I'm here in Pasadena with the NASA Mission Control team
as they celebrate scientific history.
The first close-up photographs of Mars
from the Viking Observer spacecraft.
Photos that have created a stir
by revealing surprising geologic information.
The presence of large amounts of water locked in Mars' polar ice caps.
Water that some speculate could have possibly sustained life on the planet.
Even more controversial is one image of a land formation.
A formation that looks like a sculpted human face.
However, NASA officials are denying it is an indication of an alien civilization.
It's no more than a trick of light and shadows. A geologic anomaly.
The only sculptors at work are the solar winds
that blow across the surface of Mars at 300mph, ten months a year.
I'm seeing... I've got...
How's it going out there?
- There's something out here! - Can you repeat that, Commander Belt?
It's coming at me! Holy God!
Pickup terminal sequence.
Booster hydraulic power units on.
This is Shuttle Launch Control. T minus one minute, 15 seconds.
- OTC to CDR, how do you read? - Loud and clear, OVCC.
- Go ahead. - Roger that. OVCC verifiied.
- Port setup, 2.0. - Copy setup. 2.0.
CDR Houston, how do you read?
Loud and clear.
Side hatch closeout and white room confiiguration complete.
Retracting orbiter arm.
- OMS pressure on. Cabin vent complete. - Roger. We see that.
All systems go for APU start. Transfer to internal power.
Pre-start complete. APU to inhibit.
Oxygen vent hood retracted.
External tank is at flight pressure.
Lock your visors and initiate your O2 flow.
- Y'all have a good trip. - Roger that.
T minus 20 seconds and counting.
Go for auto-sequence start.
Booster hydraulic units have started.
T minus 10...
Nine...
Eight...
Seven...
Six...
Five...
Four...
Three...
Abort liftoff. Abort liftoff.
System failure. Abort.
Repeat. We have an abort liftoff at Tminus three seconds.
What did the note say?
That they worked for NASA and wanted to talk to somebody from the FBI.
- Why the cloak-and-dagger routine? - I have no idea.
- Think it's a crank? - It's beginning to look that way.
- My name is Michelle Generoo. - Fox Mulder.
I sent you the note.
Hi. Special Agent Dana Scully.
I'm sorry to have to take these precautions. I flew up from Houston this morning.
- I work at the Space Center there. - In what capacity?
I'm the Mission Control communications commander for the Shuttle Space Program.
What brings you to Washington?
I have reason to believe a saboteur may be at work inside NASA.
- You have evidence of sabotage? - I don't know. I may.
Two weeks ago, a shuttle mission was scrubbed three seconds before liftoff
when an auxiliary power unit valve malfunctioned.
If the flight had not been aborted,
the orbiter would have exploded on the launch pad.
This was sent to me in the mail.
It's a material analysis that shows deep, grooved scoring marks inside this APU valve.
Marks that could have caused a malfunction.
- Evidence of tampering? - That's what it looks like but...
The person who gave me your names said you are experts in unexplained phenomena.
It's unexplainable how and when anybody could've done it.
- How do you mean? - The valve is made of ferrocarbon titanium.
To score it would take extreme temperatures. Launch pad temperatures.
Anyone at NASA would say
it would be impossible for anyone to do that type of damage undetected.
- Any idea who may have sent that to you? - No. No idea.
But the official analysis of the malfunction was simple mechanical failure.
- Does anybody share your suspicions? - If they do, they're not talking to the FBI.
I believe in the Space Program.
I believe in the people who run it. But there's another launch window tomorrow.
And my reasons may sound selfish,
but my fiancé is the shuttle commander on that mission.
Why would somebody sabotage the space shuttle?
If you're a terrorist, it's a potent symbol of American progress and prosperity.
If you're an opponent of big science, NASA represents a vast money trench
that exists outside the crucible of the democratic process.
Then there are futurists who think the shuttle is a rusty old bucket that we should mothball.
A dinosaur spacecraft built in the '70s by scientists setting their sights on space.
