Meteorite Men | S01 E02 | Odessa Crater, Texas

The Meteorite Men journey to the Lone Star State where they have been granted very special permission to search the famous (and protected) 63,000 year-old meteorite crater near Odessa, Texas. In "Mission Impossible" style, they try out a dazzling array of hi-tech hunting equipment: ground penetrating radar, a military bomb detector, and the mighty Rockhound — a go-anywhere amphibious tracked ride that gives new meaning to the phrase "all-terrain vehicle." Working in 105-degree temperatures, the guys use every trick and tactic in their search for space rocks, and make a most surprising discovery — and unexpected — discovery. TRIVIA The Odessa crater is generally regarded as the first site where metal detectors were used to search for meteorites. Geoff of MM was friends with the late Jim Pliska, a WWII B-17 bomber pilot and early meteorite hunter. in 1947, Pliska acquired an army surplus mine detector and used it to recover many iron meteorites around the Odessa Crater, over a period of many years. His fascinating life story is recounted in Geoff's book, "Rock Star: Adventures of a Meteorite Man" (2012, Stanegate Press).