THE ZONE OF SILENCE
La Zona del Silencio (The Zone of Silence) is an area located between the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango.
In February 8th, 1969, the Allende meteorite fell in this area. It was headed towards a different direction when it mysteriously diverted and finally collided in this place thus earning the name “intelligent meteorite”. This is the most studied meteorite in history.
The first known case of technical problems was registered in 1939, when Pilot Francisco Sarabia’s plane navigation equipment failed.
The name “Zone of Silence” comes from the myth that radio waves can’t be transmitted normally, all communication and equipment fails in the area. The Mexican engineer Harry de la Peña discovered this using specialized measuring instruments.
In July 1970, the Athena test missile, which was loaded with the radioactive element cobalt 57, was launched from a military base near Green River, Utah, heading to White Sands, New Mexico, but it inexplicably changed its route and crashed in Zona del Silencio.
American military forces and NASA scientists went to the Zone of Silence in order to recover the missile’s debris. Among the scientists was Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi engineer hired by the Americans to help develop their space program.
This recovery mission brought myths and stories about the place, including allegedly magnetic anomalies in the area that block radio transmissions, strange mutations of flora and fauna, and even alien sightings.
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