At 4 AM on March 28, a small malfunction caused a valve to stick open, draining coolant from the reactor core. Confusing instrument readings led operators to make decisions that made things worse. The core partially melted, releasing radioactive gases. Although the actual radiation release was minimal, the psychological impact was enormous -- especially because the disaster film The China Syndrome had premiered just 12 days earlier. Three Mile Island effectively ended nuclear power expansion in the United States for decades, reshaping the country's energy exploration and policy.