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NARRATOR:
They're watching you.
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More than 5,000 satellites
circle the earth.
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Every day, they uncover
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new, mysterious phenomena
that defy explanation.
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Booze and bombs in
the New Jersey Murder Dome.
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MORGAN:
By the time it was all over,
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$20 million dollars
had gone up in smoke.
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NARRATOR: The curse of
King Solomon's Island.
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The ultimate outcome was that
there were no survivors.
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NARRATOR:
And the desert doomsday clock.
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This is deeply concerning for
the stability of the world.
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NARRATOR: Baffling phenomena,
mysteries from space.
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What on Earth are they?
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[theme music playing]
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March 7th, 2021.
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A satellite scanning
a dense, marshy
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forest in New Jersey
captures this image.
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I'm seeing, in the landscape,
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a gigantic oval.
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It's huge.
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SILBEY: The oval's actually
not entirely by itself.
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There's also a very strange
grid pattern
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that's been carved out of
the woods.
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It's as if these
are ghosts of structures
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that have been swallowed up
into the pines.
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NARRATOR: This is
the New Jersey Pine Barrens,
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an ancient forest with
an infamous history,
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one that could help explain
the weird shapes in the image.
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For over 250 years,
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its vast, inaccessible interior
was a haven for murderers,
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outlaws, and thieves.
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The New Jersey Pine Barrens were
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the perfect cover
for illicit activity.
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Here, they would be invisible
to law enforcement.
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The possibility that I'm
considering is that what we're
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looking at is some sort of
a hideout settlement.
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NARRATOR: The lure of
clandestine activity has drawn
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historian Martin Morgan into
these remote woodlands.
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My suspicions immediately go
to the Prohibition era, where,
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in the Pine Barrens,
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it was known that rum runners
were producing stills
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and hiding out in a remote area.
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NARRATOR:
Beginning in 1920,
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distilleries spring up
throughout the forest,
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part of an illegal
nationwide industry,
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which turns out nearly
35 million gallons of
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home-brewed booze.
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The distilleries were actually
fairly substantial in size,
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and so the grid pattern fits
in terms of what
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the bootleggers might have
needed to produce
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their own alcohol.
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Maybe they built
an entire village
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out here to support this
distillery operation.
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NARRATOR: The 150-proof
moonshine produced in
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the Pine Barrens is known
as Jersey Lightning.
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Even though this concoction
did not have a good taste,
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it got the job done.
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And if you were somebody
who barely had two dimes to
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rub together, it was going
to be your salvation.
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NARRATOR: To amplify the kick
from their hooch,
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moonshiners mix in bleach,
embalming fluid, and manure.
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HORTON:
There was no regulation.
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There was no control, additives
were placed into the booze
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and all sorts of
horrendous things,
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like paint stripper,
for example.
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We know that these structures
have been around for at
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least 90 years, because they
show up in older photographs.
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NARRATOR: Yet when Morgan closes
in on the imprints spotted
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from space...
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What's this, then?
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he discovers they don't
appear to
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be the remains of
a moonshine factory.
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This isn't just
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some flimsy structure.
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This thing is beefy.
It's made of concrete.
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Whoa.
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NARRATOR: Morgan finds
massive parallel walls,
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two feet thick and reinforced
with steel bars,
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a sign, he believes, of
military architecture.
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The walls are angled backward
away from one another.
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In the event that there is
an explosion, it would
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direct the blast upward
so that the structure could
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conceivably survive.
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And so now I have to think that
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we might be dealing with
an explosives plant.
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NARRATOR: Declassified records
confirm the structures
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are the legacy of a pivotal
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but often overlooked
period in American
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military history.
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This is the site
of the World War I
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Amatol munitions
factory -- during the war,
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this place becomes
the ultimate boomtown.
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NARRATOR: The use of munitions
during World War I
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is on a scale without parallel
in human conflict.
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As opposing forces fire
a billion artillery
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shells across the killing
fields of northern Europe,
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the war descends into
a bloody stalemate.
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HYMEL: The amount of destruction
and fire power is overwhelming.
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Each side is trying to develop
larger and larger munitions
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to sort of break the back of
the other side.
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Who would win?
Whoever had the most explosives.
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NARRATOR: Even before it joins
the conflict in 1917, the U.S.
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offers help to its allies
in the form of shipments of TNT,
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but reserves soon run out,
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forcing scientists to invent
a new explosive --
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Amatol, a highly potent mix
of TNT and ammonium nitrate.
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Amatol was a game-changer
in World War I.
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LEVINE: Amatol is the perfect
substance to have discovered in
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these circumstances, because
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the supply of TNT was limited,
but there was a plentiful
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supply of ammonium nitrate.
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NARRATOR:
Following the discovery,
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the U.S. government purchases
6,000 acres of
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the Pine Barrens and builds
the massive amatol factory in
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just four months.
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It is part of a staggering
countrywide mobilization,
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which produces 160 million
pounds of explosives
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per month for
the battlefields of Europe.
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MORGAN: It was used
in everything, because you could
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liquefy it and pour it
into a shell
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or a body of a hand grenade
or whatever you needed to
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pour it into.
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NARRATOR: The supplies of
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vital explosives being sent
from the U.S.
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to its allies infuriates
the German government.
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The decision
was made by the German high
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command to adopt what was known
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as Universal War, and this
meant that anyone supplying
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Britain with munitions were
subject to German attack.
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On July 30th, 1916,
German saboteurs infiltrate
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the Black Tom rail yard
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in New York and detonate cars
packed with 1,000 tons
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of explosives.
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[explosion blasts]
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The cataclysmic blast
blows out windows in
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almost every high rise in
Lower Manhattan
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and pockmarks
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the Statue of Liberty
with shrapnel.
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By the time
it was all over, $20 million
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in explosives
had gone up in smoke.
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So there was
an increasing shortage
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of explosives to supply to
the allies.
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NARRATOR: To ramp up production,
the government builds
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a town capable of housing
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20,000 workers to the east
of the amatol factory.
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If there was a large
explosion, you're not going to
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kill your work force,
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their children,
where they're living.
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NARRATOR: Following the end
of World War I,
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demand for amatol plummets,
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The factory closes, and
the workers leave the forest.
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But one mystery remains.
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SILBEY:
There's an almost perfect oval,
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just sort of sitting there,
where there's no reason for it,
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as far as I can tell.
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So then, what is it?
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NARRATOR: Coming up,
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into the murder dome.
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This was a blood sport.
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There were many fatalities.
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NARRATOR:
And the fortress of skulls.
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And it's absolutely
beyond imagination.
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NARRATOR: Hooked by lost
structures revealed from space,
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Martin Morgan is in the depths
of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
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This is an explosives factory.
