are believed to be remnants of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. a reminder that you can keep up to date with all the news on the website. that's at aljazeera.com. >> on america: cosmic cash. buying in on the most valuable souvenirs from space. >> did it go to the moon and orbit the moon, did it land on the moon, was it taken out of the lunar lander? >> "america tonight's" adam may. and gearing up, the pentagon's most expensive weapon system ever and should it be cleared for takeoff.

>> figure this as a blow torch surrounded by fume. >> "america tonight's" continued investigation into the f 35. >> thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. we begin tonight with the ongoing saga of the f 35, the most expensive weapons system in u.s. history. a pentagon leaked report, is it worth the $1.4 trillion price tag? the defense department insists the answer is yes. with no more vigorous supporter than middle eastern. "america tonight's" sheila macvicar spoke with an official that says that's premature. >> reporter: what does it mean if the marine corps declares ioc in 2015? >> it's a sham what it

means. >> tom christie, from 21 to 2005 he was the senior advisor to the secretary of defense for weapons. the sham he says, is whether the marine corps should declare ready for combat or in military speak, ioc. >> the program has been embarrassing and they're just at the point to say you know we're going to take whatever we get. >> do you think that this plane is combat-ready? >> no, absolutely not. that combat capability is years away in my vote. >> reporter: the f 35 is the most expensive weapons program in american history with an estimated price tag of $1.4 trillion. it's also been one of the most problematic beset by safety reliability and performance issues ever since the first f 35 rolled off the assembly line in

2006. >> they are producing what 40, 50 airplanes a year? to me that's full scale production. that's a tragedy i think because god knows what we're going to have to do to fix all these aircraft. >> reporter: nonetheless the pentagon plans to eventually buy some 2500 f 35s with nearly 350 of them going to the marines. a recent assessment by the pentagon's own investigator of operation have identified problems with the f 35 some so severe they could have flight-critical effects. >> so let's look at why this airplane is so dangerous to the pilot. >> pierre spray is an engineer who once evaluated planes for the department of defense. designed the f 16 fighter in the early '70s.

although he has since left the pentagon he has spoken to pilots who have flown the f 35s. we asked him about the document. >> it said confirmed the expected vulnerabilities of the fuel tank structure. what does that mean. >> they implemented tests where they actually took pieces of the airplane and shot at them with real ammunition and what they found was, it's bad. as would you expect. >> they catch fire burn and explode. >> exactly. because there is too much flammable stuff located in very poor locations. think of this engine as a blow torch surrounded by fuel. >> it can blow up. >> absolutely, there goes the airplane, there goes the pilot. >> beyond safety issues, spray says the f 35 is also crippled by flaws which limit its utility in combat, promise from design

flaws in combat. >> it could rise vertically and land vertically on a column of air. >> the middle eastern want a jump jet able to accompany pilots. >> you can't even land on the main runway, the hot air would have to explode the concrete. >> what do you have to land this plane on? >> you have to get special high temperature concrete. the whole reason was the middle eastern needed vertical takeoff so you could get close to the troops. >> vertical takeoff and landing creates yet another problem necessitating a fan, which compromises speed and agility. >> in order to go supersonic you have to be long and

slender. but you can't be long and slender because there is a big fan over the fuselage, it is huge. this thing starts with a fuselage that is as at that time as a pig. >> since all vrgses share the same basic frame the performance of the navy and air force versions are affected too. >> the truth of the matter is that we could never be a fast acceleration agile fighter. >> in this defense department memo linked just days ago and obtained by "america tonight," a test pilot writes about a mock dogfight held in january pitting an f 35 against a much older f 16. the exercise was meant to test high angles of attack, according to the f 35 pilot his plane remained at a distinct energy engagement. in other words, the f 35 couldn't climb or turn fast

enough to either kill or evade the f-16. the f-16 was even at an ear dynamic aerodynamic disadvantage. while the f-35 was flying clean. the pilot goes on to say that the maneuver ability of the f-35 was also sustainable inferior to the f-15 e, another aging but proven air force work legislators. legislators -- workhorse. >> to turn those hard corners that put you in a winning position in a dogfight. this airplane is like a rock when it comes to maneuvering. >> when popular military blog went so far as to describe the f-35 as dead meat, that prompted