And we thought we'd rest easy when the Soviet Union fell.
Not to mention fringe elements who accuse our government itself of space sabotage.
The failure of the Hubble telescope and the Mars Observer connected
- to a conspiracy to deny us evidence. - Evidence of what?
Alien civilizations.
Oh, of course!
- Wow, look at that! Gemini Eight. - What?
The man we're gonna see, Colonel Marcus Aurelius Belt, nearly died on that mission.
Made an emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean.
- You remember all that stuff? - You never wanted to be an astronaut?
I guess I missed that phase.
Come in.
Colonel Belt, I'm Special Agent Dana Scully.
- And this is... - Colonel Belt. Fox Mulder.
I'm a big fan. It's an honor to meet you.
- You were a big hero to me when I was a kid. - Thank you.
I... I stayed up all night when I was 14 to watch your space walk.
Well, now it's like a stroll around the block.
So, how can I help you?
This found its way to the FBI.
Do you recognize it?
Sure. It's an auxiliary power unit valve.
Do you have any reason to believe it was damaged
in an effort to sabotage the Space Program?
No.
- Do you have reason to suspect it at all? - No reason whatsoever.
If you have any respect for this program and for those who have devoted their lives to it,
you'll be careful to whom you make those accusations.
Looking at this evidence, sir,
would you consider postponing the shuttle flight
until a full investigation could be conducted?
I don't know where you got this specious artifact,
but every precaution has been taken to rectify the problem.
We've waited two weeks for a window to initiate this mission.
We've got a payload to deliver.
Has an internal investigation been done in this matter?
The part you have here has been installed, inspected and designed
by over 100 highly trained technicians.
With the security measures we take, it would be virtually impossible
for one man working by himself, or two or four men,
to do what you're suggesting.
I can assure you, there's no one in this facility
that doesn't want to see that shuttle complete its mission,
and come back like Winged Victory herself.
And in about ten hours, God willing,
you're gonna see just that.
Do you think there'd be a problem with us watching liftoff from Mission Control?
Well, being that you'd probably go over my head anyway, please, be my guests.
It was an honor, sir.
Thank you.
Didn't you wanna get his autograph?
Where did you say you got this?
It came to us anonymously.
This is an APU valve, all right. But this doesn't make sense.
- What doesn't make sense? - This scoring here.
This valve was made of ferrocarbon titanium.
- You didn't order the analysis? - No. I've never seen this before.
We're on outside contract to NASA. They may have ordered it.
But wouldn't you order a material analysis if a part malfunctioned?
Every shuttle flies with that same APU valve.
To do an analysis and redesign would delay the Program for months.
Not to mention the cost.
Is it conceivable that the Program is being pushed ahead
without proper safety precaution?
There are about 17,000 things that can go wrong with the shuttle.
And about 17,000 people who make sure they don't.
Who makes the final determination as to its safety?
We make a recommendation but the decision is Colonel Belt's.
Thank you.
What do you think?
I can't believe how much faith we put in machines.
Do you think Colonel Belt lied about his knowledge of a saboteur?
I can't believe Colonel Belt would endanger the lives of those astronauts.
He was an astronaut himself.
So you think this X-ray is bogus?
God, I hope so.
This is Shuttle Launch Control with Tminus one minute, 40 seconds and counting.
- OVCC verifiied. - Roger that. OVCC verifiied.
Here we go.
T minus one minute, 30 and counting.
- Final purge sequence. Main engine check. - Copy. Main engine check.
Switching off ground supply.
- On-board fuel cells check. - Roger, OTC.
Pickup terminal sequence FPS.
- OTC to CDR, how do you read? - Loud and clear.
Capacitor energy storage banks all at 241.
- OTC to CDR, how do you read? - Loud and clear.
CDR Houston, how do you read?
Loud and clear.
Side hatch closeout and white room confiiguration complete.
Retracting orbiter arm.
- All systems go for APU start. - Go with APU start.
BBSR power down and ready for launch.