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NARRATOR: A mysterious oval
shape sits in its midst.
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MORGAN: I'm now in the middle
of the oval structure.
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And you don't get
an impression of this when you
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look at it from satellite,
but there are
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berms on either side.
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NARRATOR: The raised ridge of
earth precisely
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follows the outline of
the giant structure.
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Maybe this was some
sort of a race track?
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The presence of the inner tube
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certainly suggests
that could be the case.
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Why would there be a race track
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in the middle of
the New Jersey Pine Barrens?
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NARRATOR:
Local land records reveal
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Morgan has uncovered structures
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with a history steeped in
death and riches.
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These things are known
as murder domes.
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It's really hard to imagine
that this could be taking place
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in the early 20th century.
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NARRATOR:
The tracks have their origin
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in the dawn of the Motor Age.
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As the nation transitions
from horses
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to horsepower,
racing fever takes hold.
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SZULGIT: Speed was king.
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The whole idea
that you could go 30,
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40, 50 miles an hour was
exciting enough.
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But seeing these cars moving at
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100 miles an hour was
just exhilarating.
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NARRATOR: As the public's thirst
for speed intensifies,
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raceways spring up
across the country.
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HORTON: People would
congregate in their thousands
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to these places to watch
these incredible machines
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and death-defying feats.
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NARRATOR:
In 1925, the riches
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generated by these races attract
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00:11:57,917 --> 00:12:02,520
the attention of millionaire
steel magnate Charles M. Schwab.
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Charles M. Schwab
could have been
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00:12:04,523 --> 00:12:06,424
a Scott Fitzgerald character.
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00:12:06,459 --> 00:12:10,028
Not only was he a very
successful industrialist,
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he was also well known for
his excesses.
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HUNT: When you think of
these tycoons having
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to flaunt their wealth,
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what better way to do it than
to build a speedway?
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NARRATOR:
Schwab constructs a track
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00:12:28,013 --> 00:12:30,248
from 4.5 million feet of lumber
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on the site of the old Pine
Barrens explosives factory.
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He christens it
the Atlantic City Speedway.
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00:12:40,926 --> 00:12:44,529
The Atlantic City Speedway
was no ordinary track.
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00:12:44,597 --> 00:12:48,433
It was basically the Madison
Square Garden of speed racing.
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It was actually
the largest race track
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00:12:51,303 --> 00:12:53,638
in the eastern United States.
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NARRATOR: Speedways like
Schwab's are designed to
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00:12:58,077 --> 00:13:01,212
host what's known
as board track racing.
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00:13:01,247 --> 00:13:04,315
They are the most dangerous
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00:13:04,383 --> 00:13:06,584
circuits in the history
of motor sports.
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00:13:06,652 --> 00:13:08,753
[tires squealing]
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00:13:08,788 --> 00:13:12,857
HYMEL: Imagine traveling at 160
miles an hour on a wooden track,
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you know, hitting these
60-degree angles in the 1920s.
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I mean, this is
the definition of daredevil.
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[tires squealing]
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00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:24,502
It was really common
for cars to spin
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or lose control, and they could
end up off the track.
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They could even end up in
the crowd.
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This was a blood sport.
There were many fatalities.
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NARRATOR: Racing with no
seatbelts on surfaces made
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slick by oil
and shreds of rubber,
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00:13:40,719 --> 00:13:43,087
these so-called
murder domes claimed
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00:13:43,122 --> 00:13:46,858
the lives of numerous racers
and spectators.
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00:13:46,926 --> 00:13:51,362
Yet when it opens
on May 1st, 1926,
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00:13:51,430 --> 00:13:53,631
60,000 members of the public
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still flocked to Schwab's
new racetrack.
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Because of the speed
for which it was designed,
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top drivers from around
the country
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00:14:02,741 --> 00:14:05,043
and even around the world
came to race there.
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00:14:07,079 --> 00:14:09,380
These woods were kind of
like a Roman coliseum,
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00:14:09,415 --> 00:14:12,951
with people cheering and going
wild over racing automobiles.
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00:14:15,087 --> 00:14:17,655
NARRATOR: On the first day
alone, drivers smashed six
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00:14:17,723 --> 00:14:18,957
speed records,
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00:14:19,024 --> 00:14:21,893
netting the equivalent of
half a million dollars
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00:14:21,961 --> 00:14:24,028
in prize money.
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00:14:24,063 --> 00:14:27,065
This speedway track
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00:14:27,132 --> 00:14:31,102
represents the Roaring Twenties
of America,
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00:14:31,170 --> 00:14:32,637
the Hedonism,
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00:14:32,705 --> 00:14:36,074
the sheer energy that money
would provide.
249
00:14:38,444 --> 00:14:42,280
NARRATOR: Over the next two
years, the oval spotted
250
00:14:42,314 --> 00:14:43,381
from space rivals
251
00:14:43,448 --> 00:14:46,985
the Indy 500 as the nation's
top speedway.
252
00:14:47,052 --> 00:14:51,422
These races were really
pushing the whole idea
253
00:14:51,457 --> 00:14:53,658
of what could be done
with motor cars.
254
00:14:58,731 --> 00:14:59,864
NARRATOR:
But the glory days of
255
00:14:59,999 --> 00:15:03,868
this automotive amphitheater
are short-lived.
256
00:15:03,936 --> 00:15:07,272
In 1929,
the stock market crashes.
257
00:15:07,339 --> 00:15:10,708
The paying crowds melt away,
258
00:15:10,776 --> 00:15:13,678
and the Atlantic City
Speedway closes.
259
00:15:15,915 --> 00:15:18,750
HUNT:
The flames of the Depression
260
00:15:18,817 --> 00:15:21,886
quickly destroyed
everything in its path.
261
00:15:21,954 --> 00:15:25,423
There was nobody left standing
to perform,
262
00:15:25,490 --> 00:15:29,394
to finance, or to watch
the races
263
00:15:30,562 --> 00:15:33,631
NARRATOR:
During the Great Depression,
264
00:15:33,699 --> 00:15:35,433
much of the site is destroyed.
265
00:15:35,501 --> 00:15:39,103
The rest, cannibalized, but its
266
00:15:39,171 --> 00:15:42,807
ghostly imprint remains,
visible from space.
267
00:15:44,043 --> 00:15:48,446
This site narrates the history
of the First World War,
268
00:15:48,514 --> 00:15:52,417
the Roaring Twenties, and then
also the history of the era of
269
00:15:52,451 --> 00:15:53,785
the Great Depression.
270
00:15:53,852 --> 00:15:57,722
It's just layer upon layer
of history.
