New Discovery Series ‘Cooper’s Treasure’ Uses Maps Made In Space To Search For Treasure On Earth
NASA Astronaut Gordon Cooper will always be an integral part of American history as one of the “Original 7” astronauts. During his two space flights, he gathered massive amounts of data and was responsible for taking some of the most beautiful and iconic photos of Earth. His first orbit was in the Mercury-Atlas 9 in 1963, setting a record that is unbroken today as the longest solo space flight in U.S. History. This was just after the Cuban missile crisis, and Gordon had some long range detection equipment on board the spacecraft, named Faith 7, that he was using to try and detect nuclear sites around the world.
ICYMI: Our new series @CoopersTreasure premieres Tuesday April 18 10p. pic.twitter.com/WF4jfV8cxO
— Discovery (@Discovery) March 24, 2017
During his 22 orbits around the Earth, something else happened to catch his attention. During the flight, he spotted an anomaly around the South Caribbean and captured over 100 more of these strange anomalies. After realizing what he saw were shipwrecks, he spent decades working on a map that he believed could point the way to billions of dollars worth of treasure.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cooper’s Treasure follows treasure hunter Darrell Miklos as he attempts to decipher a treasure map his boyhood idol, mentor, and longtime friend shared with him. Treasure hunting has always been in Darrell’s blood, and in 1970 when he was seven, he managed to stow away on his father and uncle’s boat as they recovered spent booster rockets for NASA’s Apollo Program. He later met Cooper through his father, and they developed a close personal relationship. Before he passed away from heart failure in 2004, the 77-year-old Cooper shared with Darrell all of his research, including the maps he made from space. He wanted Darrell to continue where he left off, hoping that his explorations would ultimately lead to a vast treasure.
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Cooper did all the homework, and now on Cooper’s Treasure, Darrell Miklos is determined to show the world that the maps made and the documents painstakingly collected by Cooper really do hold shipwreck information. Along with other experienced explorers and researchers, Darrell sets out on Cooper’s Treasure with the document Cooper created. This document and other data could finally be the key that leads to uncovering the treasure, and the Nerdist noted that in the process Darrell hopes to fulfill Cooper’s hopes, dreams, and last wishes as well.
“I get to pay homage to a hero whom I considered to be my surrogate father; I get to tell a story and finish a project or several projects that we were never able to finish together.”
Executive producer Ari Mark said that watching Miklos decode Cooper’s documents and start to put the puzzle pieces together on Cooper’s Treasure has been amazing. “It starts to unravel and when you learn about who Gordon was…it starts to connect, and it did for us,” he said.
He's done all the homework. pic.twitter.com/z7s0VCP9eJ
— Coopers Treasure (@CoopersTreasure) April 4, 2017
Darrell co-founded Gemini Marine Exploration in 2014, and according to their website, the mission goal is to “locate, identify, and recover cargo and artifacts from sunken ships that are historically significant. We work closely with respected archaeologists to ensure recovery is performed in an environmentally, scientifically, and historically respectful manner. We are actively pursuing several promising projects in the Caribbean.”
Cooper’s Treasure is produced for Discovery Channel by AMPLE and Amblin Television. For AMPLE, the executive producers for Cooper’s Treasure are Ari Mark and Phil Lott. For Amblin Television, the executive producers for Cooper’s Treasure are Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. For the Discovery Channel Joseph Boyle is the executive producer, with Brian Peterson serving as the coordinating producer.
Will you be checking out Cooper’s Treasure? Do you think Darrell Miklos and his team will find the treasure? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions concerning Cooper’s Treasure Below. Cooper’s Treasure premieres on Tuesday, April 18th at 10 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel.
[Featured Image by Discovery Channel]