- Transfer to internal power. - Transfer to internal power.
Gimballing of engines complete. Aero surfaces in launch position.
MPDR assembled. Military recorder is running.
OK. Copy.
Oxygen vent hood retracted. External tank is at flight pressure.
CDR, lock your visors and initiate your O2 flow.
- Y'all have a good one. - Roger that.
Go for auto-sequence start.
Booster hydraulic units have started.
Go for main engine start.
T minus 10 and counting. Nine...
Eight... Seven...
Six... Five... Four...
Three... Two... One...
Zero... Ignition.
We have liftoff of the shuttle orbiter.
CDR Houston, betcha y'all have never seen a more beautiful sight.
Roger that. Ten-four.
I have to admit I've fulfilled one of my boyhood fantasies.
Yeah, it ranks up there with learning how to braid my own hair.
Come on, Scully, you have to admit that was exciting.
- Mission Control, the countdown... - Mulder! Wait!
- Something's gone wrong. - What happened?
Something's wrong with the shuttle. We had trouble with the rocket boosters, but fixed it.
We changed watch. I went home to try to get some sleep.
I got a call. Communication with the shuttle is down.
We've got to get back to Houston.
There's a press blackout. Chances are the media doesn't know about it.
- You think this is sabotage? - I don't know. Things go wrong all the time.
- Yeah, but they usually fix them, right? - Usually.
She's turning.
Michelle!
- I can see her. - Michelle!
- Help! - Are you all right?
- Oh, I'm stuck! - Can you move?
Just get me out of here! I'm wedged in!
- Are you all right? - I'm wedged in!
Come here. Can you push with your legs?
- Be careful. - Just get me out of here!
OK! All right! Come on.
Don't try to move.
I've got to get back to Houston.
- What happened? - I don't know.
Something came at me in the fog.
The next thing I knew, I was upside down.
- Was it some kind of an animal? - No.
It had a face. It was...
It was grotesque.
I don't know what it was.
Orbiter, this is Houston. Do you copy?
Your transmission is breaking up.
What's happening?
We have a malf in the OMS and RCF systems.
They can't get the orbiter into attitude rotation.
Temperature in the cabin is 103 and they have transmission problems.
- What happened? - I had an accident. What's their position?
- Just over Eastern Africa. - Try the Seychelles tracking station.
Hang in there, OTC.
The orbiter maneuvering system is down.
They can't rotate the shuttle to keep it away from the sun and keep the orbiter cool.
Drop in cabin pressure. 21 kilopascals and declining.
They're gonna burn up.
- Where's Colonel Belt? - On his way.
- Damn! What happened to backup? - Failed to respond.
What about telemetry? Can we auto-activate from here?
We cannot auto-activate. It's like someone's interfering.
- Screwing communications from this end. - Can you trace it?
- It'd have to be a digital processor. - They'd have to be in the data banks.
- Where's that? - Come on.
Mulder?
I'm a federal agent!
Come on out of there!
- What are you doing in here? - I work here.
- Let me see your clearance. - A sensor went off. There was a malfunction.
- Did you find it? - No.
Did you see anybody else in here?
OK, call Security. I want a search of the premises.
No one is to come in or out of this building without proper clearance.
- I'm breaking up, OTC. - What's the attitude of the orbiter?
Flying tail first, belly towards the sun.
The flash evaporator system is working but not enough to cool 'em down.
- Cabin temperature 116. - Where's...
Somebody's jamming our transmissions.
Interfering with our ground communications and scrambling our uplink telemetry.
The shuttle is not responding to override signals.
I'm gonna let 'em fly by wire.
- I'm cutting off telemetry. - It might not work.
- We have to give it a chance. - We have to bring them down.
We have to give them control of the ship to perform that rotation and deliver the payload.
What if they can't? We could be stranding them.
Abandon telemetry. Go to fly-by-wire mode.
They're cutting off ground control. The astronauts will be flying the shuttle.
Is it gonna work?
OTC, this is Houston.
How's the weather up there?