271
00:16:03,095 --> 00:16:05,496
NARRATOR:
Coming up, hell cruise.
272
00:16:06,465 --> 00:16:09,300
Things went very,
very badly wrong.
273
00:16:09,368 --> 00:16:11,736
NARRATOR:
And the sands of time.
274
00:16:11,804 --> 00:16:14,339
We're looking
at a barren landscape,
275
00:16:14,406 --> 00:16:20,244
and there is this giant clock.
276
00:16:25,084 --> 00:16:29,053
NARRATOR:
November 2018,
277
00:16:29,088 --> 00:16:32,690
eyes in the sky
scan the Solomon islands,
278
00:16:32,758 --> 00:16:35,693
1,000 miles northeast
of Australia.
279
00:16:38,330 --> 00:16:41,666
HORTON: I'm looking
at a tropical paradise,
280
00:16:41,734 --> 00:16:46,371
but there in the middle of
the image is a ship,
281
00:16:46,438 --> 00:16:48,373
lying on its side.
282
00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,376
This is a giant cruise ship,
283
00:16:51,443 --> 00:16:54,746
flipped against
this tiny little island.
284
00:16:54,780 --> 00:16:56,381
WALTERS: This is a pretty
alarming image.
285
00:16:56,448 --> 00:17:00,618
Clearly things went very,
very badly wrong.
286
00:17:00,652 --> 00:17:03,855
NARRATOR:
Maritime records reveal
287
00:17:03,922 --> 00:17:07,058
the ship is called
the MS World Discoverer.
288
00:17:09,094 --> 00:17:12,463
Tracking data provides
a haunting possible clue to
289
00:17:12,531 --> 00:17:13,464
her fate.
290
00:17:13,532 --> 00:17:17,268
This ship was designed
to be able to
291
00:17:17,336 --> 00:17:21,939
navigate one of the most
challenging routes on Earth,
292
00:17:22,041 --> 00:17:24,175
the Northwest Passage between
293
00:17:24,243 --> 00:17:26,878
the Atlantic
and the Pacific Oceans.
294
00:17:29,948 --> 00:17:33,484
NARRATOR: The Northwest Passage
is 900 deadly miles
295
00:17:33,552 --> 00:17:37,321
of frozen seas
and 300-foot-high icebergs.
296
00:17:39,158 --> 00:17:41,125
Even today, more people have
297
00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,261
conquered Everest than
have navigated
298
00:17:43,295 --> 00:17:45,096
this perilous polar shortcut.
299
00:17:46,532 --> 00:17:48,599
The Northwest Passage
was actually
300
00:17:48,667 --> 00:17:50,768
unpassable for hundreds
of years.
301
00:17:52,604 --> 00:17:57,041
The Northwest Passage was
one of the Holy Grails of
302
00:17:57,109 --> 00:18:01,212
exploration, and a series of
expeditions were mounted,
303
00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,550
most notably in the 19th century
by the Royal Navy, using two
304
00:18:05,584 --> 00:18:08,553
ships called the Terror
and the Erebus.
305
00:18:09,888 --> 00:18:12,090
NARRATOR:
The Terror and the Erebus,
306
00:18:12,124 --> 00:18:16,394
two steam ships
carrying 133 officers and men,
307
00:18:16,462 --> 00:18:20,798
set sail for the Northwest
Passage in May 1845.
308
00:18:22,968 --> 00:18:26,003
Two months later,
they disappear.
309
00:18:27,172 --> 00:18:29,440
For a long time,
the fate of both vessels
310
00:18:29,508 --> 00:18:31,576
was not known,
but through recent
311
00:18:31,677 --> 00:18:33,444
archaeological surveys that
312
00:18:33,479 --> 00:18:35,680
encountered the remains of
the crew,
313
00:18:35,747 --> 00:18:39,784
we can piece together
the truly horrific ordeal
314
00:18:39,885 --> 00:18:41,419
that the crew went through.
315
00:18:42,955 --> 00:18:46,023
NARRATOR: After being trapped
for 18 months,
316
00:18:46,091 --> 00:18:50,261
the crew abandon their ships
and head south on foot.
317
00:18:50,295 --> 00:18:52,964
One by one, the ice claims them,
318
00:18:53,031 --> 00:18:55,733
with some resorting
to cannibalism.
319
00:18:55,767 --> 00:18:58,369
The ultimate outcome was that
there were no survivors.
320
00:18:59,571 --> 00:19:03,875
Both boats suffered a horrible
fate in these frozen waters.
321
00:19:05,577 --> 00:19:09,347
NARRATOR: 150 years after
the two vessels disappear,
322
00:19:09,381 --> 00:19:12,383
the MS World Discoverer
becomes the first cruise ship
323
00:19:12,450 --> 00:19:15,186
to successfully navigate
the route from west to east,
324
00:19:16,388 --> 00:19:19,624
but as she then moves
southwards, past the equator,
325
00:19:19,691 --> 00:19:22,026
she, too, appears to fall victim
326
00:19:22,060 --> 00:19:24,795
to the curse of
the Northwest Passage.
327
00:19:24,863 --> 00:19:29,066
In April of 2000, the captain
sent a distress signal,
328
00:19:29,134 --> 00:19:30,267
saying that they had been
329
00:19:30,302 --> 00:19:34,105
navigating a narrow channel
off the Solomon Islands
330
00:19:34,173 --> 00:19:37,108
and struck
an uncharted coral reef.
331
00:19:39,878 --> 00:19:42,413
The crew and passengers
were rescued,
332
00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,782
but the captain decided that
the best thing to do was
333
00:19:44,816 --> 00:19:47,852
to beach this vessel as close
to shore as possible
334
00:19:49,254 --> 00:19:52,523
to enable it to be salvaged.
335
00:19:52,558 --> 00:19:54,358
So why, by now,
336
00:19:54,426 --> 00:19:59,263
has nobody towed this thing
back to a port to repair it?
337
00:19:59,331 --> 00:20:02,066
NARRATOR:
The Solomon Islands' complex
338
00:20:02,134 --> 00:20:04,969
and bloody history
could shed some light.
339
00:20:05,037 --> 00:20:08,673
The Solomon Islands have
actually had a lot of political
340
00:20:08,740 --> 00:20:11,709
strife, going all the way back
to when the Spanish
341
00:20:11,776 --> 00:20:13,010
first arrived.
342
00:20:13,078 --> 00:20:16,647
It was them who named
the islands the Solomon Islands,
343
00:20:16,715 --> 00:20:19,350
because they thought
they were going to be the source
344
00:20:19,418 --> 00:20:23,087
of the fabled
King Solomon's gold.