a swift reply from the pentagon saying the report does not tell the entire story. according to the defense department the f-35 in question was not equipped with the software, stealth coating or weapons common to newer versions of the plane. the pentagon also says the f-35 is designed to kill enemies from long distances, not in dogfighting situations. this is not the first time the pentagon has declared the aerial dogfight dead. in the 1960s the pentagon promoted the kill from afar concept most notably in vietnam with the f-4 phantom but after staggering losses of pilots and planes with the north vietnamese, the u.s. air force went on to establish the top gun school. nellis air force base in nevada,

located outside las vegas, is one place the f-35 is being tested in combat situations, highest ranking officer to qualify in the f-35, when we met him, he had just rurched rurnlgd returnedreturned from atest flight. >> i have about 50 hours in it now. >> ready for combat in 2016 while he admits the f-35 has faced impediments including a major engine fire last year which grounded the entire fleet for weeks he remains optimistic the air force will meet its deadline. >> certainly there are limitations that the air force is working through from the engine problem. but we are working through expanding the operational envelope of the airplanes. >> isn't it likely that as you expand that envelope you find nor issue?

>> it is certainly likely. because what we do we put it in operationally representative positions. i'm not worried today that we're going to be able to get through the 16. >> as for the marine corps it recently completed a series of sea trials in anticipation of its announcement later this month declaring its plane ready for combat. those trials included landings takeoffs, simulated air strikes and shipboard maintenance. the marines deemed them a success. but it's not just former pentagon insiders like tom christie and paul spray who are skepticcable, the u.k, that plans on buying f-35, says the plane may be one of the biggest white elephants in history. >> "america tonight's" sheila

macvicar, how could this be, how could it get so far down the track? >> this isn't the first time the gone has developed congruent testing and development. they are testing and make refinements, every time they find problems with the plane and they are finding problems with the plane, they have to go back and they have to change all the other planes that are out there. this is a complek complicated -- complex complicated process. one of the reasons this happened, this plane being developed by lockheed martin has a huge footprint. 44 states plus puerto rico so there's a lot of incentive to keep this rolling off in the way it's rolling off. >> and there is still however an argument those who favor the continuation of this program despite all the complications that have been seen. what's to that? >> there are people in the pentagon to be very clear including some people who thrie

plane who flyplane who are very big supporters of the plane who when they get it to operational capacity that it will deliver generational changes which are innovational, there are problems with the design features expensive to work out, if they can work them out then this should truly be the next generation war fighter. but it may be quite a long way down the road. and as we go down the road and we're discovering more problems with the plane and more problems will be discovered as the plane is pushed further and further in in -- and its capabilities are tested, there will be more needed to fix it. >> arguments that it really is a live testing process, we are beta testing this aircraft and you should expect to find problems right? >> exactly, they expect to find problems. the problem is as they are finding problems, they are

continuing to produce 40 to 50 planes a year and that is full scale production. now other part that is supposed to kick in which is supposed to help with the price of the f-35 are all these international partners. the canadians, the italians, the british, the australian, all of whom have a piece of the pie but some of those partners are indicating that they are perhaps not so willing to invest in this plane because of the lifetime cost of the program. the lifetime cost of this program has soared far beyond what anyone thought they would be. so this is becoming a very expensive plane to put in the sky. >> "america tonight's" sheila macvicar, thank you. next, losing his brother but picking up the cause. one year after the crash of mh 17, remembering and honoring sacrifice. later, putting a price on stardust, at auction seasonal of the universes most valuable souvenirs but who gets to

collect on lunar loot? and hot on the website now, a mother whose addiction brought her to the streets to save

>> a tragic air anniversary marked this week, one year ago, malaysia airlines mh 17, crashed, all 280 passengers and crew lost their lives. "america tonight" talked to one of the brothers. >> paul last chatted with his brother pim on the phone, the day before pim boarded flight mh 17. he was already quite the world

traveler as an advocate for democracy. >> i really enjoyed being here. >> this is video of him in turkey. he also worked on democracy projects in egypt, sierra leone, malaysia and recently he spent time in ukraine. >> he was there as an election observer. the dutch ministry of foreign air force and the european union, and he believed this country like many other countries in the world would be so much better if you have democratic processes at work. >> paul says if his brother were still alive he'd be talking about a peaceful resolution to the conflict even after this tragedy. >> my brother would say he would ask everyone to rationally think about the next steps. because before we know it we see the situation further deteriorate. and that won't bring back my brother and that also won't bring peace to my family or the people of ukraine. >> pim's death in the country where he worked to help bring