Sunny and warm, Houston. What's the forecast?
OTC, we're going to fly-by-wire mode.
We're going to abort ground control to see if you can bring those systems back up.
Roger that, Houston.
And leave the driving to us.
David...
You take care.
What just happened?
They cut off contact with the shuttle.
Negative. We pulled off the MPG. We're on manual.
45 seconds.
If they were able to execute, they'd have done it by now.
Standing by.
60 seconds.
Go to re-establish uplink communication.
Video signal's failed.
OTC, this is Houston. Do you copy?
OTC, this is Houston. Where are you?
Howdy do, Houston?
Looks like we fiinally got this bird to fly right.
- OTC, do you hear that? - Music to our ears.
Cabin temperature stabilizing.
OTC, this is Marc Belt in Houston.
How's the crew holding up?
They're looking good, sir.
You all get some rest.
We'll get back to work
- at about 0700. - Roger that, Houston.
Let's get to work on that telemetry problem.
We've got a big day ahead of us.
Let's just let the electronic press
get their sound equipment set.
I know you have a lot of questions. I'll get to them.
How did he know what he did was going to work?
He didn't. They could have died up there and there's nothing we could have done.
They'd have been a ghost ship stuck in orbit.
Why would he take that risk?
Bring those men back without delivering that payload?
You're talking millions of wasted dollars.
That's all Congress would need to shut down NASA.
As of 2200 hours
the crew has been conducting on-board tests and tasks
and resting up for their first full day in space tomorrow.
I'm happy to say, after a beautiful night launch,
the shuttle orbiter has performed... magnificently.
So much for your boyhood hero.
Colonel Belt?
Colonel Belt? Can I talk to you for a moment?
You want to know why I lied to them.
You're asking yourself if I'd lie to you.
You know what it means to be an astronaut, sir?
You risk your life every time you get into your spacecraft.
For nothing more than the good progress of mankind.
You've got no argument from me, sir.
- You're true American heroes. - Heroes?
We used to make headlines when we did ourjob right.
Now they bury you in the back of the paper.
Name two astronauts in the last shuttle mission.
You make the front page today only if you screw up.
They only know your name
if you're the unlucky s.o.b. Sitting on 500 tons of dynamite.
That's what they're really waiting for.
Sir, I have to ask.
I'm sorry. It's my job.
Do you think someone is sabotaging the shuttle?
My answer to you, sir, will be to bring those men back safely to Earth.
- I've got... - How's it going out there?
- There's something out here! - Can you repeat that, Commander Belt?
It's coming at me! Holy God!
Houston, we just heard something weird.
OTC, Houston. Can you describe it?
Sort of a dull thump like... something bumped the ship!
Have you got any ideas about that?
There it is again!
We're taking a look at it now.
That one right there.
They've got an oxygen leak on board the orbiter.
Our O2 gauges are going all screwy, Houston.
We got problems. An O2 leak in the main tank.
What did they say happened?
- They don't know. They said it was a thump. - Stand by.
An astronomer in Winnipeg just spotted a mile-long gaseous cloud trailing in our orbit.
The liquid O2 leaking out into space.
Exactly what happened to Colonel Belt on an Apollo mission.
How much time do they have?
Hard to say without accurate telemetry data. We're doing a guesstimate.
- Where is Colonel Belt? - He was due 90 minutes ago
to begin payload deployment.
Uh, Houston, we're up here wondering
- when do we start holding our breath? - We're working on it, OTC.
I need those calculations and a worst-case scenario.
We don't know if both O2 tanks are damaged.
Worst-case scenario!
- And someone find Colonel Belt! - We'll find him.
They've got 30 minutes of oxygen. Then it's anybody's guess.
Why does she need Belt?
She doesn't know how serious the leak is.
Even I can figure out what happens when you run out of oxygen.
Colonel Belt's been in the same situation. He'll know what to do.
Where the hell is he?
Colonel Belt!
I'm gonna go get Security.
Colonel Belt.