345
00:20:23,121 --> 00:20:24,488
NARRATOR:
Instead of gold,
346
00:20:24,523 --> 00:20:27,458
the Spanish discover
a tropical archipelago of
347
00:20:27,525 --> 00:20:32,096
900 islands ruled by dozens
of different tribes.
348
00:20:33,765 --> 00:20:34,899
JANULIS: In the 19th century,
349
00:20:34,967 --> 00:20:37,735
the British take over
and smashed all of these
350
00:20:37,802 --> 00:20:42,540
different cultures and islands
and turned it into one country.
351
00:20:42,608 --> 00:20:45,376
And what it did was
sow the seeds for violence
352
00:20:45,410 --> 00:20:47,545
and warfare later on.
353
00:20:52,017 --> 00:20:55,286
NARRATOR: During World War II,
the Japanese sees several of
354
00:20:55,354 --> 00:20:59,423
the islands, establishing naval
bases to support their campaign
355
00:20:59,491 --> 00:21:01,559
against the U.S.
356
00:21:03,161 --> 00:21:05,363
When American forces
retake the islands,
357
00:21:05,430 --> 00:21:10,001
30,000 die, and the seabed
around the wreck in the image
358
00:21:10,068 --> 00:21:12,970
claims another 100 ships.
359
00:21:13,038 --> 00:21:15,139
The islands are actually
pretty notable, because they're
360
00:21:15,207 --> 00:21:19,677
the first land mass recaptured
by the Americans from
361
00:21:19,711 --> 00:21:20,978
the Japanese.
362
00:21:21,046 --> 00:21:24,448
HORTON: The arrival
of the Americans also affected
363
00:21:24,516 --> 00:21:26,150
the culture of
the Solomon Islands,
364
00:21:26,184 --> 00:21:29,520
suddenly gave them the seeds
of their own independence,
365
00:21:29,587 --> 00:21:33,190
um, and their own ability to
look after their own destiny.
366
00:21:35,494 --> 00:21:38,095
NARRATOR:
It's not until 1978 that
367
00:21:38,130 --> 00:21:40,398
the Solomon Islands
gain independence.
368
00:21:42,734 --> 00:21:47,672
In 1998, centuries of brewing
ethnic divisions boil over.
369
00:21:49,508 --> 00:21:52,777
A man is
kidnapped and beheaded in
370
00:21:52,811 --> 00:21:55,813
the central square
of one of the towns.
371
00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,416
From there, everything erupted.
372
00:22:00,452 --> 00:22:03,120
WALTERS: Different ethnic groups
are fighting each other.
373
00:22:03,155 --> 00:22:06,691
So it's a really messy,
really nasty situation.
374
00:22:08,226 --> 00:22:10,628
NARRATOR: The ensuing
civil war leaves hundreds
375
00:22:10,696 --> 00:22:13,497
dead and thousands
in dire poverty.
376
00:22:15,334 --> 00:22:17,968
And then the islanders
discover a multimillion
377
00:22:18,036 --> 00:22:20,738
dollar ship laden
with valuable goods
378
00:22:20,772 --> 00:22:22,440
has crashed into the reefs.
379
00:22:24,209 --> 00:22:25,710
This cruise ship arrives off
380
00:22:25,777 --> 00:22:28,713
the islands, and it's
completely stripped bare.
381
00:22:28,780 --> 00:22:30,881
Even the windows have
been removed.
382
00:22:32,317 --> 00:22:34,585
It's absolutely worthless.
383
00:22:36,321 --> 00:22:38,789
SZULGIT: At that point, it was
decided that it would be far
384
00:22:38,857 --> 00:22:41,292
more expensive
to try and salvage
385
00:22:41,326 --> 00:22:44,261
this ship than it would be
just to leave it.
386
00:22:46,198 --> 00:22:49,066
NARRATOR: Two decades later,
the ransacked wreck is
387
00:22:49,134 --> 00:22:50,768
a disturbing reminder
388
00:22:50,836 --> 00:22:52,670
of the violence that
plagued these islands
389
00:22:52,738 --> 00:22:54,505
for centuries.
390
00:22:54,573 --> 00:22:57,508
And it represents,
in a sense, a tombstone to
391
00:22:57,576 --> 00:23:01,045
the colonial era that can be
seen from space.
392
00:23:06,952 --> 00:23:09,954
NARRATOR: Coming up, countdown
to Armageddon.
393
00:23:10,021 --> 00:23:14,425
I can't look at this and see
anything but a troubling future.
394
00:23:15,594 --> 00:23:19,063
NARRATOR: And lair of
the blood-sucking billionaire.
395
00:23:19,097 --> 00:23:23,567
He was literally bleeding
his countrymen for profits.
396
00:23:33,311 --> 00:23:35,346
NARRATOR:
January 5, 2017.
397
00:23:37,382 --> 00:23:40,251
An orbiting camera scouring
a mountainous region
398
00:23:40,285 --> 00:23:43,988
in central Saudi Arabia
captures this image.
399
00:23:44,022 --> 00:23:47,491
We're looking at a barren
landscape, and then all
400
00:23:47,559 --> 00:23:51,662
of a sudden, right there is
this giant clock.
401
00:23:52,998 --> 00:23:55,833
You can see one arm pointing to
402
00:23:55,901 --> 00:24:00,438
12, and then one morning
to three o'clock.
403
00:24:00,505 --> 00:24:02,940
I've never seen
anything like it.
404
00:24:02,974 --> 00:24:06,577
NARRATOR: The Arabian
peninsula has a long
405
00:24:06,644 --> 00:24:10,448
history of pioneering
discoveries in timekeeping.
406
00:24:10,515 --> 00:24:13,984
Medieval astronomers here
developed the first time zones
407
00:24:14,052 --> 00:24:18,055
as a way of determining
accurate calls to prayer.
408
00:24:19,157 --> 00:24:22,159
But Adam Ruben thinks
the clock-like feature
409
00:24:22,194 --> 00:24:23,727
is a more recent innovation.
410
00:24:26,064 --> 00:24:28,566
This doesn't look
like it's ancient.
411
00:24:28,633 --> 00:24:31,702
It looks like a center pivot
irrigation system.
412
00:24:31,770 --> 00:24:33,737
Is what we're seeing here
413
00:24:33,805 --> 00:24:38,576
the first attempt to turn this
area into workable farmland?
414
00:24:40,679 --> 00:24:43,180
NARRATOR: Center pivot
irrigation systems have
415
00:24:43,215 --> 00:24:45,783
transformed deserts
across the world.
