CHERNOBYL OBSESSED ENGINEER VENTURES INTO EXCLUSION ZONE TO INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST NUCLEAR DISASTER IN "MYSTERIES OF THE ABANDONED: CHERNOBYL'S DEADLY SECRETS" PREMIERING THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 AT 9 PM ON SCIENCE CHANNEL

(New York) - For the past seven years, engineer Philip Grossman's obsession has been the abandoned landscape that has developed out of the infamous nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. In 2015, he and his wife even got married there. Traveling there ten times, he is one of only a few people that have been allowed nearly unrestricted access to the highly dangerous exclusion zone, the area immediately surrounding the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor explosion. Pursuing leads that hint at possible CIA espionage and an internal Soviet cover up, Grossman hopes his latest trip will be the one where he finds the clues to what may have caused the largest nuclear accident in history. This investigation is chronicled in a special episode of the Science Channel series, MYSTERIES OF THE ABANDONED: CHERNOBYL'S DEADLY SECRETS, premiering Thursday, August 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Chernobyl, Ukraine is the site of the nuclear accident that became one of the worst engineering disasters in modern history. What caused this deadly nuclear explosion? Some say it was simply human error. Others suggest a Soviet plot, or perhaps American interference. Grossman has been to Chernobyl numerous times to document the disaster and its aftermath. Now, he's back with special access, to try to figure out once and for all, what really happened.

"Philip Grossman is a maverick investigator who brings his first-hand engineering insight with him to Chernobyl," said Kyle McCabe, Science Channel Executive Producer. "In his fearless investigation of the exclusion zone, he takes tremendous risks to unearth any clues to that might yield new insight into the nuclear disaster."

"You must have information to make informed decisions. Life is full of risks," added Grossman. "To make progress, you need to acknowledge the risks to find the answers even if it takes you to some of the most unexpected places."

Access into the exclusion zone is off-limits unless you're an employee, or have a permit and authorized guide. Where Grossman goes is even more restricted. The zone contains much more than the Chernobyl nuclear complex, however. The scarred landscape is dotted with numerous derelict villages, as well as the entire abandoned city of Pripyat, which sits frozen in time. Once a vibrant, modern city of 50,000 people, Pripyat's proximity to the nuclear power plant attracted the country's best and brightest scientists and engineers. It was paradise by Soviet standards. In 1986, Pripyat was evacuated within days of the blast. Today, it sits a rusted shell of its former glory, a city reclaimed by nature. In his quest, Grossman searches its most daunting, radioactive facilities - including the still highly radioactive reactor, an abandoned hospital, the infamous Duga radar, and the restricted Jupiter Factory.

MYSTERIES OF THE ABANDONED: CHERNOBYL'S DEADLY SECRETS is produced by Ping Pong Productions for Science Channel. Executive Producer for Ping Pong is Casey Brumels. Kyle McCabe is executive producer for Science Channel.

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