Are you all right?
Yeah, I wasn't feeling well.
They need you at Mission Control.
There's been another accident.
OTC, is your orbital maneuvering system still operational?
Roger, Houston. We're ready for re-entry. Just say the word.
How bad's the leak?
We have no way to determine.
OTC.
What's the condensation in your cabin?
The windows are getting steamy.
Carbon dioxide build-up.
OK, OTC.
Everything's gonna be fine.
I want you to get in your spacesuits
and depressurize your cabin.
And then I want you to... vent that CO2.
- Roger, Houston. Then what? - I want you to stay in your suits.
And then I want you to prepare to use your emergency oxygen systems.
And then I want you to...
to... deliver your payload.
Those are men up there.
You're out of line. You wanna tell me how to do my job? I've been in that situation.
There's more at risk than your personal life. If you can't accept that
or operate effectively in these circumstances,
you'd better leave the decisions to people in this room who can!
OTC,
do you copy?
Roger, Houston. We're waiting on those O2 calculations.
Michelle!
- They're gonna die! - You don't know that.
It's unconscionable putting that payload before those men's lives!
I think she's right, Mulder. You saw him in there. He's losing it.
- He saved their lives earlier. - Or put them in unnecessary jeopardy.
If he can't deliver that payload, Congress will kill the Space Program.
- So will killing the astronauts. - Somebody must have sabotaged the shuttle.
Too many things have gone wrong.
- I think Colonel Belt knows about it. - We've got to stop him.
- Pull them out of orbit! - He doesn't want them to die.
- How do you know? - I know it. I'm sure of it.
- He put them up there! - And only he can get them down alive.
How can you be certain that what he's doing isn't gonna save their lives?
Now, I need access to your records, in a hurry.
Everything on the Hubble telescope, Mars Observer
and the current orbiter mission.
Tens of thousands of documents.
- What are we looking for? - X-rays, diagrams, schematics.
- Proof that Belt knew about a sabotage. - A needle in a haystack.
Payload deployment initiated.
Roger that, OTC. Tracking it now.
Looks good from here.
Payload delivery is complete, Houston.
We're awaiting your order.
System check for re-entry de-orbit burn.
Holy God! There's something outside the ship that...
- There's someone outside the ship! - Can you repeat that, OTC?
There's... some kind of
ghost outside the ship!
No... No...
Mulder? I found it.
This is the same diagram that was sent to Michelle.
Ordered by Colonel Belt. Which means he knew about the faulty valve.
This is from the Challenger. It's the O-ring fitting that failed, dated January 21st, 1986.
One week before the space shuttle blew up.
The analysis was ordered by Colonel Belt.
So he might have known about the Challenger defect?
Something weird is going on here, Scully.
Colonel Belt's collapsed. He's in his office.
He was just here!
Oh, my God.
What's wrong with him?
Get a doctor.
Help me!
- Help me! - How can we help you, Colonel?
He's having some kind of a seizure.
Come on! Come on, come on!
No... They're... tearing me apart!
Let me see if I can get a pulse.
Oh... Help me!
- I'm bringing that shuttle down. - No!
- It's out there! - Come on, let's put him down.
- Spacesuit... - Easy, easy.
- Strap him down! - Give him 10mg of diazepam!
- No! - He's gonna hurt himself!
He's trying to tell us something! Colonel Belt?
- Those men are running out of oxygen. - They don't have to die.
Colonel Belt, I want you to focus. Focus your breathing.
Focus your pain... right here.
Blood pressure's 174 over 120. Vitals are rising.
- Mulder, you're risking an aneurysm. - Focus!
Now you're focused.
Right here.
Now you're gonna save those astronauts and you're gonna tell me how to do it.
The shuttle... can't survive re-entry.
- He's lying. - How do you know it can't survive?
The fuselage... the fuselage is damaged.
- The silicone tiles are destroyed. - How does he know?
- How has it been damaged? - I'm responsible.
- Did you sabotage the shuttle? - No, but I couldn't stop them.