416
00:24:47,419 --> 00:24:52,056
All of them trace their origin
back to the 1930s,
417
00:24:52,090 --> 00:24:56,060
when over-farming turns
the Great Plains
418
00:24:56,094 --> 00:25:00,731
into a 300,000-square-mile
dust bowl.
419
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,269
RUBEN: Farmers tried a number of
different methods to water
420
00:25:05,336 --> 00:25:07,338
the American plain,
421
00:25:07,405 --> 00:25:10,274
but everything was just too
expensive to make it worthwhile
422
00:25:10,342 --> 00:25:11,742
to grow crops there.
423
00:25:14,446 --> 00:25:15,646
NARRATOR: In 1948,
424
00:25:15,714 --> 00:25:19,250
a Nebraska farmer invents
a way of spreading well water
425
00:25:19,284 --> 00:25:20,851
over his land,
426
00:25:20,886 --> 00:25:24,121
breathing life back into
the Midwest,
427
00:25:24,155 --> 00:25:27,324
transforming it
into America's breadbasket.
428
00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:28,726
It was cheap.
It was simple.
429
00:25:28,793 --> 00:25:29,627
It was portable.
430
00:25:29,694 --> 00:25:31,428
It could cover the entire field.
431
00:25:32,464 --> 00:25:34,198
It's what enabled
the United States
432
00:25:34,266 --> 00:25:36,333
to grow enough food
for its citizens
433
00:25:38,370 --> 00:25:41,972
Today, around 40 percent of
crops around the world
434
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,107
are grown this way,
435
00:25:43,174 --> 00:25:48,078
creating clock-like patterns
visible from space.
436
00:25:48,146 --> 00:25:49,747
This is in Saudi Arabia.
437
00:25:49,814 --> 00:25:51,815
So it makes sense that
they'd be using this kind
438
00:25:51,883 --> 00:25:53,350
of irrigation.
439
00:25:55,620 --> 00:25:57,855
NARRATOR: But intelligence
experts reveal
440
00:25:57,956 --> 00:26:00,157
the mystery structure is
evidence of something
441
00:26:00,191 --> 00:26:03,060
much more sinister.
442
00:26:03,127 --> 00:26:07,331
We see these kinds of setups
in missile launch sites.
443
00:26:07,399 --> 00:26:11,869
The angles of the clock hands
here could actually be
444
00:26:11,937 --> 00:26:13,737
guide rails that are used
445
00:26:13,805 --> 00:26:17,241
to set up the guidance system
for the missile.
446
00:26:19,611 --> 00:26:22,212
NARRATOR: Analysis of
the wider area reveals
447
00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,715
this is no ordinary
missile site.
448
00:26:26,017 --> 00:26:27,785
MORGAN: Looking at all of
the other structures
449
00:26:27,819 --> 00:26:29,153
that are near this
launch platform,
450
00:26:29,220 --> 00:26:30,421
this facility has all of
451
00:26:30,488 --> 00:26:34,725
the hallmarks of a rocket
engine production factory.
452
00:26:36,661 --> 00:26:39,396
NARRATOR: The compound
in the image appears to be
453
00:26:39,464 --> 00:26:42,366
Saudi Arabia's first attempt
to manufacture
454
00:26:42,434 --> 00:26:44,802
weapons of mass death.
455
00:26:44,869 --> 00:26:48,339
Now, what's really disturbing
is that just outside
456
00:26:48,406 --> 00:26:52,409
the perimeter, we see
a -- an engine test stand.
457
00:26:52,477 --> 00:26:54,578
Is this the foundation of
458
00:26:54,646 --> 00:26:57,681
ballistic missile capabilities
for Saudi Arabia?
459
00:26:57,716 --> 00:27:00,284
Is it the foundation of
nuclear ballistic
460
00:27:00,318 --> 00:27:02,186
missile capabilities?
461
00:27:05,357 --> 00:27:07,224
NARRATOR: What worries
intelligence experts
462
00:27:07,258 --> 00:27:09,560
isn't just the site's
potentially devastating
463
00:27:09,628 --> 00:27:12,696
arsenal but who's
in charge of it --
464
00:27:12,764 --> 00:27:17,234
Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman.
465
00:27:17,302 --> 00:27:19,536
Mohammed bin Salman has
466
00:27:19,604 --> 00:27:22,106
demonstrated some rather
erratic behaviors.
467
00:27:22,173 --> 00:27:24,341
He is unpredictable.
468
00:27:25,710 --> 00:27:29,847
Mohammed bin Salman,
known as MBS, is heir
469
00:27:29,914 --> 00:27:31,682
to the Saudi throne.
470
00:27:31,749 --> 00:27:34,985
U.S. agents have implicated him
in the disappearance of
471
00:27:35,053 --> 00:27:39,123
numerous dissidents, including
the murder and dismemberment of
472
00:27:39,157 --> 00:27:41,859
journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
473
00:27:41,926 --> 00:27:44,795
MBS is willing to
take action against those
474
00:27:44,863 --> 00:27:47,398
he sees as contrary to
his interests in the world,
475
00:27:47,465 --> 00:27:49,099
no matter where they are.
476
00:27:50,902 --> 00:27:52,903
NARRATOR: The satellite image
provides clues to
477
00:27:52,971 --> 00:27:56,473
the Crown Prince's next
potential target.
478
00:27:56,541 --> 00:28:00,511
When the angles of
these rails are analyzed,
479
00:28:00,578 --> 00:28:04,181
they point directly at Iran.
480
00:28:04,248 --> 00:28:07,384
That arm pointing at Iran is
not good.
481
00:28:10,689 --> 00:28:12,756
NARRATOR: The Iranians
and Saudis have been locked
482
00:28:12,824 --> 00:28:15,426
in a battle for regional
dominance for decades,
483
00:28:18,730 --> 00:28:21,031
waging proxy wars
in Syria and Yemen,
484
00:28:21,099 --> 00:28:24,034
which have killed over half
a million civilians.
485
00:28:25,503 --> 00:28:28,505
The site discovered
from space suggests things
486
00:28:28,573 --> 00:28:31,041
are about to get a lot worse.
487
00:28:31,109 --> 00:28:33,744
When Mohammed bin Salman
came to power,
488
00:28:33,811 --> 00:28:36,447
he made no secret about
the fact that he was going to
489
00:28:36,514 --> 00:28:38,782
use the Saudi military more
490
00:28:38,817 --> 00:28:41,351
aggressively than
his predecessor.
491
00:28:41,419 --> 00:28:43,854
CAVELL: This is deeply
concerning for the stability of
492
00:28:43,922 --> 00:28:47,491
the region and for
the stability of the world.
