The space shuttle is launching a satellite into orbit when it hits a UFO and explodes. The explosion kills one astronaut who had been out on a space walk and causes the UFO to make an emergency landing on Earth in the desert of Bannon County in Arizona. The two remaining astronauts Steve Bancroft (Gary Collins) and Lew Price (James Hampton) return to Earth. Authorities are notified of the accident.
The UFO is retrieved and taken to Hangar 18 in an Air Force base in Texas. Gordon Cain (Robert Vaughn) is concerned that word of the UFO will hurt President Tyler’s chances for re-election. Voting is only two weeks away so Cain along with Frank Lafferty (Joseph Campanella), decide that they need to keep the existence of the UFO under wraps until after the election. To explain the damaged satellite, and the death of the astronaut, a story is sent to the press that the explosion was the fault of the crew of the shuttle. All evidence of the alien craft is erased from its landing site. Bancroft and Price are concerned about their reputations and about being falsely accused. They decide to do some investigating on their own. They need to find evidence that will prove the UFO exists in order to exonerate themselves and expose the cover-up. All the while they are investigating, the two astronauts are being watched by government agents determined to stop them at any cost.
In the meantime Bancroft’s and Price’s boss Harry Forbes (Darren McGavin), unaware of the false charge against the astronauts, is transferred to Hangar 18 to analyze the UFO. Forbes and his team find a way to open the spacecraft and discover two dead aliens on board. Also on board is an Earth woman in a state of suspended animation and an array of symbols believed to be an alien written language.
Further research yields some extremely startling revelations. First, that the symbols are similar to those used by ancient Earth civilizations. Second, the autopsies of the two aliens show that they are similar in make-up of Earth beings and have had a similar evolutionary path. The researchers believe that Earth humans and the aliens mated and that current humans are the offspring of those matings. That would make the aliens the missing link our evolution. Third, they also determine that the spaceship was not capable of interstellar travel and so could not have originated in deep space. That would mean the ship is a scout that was launched from a mother ship. Fourth, that they have been monitoring and watching Earth for quite some time.
The final analysis of the aliens and their technology shows that they had analyzed video broadcasts and satellite images to find Earth’s industrial and military sights all over the world. They believe the aliens are planning an invasion of Earth.
“Hangar 18” was released in 1980 and was directed by James L. Conway. This is one of the science fiction movies that everyone thinks is true. I can pretty much guarantee that Robert Vaughn and Joseph Campanella are not hiding dead aliens anywhere.
The film was a lot better than I thought it would be. A little dated perhaps but science fiction movies are based on whatever is happening at the time. It’s a fun ride through one of the most consistent conspiracy theories ever.
A version with an alternate ending was televised as “Invasion Force”.
When the movie was released the first official space shuttle launch had not yet occurred. The first launch into orbit was April 12, 1981. There had, however, been test flights done.
Where is hangar 18? Some believe that Hangar 18 is a top-secret facility in Dayton, Ohio located on Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The legend of Hangar 18 goes back as far as 1947 to a UFO crash in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. First reported as a disc, then as a weather balloon it was ultimately revealed in 1994 to being a test surveillance device designed to fly over nuclear sites in the Soviet Union. Basically a drone. Reportedly the debris was first sent to a base in Fort Worth, Texas. Some believe that debris from the crash was sent to Hangar 18. Rumors abound that Hangar 18 is the home of two UFOs and twelve dead aliens. The Air Force has categorically denied all rumors and has maintained that there is no such place as Hangar 18 although Wright Patterson Air Force Base does have a Building 18.
In January 1985 the Air Force issued the following official statement: “There are not now, nor have there ever been, any extraterrestrial visitors or equipment on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.” Of course, they don't say anything about anywhere else.