about a fresh start isn't a sad irony for paul. he's using it to help spread his brother's message that dialogue is more effective than force. it's helping him cope with list loss. >> i think the real face of mourning has yet to start. >> pim's story from "america tonight's" lori "americatonight" "america tonight's" lori jane gliha. a fitting memorial to pim one year after his death. next, the sky-high price of moon swag. buying in on souvenirs from space. >> you know i was told by a reliable source that if you came up with 10 grand that they would make sure my whole suit would end up on my front porch. for 10,000 dollar american. >> "america tonight's" adam may with the low down.

and the disturbing story of the most vulnerable, nursing homes putting profit ahead of the >> television icon norman lear >> we hoped we were delivering real characters... >> creator of "all in the family" "the jeffersons" and "good times" talks race, comedy and american culture today... >> you're taking me to a place in this interview, i haven't been before... >> i told you this would be your best interview you've done... >> every tuesday night. >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping. inspiring. entertaining. talk to al jazeera. only on al jazeera america.

>> i've been asked to keep my voice down cause we are so close

>> just 12 men, all of them american, have walked on the moon. apollo astronauts helped america win the space race. what they have brought back has

fueled an artifact race ever since. neil armstrong kept a cash of moon artifacts, other astronauts and their families have tried to sell them with "america tonight's" adam may found has led to some earthly interventions. three would one, we have a

allows astronauts to cash in on items they brought home. like the flag flown to the moon and this personal preference kit belonging to buzz

aldrin. and this signed by gene cernan the last plan to walk on the moon. >> right now space is the most collectible. >> bob eaton. >> checklist, that's what he out. >> this is really a rock 'n' roll ride isn't it? >> hello everybody welcome to the international space station. my name is brighton anderson. >> but astronauts like clayton anderson.

>> anything up in space? >> actually yes . this handrail, you look on the picture and you see a gold handrail, that's a similar handrail, not that one but this was on the bottom of the lab module. >> anderson says he had to get special permission from the nasa to keep the discarded handrail from the space station. but from the russian mission he wasn't so lucky. >> i had worn my russian space suit in space so i asked through the proper channels if i could have my sokol suit gloves because they're custom made for my hand and they have my initials sown in russian on the glove. i was asked for my gloves and was denied. >> where do you think the gloves are now? >> they could be in a flea market in moscow, they could be used as training gloves, i have no idea. i

was told by reliable sources, for 10,000, it would be on my porch. i was told, for 10,000, suit be on your porch. >> then there are forgeries. >> neil armstrong, is a modern day christopher columbus. >> neil piscatola is an expert between real armstrong signatures and forgeries. a signed nasa picture is worth $4500. that's a forgery on the left. armstrong never signed over the flag on his space suit. >> forgery is around simply because it's a quick dollar. >> one especially lucrative stash of moon loot has landed in court. lunar bibles printed on like row film. >> they were a collection of reproduced bibles for the prayer

league, in and around the houston community who wanted to express their support for the space program through their faith and they flew on apoll lows 13, it flew with a problem, houston we have a problem, there was rumors they were out on the surface of the moon they weren't, they were packed away in the personal preference kit of edgar mitchell. he gave them back. >> the founder of the league john stout is now in his 90s and living in this nursing home. his collection of lunar bibles is the center of the custody battle. carol mersh has 14 lunar bibles according to the court records and the state of texas wants them back to pay for stout's care. mersh is under a gag

gag order, but tells the court that he gave them to her. the two are now in mediation. the stakes are high. lunar bibles have sold at auction for more than $50,000. one of the flights to the moon may be over, the price of souvenirs remains in orbit. adam may, al jazeera, houston. >> remarkable. that's "america tonight." tell us what you think. at aljazeera.com/americatonight. come back we'll have more of "america tonight," tomorrow. >> putting loved ones in a nursing home... hoping for the best. >> my father died because of the neglect. >> are they betraying your trust? >> it's a for-profit business.

>> a yes vote in greece, the parliament has a contentious bailout bill. wellhello, welcome to. the u.s. president urges congress to support the iran nuclear deal. after debate, lawmakers in japan are divided over whether to expand the military's