493
00:28:48,626 --> 00:28:50,461
NARRATOR: Despite
international sanctions,
494
00:28:50,562 --> 00:28:54,798
some intelligence experts fear
Iran could be just months away
495
00:28:54,866 --> 00:28:57,468
from developing
a nuclear weapon.
496
00:28:57,535 --> 00:29:02,639
Mohammed bin Salman openly has
threatened that, if Iran becomes
497
00:29:02,707 --> 00:29:06,510
a nuclear power,
then Saudi will respond in kind.
498
00:29:09,948 --> 00:29:11,882
NARRATOR:
Satellites continue to monitor
499
00:29:11,950 --> 00:29:13,984
the situation as it unfolds.
500
00:29:15,620 --> 00:29:17,955
But the clock is ticking.
501
00:29:17,989 --> 00:29:22,259
This really is a wake-up call
to the west to
502
00:29:22,326 --> 00:29:27,998
keep a closer eye on what is
going on in this region.
503
00:29:28,065 --> 00:29:28,966
I can't look at this
504
00:29:29,033 --> 00:29:31,235
and see anything but
a troubling future.
505
00:29:37,308 --> 00:29:40,644
NARRATOR: Coming up,
Dracula's pyramid.
506
00:29:40,678 --> 00:29:44,715
Once you recognize exactly
what happened inside,
507
00:29:44,749 --> 00:29:47,117
it's something you just
can never forget.
508
00:29:47,152 --> 00:29:48,652
NARRATOR:
And the terror factory.
509
00:29:48,686 --> 00:29:51,722
This facility was one of
the most secret
510
00:29:51,790 --> 00:29:54,191
places during the whole of
the Cold War.
511
00:30:01,966 --> 00:30:05,702
NARRATOR:
January 21st, 2021.
512
00:30:06,771 --> 00:30:10,274
A satellite passing
above Western Nicaragua
513
00:30:10,341 --> 00:30:13,043
scans an arid hillside below.
514
00:30:15,647 --> 00:30:19,483
It's desolate,
and right in the center,
515
00:30:19,550 --> 00:30:24,188
you see this kind of strange,
geometrical shape.
516
00:30:24,222 --> 00:30:25,689
KOUROUNIS:
This is very mysterious.
517
00:30:25,757 --> 00:30:30,027
It looks like an aerial view
518
00:30:30,094 --> 00:30:32,830
straight down
on top of a pyramid.
519
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,169
NARRATOR: Across Central America
are found hundreds of pyramids,
520
00:30:39,237 --> 00:30:43,307
temples to pagan deities
and places of
521
00:30:43,374 --> 00:30:44,842
ritual bloodshed in their honor.
522
00:30:47,111 --> 00:30:48,745
But further analysis reveals
523
00:30:48,780 --> 00:30:52,216
the giant triangle has
a different origin.
524
00:30:52,283 --> 00:30:56,086
It actually looks very similar
to artillery fortifications
525
00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,155
we see in the late 19th century,
526
00:30:58,189 --> 00:31:01,024
but this doesn't show
the signs of decay we'd expect
527
00:31:01,059 --> 00:31:03,527
if this was
a 100-plus-year-old fort.
528
00:31:05,964 --> 00:31:08,832
NARRATOR: Historical records
confirm that this is
529
00:31:08,900 --> 00:31:11,001
an old fortification,
530
00:31:11,068 --> 00:31:14,104
one whose blood-soaked walls
chart some
531
00:31:14,172 --> 00:31:17,207
of the darkest events in
Central American history.
532
00:31:18,476 --> 00:31:21,612
The hillside becomes known as
the cabbage patch
533
00:31:21,679 --> 00:31:22,746
for the bleached skulls
534
00:31:22,813 --> 00:31:26,016
that are constantly turning up
in the dirt.
535
00:31:26,084 --> 00:31:30,020
It's absolutely
beyond imagination.
536
00:31:32,323 --> 00:31:36,760
The fort's horror story
begins in 1967,
537
00:31:36,828 --> 00:31:42,132
when Anastasio Somoza Debayle
becomes president of Nicaragua.
538
00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,302
Samoza is not a nice man.
539
00:31:45,370 --> 00:31:48,238
This is someone
who rules with an iron fist.
540
00:31:49,507 --> 00:31:52,743
JANULIS: Somoza followed
the dictator handbook.
541
00:31:52,777 --> 00:31:57,814
He stages a coup, takes over
the military, and basically
542
00:31:57,882 --> 00:32:01,418
uses the entire country as his
own personal piggy bank.
543
00:32:03,087 --> 00:32:06,657
NARRATOR: During his rule,
Samoza seizes control
544
00:32:06,724 --> 00:32:08,558
of a quarter of Nicaragua's land
545
00:32:08,626 --> 00:32:10,794
and amasses
a billion-dollar fortune.
546
00:32:12,063 --> 00:32:17,601
Political opponents are jailed
and tortured, descent crushed.
547
00:32:17,669 --> 00:32:21,538
Nicaragua becomes
Samoza's private fiefdom.
548
00:32:21,606 --> 00:32:23,740
He is truly one of
the most horrendous
549
00:32:23,808 --> 00:32:27,811
dictators probably ever to
appear in Latin America.
550
00:32:29,180 --> 00:32:31,615
NARRATOR:
Such is the dictator's greed
551
00:32:31,682 --> 00:32:34,484
that he harvests blood plasma
from the poor,
552
00:32:34,552 --> 00:32:37,254
selling it for vast profit
in the U.S.
553
00:32:39,324 --> 00:32:44,194
He was literally bleeding
his countrymen for profit.
554
00:32:46,597 --> 00:32:49,666
Samoza is
a fervent anti-communist.
555
00:32:51,102 --> 00:32:55,105
This means the U.S. chooses
to support his vicious rule.
556
00:32:56,874 --> 00:33:00,377
The way the U.S. government
views the Samoza regime is,
557
00:33:00,445 --> 00:33:02,946
they are some
bad sons of bitches,
558
00:33:03,014 --> 00:33:06,049
but they're our sons of bitches.
559
00:33:08,486 --> 00:33:10,320
NARRATOR:
Soon after taking power,
560
00:33:10,388 --> 00:33:13,890
Samoza turns his murderous
attention to Leon,
561
00:33:13,958 --> 00:33:17,160
the town to the northeast of
the fort in the image.
562
00:33:17,195 --> 00:33:20,230
Samoza Debayle is obsessed with
563
00:33:20,298 --> 00:33:23,233
the assassination of
his father by an artist from
564
00:33:23,301 --> 00:33:24,301
the area of Leon.
565
00:33:24,369 --> 00:33:26,303
President Somoza was
gravely wounded,
566
00:33:26,371 --> 00:33:28,171
taken to hospital
in the canal zone.
