LINED APRON

WHEN YOU GO GET AN X-RAY AT THE DENTIST.

THEY COVER YOU WITH A LEAD-LINED APRON.

THERE ARE SOME CONSPIRACY THEORIES

SAYING THAT THE CAPSULE NEEDED TO BE MADE OF LEAD

IN ORDER TO STOP ANY OF THESE PARTICLES FROM PENETRATING.

WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS BEHIND THAT?

WELL, LEAD WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE IT'S VERY DENSE,

AND SO IT WOULD STOP ALL THESE PARTICLES IN THEIR TRACKS.

THE PROBLEM IS IT'S REALLY, REALLY HEAVY,

AND YOU WOULD NEVER GET THE SPACECRAFT OFF THE GROUND.

SO THE CAPSULES WERE MADE OUT OF TWO MATERIALS.

THE INNER SHELL WAS MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM,

AND THEN THERE WAS AN OUTER SHELL THAT WAS MADE OF STEEL.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE

IS WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE BLOCKING POWER OF ALUMINUM.

Melvin: NOW WE'RE GETTING TO A TEST

OF THE ACTUAL MATERIAL USED ON APOLLO 11.

THIS IS WHAT WE CAME TO FIND OUT --

IF THREE INCHES OF ALUMINUM AND STEEL

PROVIDE ENOUGH OF A BARRIER AGAINST SPACE RADIATION.

SO, I'VE GOT AN ALUMINUM PLATE,

WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MILLIMETERS THICK,

AND, IF YOU LIFT THAT UP,

WE'LL PUT ONE PLATE OVER THE DISKS.

♪♪

♪♪

[ BEEPING ]

AND NOW THE COUNTS ARE DOWN

TO ABOUT 0.1 OR 0.2 MILLIRADS PER HOUR.

-WOW. -UH-HUH.

SO YOU'VE BLOCKED EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF THE PARTICLES

THAT ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THE OUTER VAN ALLEN BELT

WITH JUST PLEXIGLASS AND A LITTLE BIT OF ALUMINUM.

RIGHT.

WELL, THERE YOU GO. SCIENCE WINS AGAIN.

ALL OF THESE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS

SHOULD'VE REALLY DONE THEIR HOMEWORK

BEFORE THEY STARTED DOUBTING

THE TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN OF NASA

THAT DIDSEND APOLLO 11 TO THE MOON.

THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT BEFORE THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY --

THAT THEY WENT THROUGH

THAT THERE WAS AN UNQUANTIFIED RISK

TO GOING THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELT,

BUT WHAT NASA KNEW

IS THAT THEY HAD MAPPED THE VAN ALLEN BELT

TO A DEGREE WHERE THEY KNEW WHERE THE HOT SPOTS WERE

AND THE AREAS OF THE LOWEST RADIATION FLUX,

AND SO THEY PLANNED THEIR TRAJECTORIES

IN SUCH A WAY TO HAVE THE MINIMUM EXPOSURE.

THERE WERE A LOT OF RISKS WITH THE MOON MISSIONS.

-MM-HMM. -JUST GETTING OFF THE GROUND,

YOU KNOW, MAKING IT UP INTO ORBIT,

PUTTING SOMEBODY ON THE MOON AND GETTING THEM OFF --

THOSE WERE ALL MUCH HIGHER RISKS

THAN THE RISKS OF GOING THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELT.

OKAY, THAT'S WHY WE DO THE TESTS.

BUT, LIKE DR. WALTER SAID, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER RISKS.

SO THIS TEST DOESN'T COMPLETELY CLOSE THE BOOK

ON NASA FAKING THE MOON LANDING.

YOU DON'T NEED LEAD SHIELDING TO GO TO THE MOON.

YOU DON'T NEED LEAD SHIELDING TO GO TO THE MOON.

♪♪

I THINK THE RADIATION TEST WAS AWFULLY CONVINCING.

WITH JUST A THIN SHEET OF ALUMINUM,

THIS STOPPED 99% OF THE ALPHA AND BETA RADIATION.

THE SCIENCE DEMONSTRATED IT, AND, YOU KNOW,

THERE'S ALL TYPES OF RADIATION OUT THERE.

SOME OF IT'S NOT HARMFUL, BUT IF IT IS, AGENCIES LIKE NASA

WITH ALL THEIR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS,

CAN FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH SHIELDING WE NEED.

YEAH, I MEAN, LOOK. [ SIGHS ]

1% -- I MEAN, YOU CAN GET

A HIGHER DOSE OF RADIATION THAN THAT

JUST BY FLYING TO DENVER

AND STEPPING OFF AN AIRPLANE INTO THE SUNSHINE,

SO I THINK WE CAN PRETTY MUCH SAY THAT

THE IDEA THAT THE VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELTS

WOULD STOP US FROM GOING TO THE MOON IS...

ALL B.S.

ALRIGHT, SO, THE SCIENTIFIC PROOF THAT I SAW

CHANGED MY MIND.

WE COULD HAVE MADE IT SAFELY THROUGH THE VAN ALLEN BELTS.

BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T PROVE

THAT WE ACTUALLY MADE IT TO THE MOON IN '69.

THERE IS ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO BRING UP WITH YOU GUYS.

DID YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE?

THERE ARE ENDLESS CONSPIRACY THEORIES OUT THERE.

HERE WE GO.

MAYBE THERE WAS NO MOON LANDING.

ALRIGHT.

OUR INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE.

♪♪