Nobody could stop them!
- Stop who? - Pulse is 194.
- You'll kill him, Mulder! - Stop who?
They don't want us to know!
- They don't want us to know! - Who?
It came to me. It lives in me!
It's coming at me! It's coming at me!
No! Help me! It's coming back!
That's the face I saw in the fog!
- We're losing him! - V-fib!
Here you go.
Clear!
They just ran out of oxygen. They've got 30 minutes left in the emergency system.
They'll suffocate up there. I've got to bring them down. It's the only chance I've got.
Again.
Hold on. We've got vitals. We got a pulse.
We've got to get him to a hospital.
OTC, this is Houston, Mission Control. Do you copy?
Roger, Houston.
We've got some spooky stuff up here.
OTC, we're gonna bring you down.
We want you to instigate de-orbit burn
and begin deceleration.
Roger, Houston. We kinda hoped you'd say that.
Activating OMS rockets. All systems go for re-entry.
They're bringing the shuttle down.
You said the shuttle would burn up on re-entry. Can we do anything to save it?
Change the trajectory.
- Change the trajectory to what? - Change re-entry trajectory to 35 degrees.
T minus 35 seconds to ionosphere re-entry.
- Change the re-entry trajectory! - What?
- Change it to 35 degrees! - 30 seconds to re-entry.
- Colonel Belt... - I can't!
- 25 seconds. - It's your only shot!
We'd have to change site and tell them before the blackout.
15 seconds to blackout.
I want to know the weather in Albuquerque! Are we go for an emergency landing?
Landing conditions go in Albuquerque.
T minus 5 seconds to blackout.
OTC, change your re-entry trajectory to 35 degrees.
You'll land at Kirtland Field in Albuquerque. Do you copy?
- Blackout in effect. - Did they get that transmission?
- Two minutes to re-establish. - Damn it!
- How much oxygen do they have? - 16 minutes.
OTC, this is Houston. Come in, OTC.
OTC, this is Houston.
Come in, OTC!
Anything?
- What's the point of their new re-entry? - 500 miles west of Hawaii.
See if Hawaii can...
- Hawaii's got them on radar. - They made it.
Not necessarily.
Albuquerque, do you have radar confiirmation?
Negative, Houston. Nothing on the screen.
OTC, this is Houston. Come in, OTC.
OTC, this is Houston! Come in, OTC!
Houston, this is OTC.
You know a good place to eat in Albuquerque?
Thought we could meet for dinner.
Whoo! OTC, welcome home.
Welcome home, OTC. You're lookin' real good.
Yes!
The space shuttle touched down today at 10.56 Central Standard Time.
The orbiter delivered its payload after just 13 orbits
and returned to Earth
without incident.
We at NASA are looking forward to our next shuttle mission
and to future successful explorations of space, for mankind
and for the future of mankind.
No more!
I just heard.
Something had possessed him.
Something he must have seen out there in space.
The doctors who examined him said he was experiencing severe dementia.
I don't think he ever really knew
exactly how it was working through him.
Or, if he ever knew,
that he was... responsible for his own actions.
He ordered those X-rays of the damaged parts.
You saw what I saw, Scully.
I think he was trying to warn her.
I think he sent Michelle those X-rays like... he was trying to reach out to her,
without quite knowing why.
As if his own instinctual impulse was to... save those men.
While simultaneously trying to kill them?
Scully, we send those men up into space to unlock the doors of the universe.
And we don't even know what's behind them.
I think whatever it was,
he took it with him.
In the end, that was the only way he knew how to stop it.
There's an investigation, you know.
They haven't ruled out foul play.
He gave his own life.
As an astronaut, that was something he was prepared to do.
Colonel Marcus Aurelius Belt devoted his life
to the exploration and understanding of space.
Learning its mysteries and experiencing it
not just for himself, but for humanity.
Lord, take this man's soul and let it rise up to your heavens,
higher than he could ever go as a man.
Let him know the true nature of the universe that he sought to learn.