567
00:33:28,239 --> 00:33:31,308
He was attended by doctors
rushed from the United States.
568
00:33:32,577 --> 00:33:34,778
JANULIS: He wants to get
revenge on the people
569
00:33:34,846 --> 00:33:37,247
and the town that he feels
contributed
570
00:33:37,315 --> 00:33:38,615
to his father's death.
571
00:33:40,218 --> 00:33:42,386
NARRATOR:
To avenge his father's killing,
572
00:33:42,420 --> 00:33:45,389
the dictator converts
the 19th-century fort
573
00:33:45,423 --> 00:33:47,624
into a torture center.
574
00:33:47,692 --> 00:33:49,292
He then uses it for
575
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,628
a campaign of bloody
retribution on
576
00:33:51,696 --> 00:33:53,630
Leon's inhabitants.
577
00:33:53,698 --> 00:33:56,867
It doesn't really take long
for the disappearances
578
00:33:56,934 --> 00:33:58,201
to start.
579
00:33:58,269 --> 00:34:01,071
People are literally snatched
from their beds, with friends
580
00:34:01,139 --> 00:34:03,407
and family never
seeing them again.
581
00:34:04,609 --> 00:34:06,777
JANULIS: Eventually,
they find the answer to
582
00:34:06,844 --> 00:34:09,846
where the disappearing people
are going.
583
00:34:09,914 --> 00:34:13,050
They find out that the strange
white objects littering
584
00:34:13,117 --> 00:34:17,054
the hillside around the fort
are actually human skulls.
585
00:34:18,256 --> 00:34:20,891
The secret police
are kidnapping people,
586
00:34:20,958 --> 00:34:23,226
killing them, and then just
putting the bodies
587
00:34:23,261 --> 00:34:25,062
out to rot in the fields.
588
00:34:26,464 --> 00:34:29,699
NARRATOR: By 1978, the U.S.
can no longer turn
589
00:34:29,767 --> 00:34:33,570
a blind eye to the horrors
being committed in Nicaragua...
590
00:34:33,638 --> 00:34:34,704
[chanting indistinctly]
591
00:34:34,772 --> 00:34:37,441
and President Jimmy Carter
halts financial
592
00:34:37,508 --> 00:34:39,109
and military aid.
593
00:34:39,143 --> 00:34:41,845
Now, this is a big deal.
594
00:34:41,913 --> 00:34:44,848
The Somoza regime had
basically lost the support of
595
00:34:44,916 --> 00:34:47,517
the United States government,
leaving the leadership
596
00:34:47,552 --> 00:34:49,453
completely exposed.
597
00:34:52,290 --> 00:34:55,392
NARRATOR: Left wing rebels
called the Sandinistas
598
00:34:55,426 --> 00:34:58,228
soon rise up against
the dictator.
599
00:34:59,630 --> 00:35:00,864
Over the next 12 months,
600
00:35:00,932 --> 00:35:04,034
they gain control
of most of the country
601
00:35:04,102 --> 00:35:07,838
and close in on Samoza
and his family.
602
00:35:07,905 --> 00:35:12,876
The Samozas eventually retreat
back into Leon as a final
603
00:35:12,944 --> 00:35:16,246
hideout, because it's already
filled with national guard
604
00:35:16,313 --> 00:35:17,547
and secret police.
605
00:35:17,582 --> 00:35:22,119
He actually finds himself
holed up in the fort
606
00:35:22,186 --> 00:35:26,690
that he's been using to
oppress his own people.
607
00:35:26,757 --> 00:35:28,892
NARRATOR:
Faced with certain defeat,
608
00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,963
Samoza and his cronies escape
the fort by helicopter,
609
00:35:32,997 --> 00:35:34,998
eventually fleeing to Paraguay.
610
00:35:38,169 --> 00:35:41,471
In 1980, a Sandinista
commando team tracks
611
00:35:41,572 --> 00:35:45,041
the dictator down
and assassinates him.
612
00:35:46,611 --> 00:35:49,980
Today, it remains a crumbling
monument to those who perished
613
00:35:50,047 --> 00:35:53,016
under his hated rule,
visible from space.
614
00:35:53,083 --> 00:35:58,755
Once you recognize exactly
what happened inside this fort,
615
00:35:58,823 --> 00:36:01,558
it's something
you just can never forget.
616
00:36:06,964 --> 00:36:11,635
NARRATOR: Coming up, a code
rises from the earth.
617
00:36:11,702 --> 00:36:14,237
I can't really for the life
of me work out what it is.
618
00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:24,347
NARRATOR: In recent years,
increasing numbers
619
00:36:24,415 --> 00:36:26,216
of heat waves have hit Europe.
620
00:36:28,252 --> 00:36:29,886
Under the scorching sun,
621
00:36:29,987 --> 00:36:32,822
long-hidden relics from
the past emerge
622
00:36:32,890 --> 00:36:34,591
from the ground.
623
00:36:34,659 --> 00:36:37,194
Drought has been
624
00:36:37,228 --> 00:36:39,896
the opportunity of a lifetime
for archaeologists.
625
00:36:39,964 --> 00:36:45,035
And that's because it brings
to light features that have
626
00:36:45,102 --> 00:36:47,237
been in plain sight essentially,
627
00:36:47,305 --> 00:36:50,640
but just not visible.
628
00:36:50,708 --> 00:36:54,945
NARRATOR: As a satellite scans
arid moorlands in the county of
629
00:36:55,012 --> 00:36:58,081
Cumbria, England,
it captures this image.
630
00:36:59,584 --> 00:37:03,019
WALTERS: What that dryness has
revealed is this rectangle.
631
00:37:03,054 --> 00:37:05,956
But I can't really, for the life
of me, work out what it is.
632
00:37:07,191 --> 00:37:10,660
You can see this very specific
and deliberately made
633
00:37:10,761 --> 00:37:15,899
path that sort of ends in
a circular pattern.
634
00:37:15,967 --> 00:37:18,802
This suggests there's some
sort of a platform, almost
635
00:37:18,869 --> 00:37:22,839
like an altar, in the middle
of this rectangular area.
636
00:37:24,575 --> 00:37:27,444
NARRATOR: What puzzles
analysts isn't just
637
00:37:27,511 --> 00:37:30,046
the structure's shape,
but where it's located.
638
00:37:31,782 --> 00:37:33,750
It sits within the boundaries of
639
00:37:33,817 --> 00:37:36,286
RAF Spadeadam,
640
00:37:36,353 --> 00:37:38,788
a highly clandestine
military base with
641
00:37:38,856 --> 00:37:41,625
a history stretching back
60 years.
642
00:37:41,692 --> 00:37:46,129
This facility was one of
the most secret places
643
00:37:46,163 --> 00:37:48,265
in Britain during the whole of
the Cold War.
644
00:37:48,332 --> 00:37:52,235
Why? Because it was
absolutely crucial to
645
00:37:52,303 --> 00:37:55,438
any potential fight against
the Soviet Bloc.
646
00:37:57,308 --> 00:38:00,310
NARRATOR:
Declassified records confirm
647
00:38:00,377 --> 00:38:03,813
that the mystery shape is
indeed a ghost from the past,
648
00:38:03,881 --> 00:38:08,385
one that played a key role in
a project that threatened
649
00:38:08,452 --> 00:38:10,320
millions of lives.
650
00:38:10,387 --> 00:38:13,290
And that is why
this area is so vital
651
00:38:13,324 --> 00:38:15,859
and so secret to both
Britain's defense
652
00:38:15,926 --> 00:38:17,594
and potential offense.
653
00:38:19,964 --> 00:38:22,632
NARRATOR: The clandestine
program has its origins
654
00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:25,201
in the late 1940s.
655
00:38:25,269 --> 00:38:26,836
Britain is in ruins,
656
00:38:26,904 --> 00:38:30,173
its industries reduced to
rubble by the Nazis,
657
00:38:30,241 --> 00:38:35,779
its empire crumbling after
350 years of global dominance.
658
00:38:35,813 --> 00:38:40,350
And when, in 1949, the Soviet
Union becomes a nuclear power,
659
00:38:40,417 --> 00:38:43,987
terror takes hold in
the beleaguered nation.
660
00:38:44,054 --> 00:38:47,424
The British had spent
centuries as one of
661
00:38:47,458 --> 00:38:50,960
the greatest, if not the
greatest, power in the world.
662
00:38:50,995 --> 00:38:53,997
And now, they were threatened
with irrelevance next to
663
00:38:54,064 --> 00:38:58,034
the superpowers of the Soviet
Union and the United States.
664
00:38:58,102 --> 00:39:01,771
This provokes a great deal of
anxiety in the U.K.,
665
00:39:01,806 --> 00:39:03,540
because unlike America,
666
00:39:03,607 --> 00:39:06,676
Great Britain does not possess
the technology to be able to
667
00:39:06,744 --> 00:39:08,778
counter the Soviet Union.
668
00:39:11,148 --> 00:39:13,116
In October 1952,
669
00:39:13,150 --> 00:39:15,885
Britain joins
the global nuclear club.
670
00:39:20,057 --> 00:39:23,493
But their new weapons need to
be dropped from planes,
671
00:39:23,561 --> 00:39:27,464
putting them in the firing
line of Soviet air defenses.
672
00:39:27,531 --> 00:39:30,734
The British now become
concerned that their bombers
673
00:39:30,801 --> 00:39:32,736
can get shot down very easily
674
00:39:32,803 --> 00:39:36,906
on their way in
to Soviet airspace.
675
00:39:36,974 --> 00:39:40,243
So what you need to develop
are ballistic missiles that can
676
00:39:40,311 --> 00:39:42,912
outwit any form of air defense
677
00:39:42,980 --> 00:39:45,448
and do the damage
you really want to do.
678
00:39:49,453 --> 00:39:53,390
NARRATOR: In April 1954,
London draws up plans to
679
00:39:53,457 --> 00:39:59,262
develop a new nuclear missile,
code-named Blue Streak.
680
00:39:59,330 --> 00:40:03,533
The government requisitions
9,500 acres of remote moorland
681
00:40:03,601 --> 00:40:06,436
for secret tests and constructs
682
00:40:06,504 --> 00:40:09,672
the Spadeadam Rocket
Establishment at its center.
683
00:40:10,708 --> 00:40:14,577
Missile testing is dangerous --
Missiles have a tendency to
684
00:40:14,612 --> 00:40:17,013
explode, and it would be
a very good
685
00:40:17,081 --> 00:40:20,517
idea not to do that in a place
where anybody was around.
686
00:40:20,551 --> 00:40:23,486
Spadeadam fit that perfectly.
687
00:40:25,756 --> 00:40:28,291
NARRATOR: Engineers use
the test stand in the image
688
00:40:28,358 --> 00:40:30,960
to test the rocket's
Rolls-Royce engines,
689
00:40:31,028 --> 00:40:34,297
engines that can fire
a one megaton warhead
690
00:40:34,365 --> 00:40:35,899
into the heart of Russia.
691
00:40:40,304 --> 00:40:41,538
WALTERS: You've got to remember
that missiles like
692
00:40:41,605 --> 00:40:43,840
the Blue Streak are designed
to kill millions of people.
693
00:40:43,908 --> 00:40:47,510
But you've got this concept of
mutually assured destruction.
694
00:40:47,578 --> 00:40:49,646
You're not gonna fight
if the other
695
00:40:49,713 --> 00:40:51,581
guy can hit back just as hard.
696
00:40:54,685 --> 00:40:57,787
NARRATOR: By 1956,
Britain finally has a working
697
00:40:57,855 --> 00:41:01,224
nuclear missile ready to
counter a Soviet attack.
698
00:41:01,258 --> 00:41:04,394
But when costs spiral,
699
00:41:04,462 --> 00:41:06,129
the government
cancels the program.
700
00:41:07,231 --> 00:41:10,366
The British realize that this is
701
00:41:10,434 --> 00:41:12,769
not worth the return
on investment.
702
00:41:12,837 --> 00:41:16,139
And so they close this facility.
703
00:41:16,207 --> 00:41:18,274
MORGAN: Developing
a ballistic missile
704
00:41:18,342 --> 00:41:19,876
is one of
the most expensive things
705
00:41:19,943 --> 00:41:24,347
there is, almost as expensive
as space travel.
706
00:41:24,414 --> 00:41:27,817
NARRATOR:
In a twist of fate,
707
00:41:27,885 --> 00:41:30,353
scientists repurpose
the nuke's engines as
708
00:41:30,420 --> 00:41:34,224
part of the pioneering Europa
Satellite Project.
709
00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:39,362
Six decades later, the site
that helped put some of
710
00:41:39,430 --> 00:41:42,732
Europe's first hardware into
orbit is revealed
711
00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:45,001
once more from space.
712
00:41:45,069 --> 00:41:46,836
MORGAN: It's a little bit of
an example of swords into
713
00:41:46,904 --> 00:41:49,973
plowshares, because it was
first meant to
714
00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:54,177
be a nuclear weapon, and then
it ultimately helps broaden
715
00:41:54,245 --> 00:41:57,213
our scientific understanding of
the world around us.