Impossible Engineering

A series that explores engineering mega projects worldwide, and relates them back to the original scientific discoveries that made these modern day projects possible.

2015 HD 42min TV-PG United States English

Mike Bratton

Documentary History

engineering

S1E1 - Mega Bridge 2015-04-13

The Rion Antirion Bridge is an engineering colossus, spanning almost two miles. Discover how engineers conquered deep water and hurricane force winds to build a structure that could stand strong in one of the most active earthquake zones on our planet.

S1E2 - Ultimate Warship 2015-04-20

The HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier has a surface area larger than two soccer fields, and is stocked with cutting edge F35 fighter jets. Discover how this megaship ticks inside and out.

S1E3 - Skyscraper of the Future 2015-05-11

Soaring over 2,000 feet into the sky, the Shanghai Tower is the second tallest building in the world, and a futuristic engineering marvel. Discovery how cutting-edge technology means that the buildings occupants will never feel it sway.

S1E4 - Ultimate Airport 2015-05-18

The Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay, Japan, is built on the largest man-made island in the world. Discover how engineers built an artificial island on top of clay seabed to make the most daring engineering project of modern times a success.

S1E5 - World's Fastest Train 2015-05-25

The Shanghai Maglev is the fastest passenger train in operation on the planet. Discover how engineers were able to design a train that could levitate, and reach a phenomenal top speed of 268 mph.

S1E6 - World's Largest Plane 2015-06-01

We take the worlds largest plane apart and show what makes this engineering marvel so incredible. Explore the Airbus A380 inside and out, and discover how its engineers redefined the limits of modern aviation.

S2E1 - NASA's Rocket to Mars 2016-03-16

For NASA to send a person to Mars, they will need to build the most powerful rocket ever built. Discover inside story behind the Orion Space Craft, an engineering feat designed to sustain astronauts for years in one of the universes harshest environments.

S2E2 - World's Tallest Bridge 2016-03-23

How did engineers build the tallest bridge on the planet? As tall as a skyscraper, the Millau Viaduct braves deadly wind speeds over an immense abyss, and we go inside the story behind this modern wonder.

S2E3 - Ultimate Football Stadium 2016-03-30

The AT and T Stadium in Texas is home to the Dallas Cowboys and the worlds largest retractable roof. This $1.2 billion stadium can house over 100,000 fans, and well go inside how this engineering feat was built.

S2E4 - World's Most Powerful Dam 2016-04-06

Chinas Three Gorges Dam is the largest and heaviest concrete structure on earth, and it produces more power than any hydroelectric dam ever built. Discover how engineers reshaped a river to accomplish this incredible engineering feat.

S2E5 - World's Longest Tunnel 2016-04-13

How did engineers move mountains to build the longest and deepest rail tunnel on the planet? Discover how 25 million tons of rock were moved to build this modern wonder, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

S2E6 - World's Biggest Cruise Ship 2016-04-20

Go inside the largest cruise ship on the planet: MS Harmony of the Seas. A massive ship thats 1,181 feet long and a staggering 227,000 tons.

S2E7 - US Navy's Super Submarine 2016-04-27

The Virginia Class is one of the most advanced nuclear powered, fast attack submarines ever produced for the US Navy. These technological titans are almost 400 feet long, and weigh a staggering 7,800 tons.

S2E8 - The Glass Skyscraper 2016-05-04

The Shard, a 73-story glass skyscraper in London, has 11,000 exterior glass panels, a colossal concrete core that supports luxury apartments, a hotel, and close to 600,000 square feet of office space.

S3E1 - World's Largest Radio Telescope 2017-03-30

Discover what it took to build the largest and most sophisticated radio telescope on the planet. This engineering colossus will help astronomers explore galaxies billions of light years away, and might help discover extraterrestrial life.

S3E2 - Panama Canal Overhaul 2017-04-06

Go inside the ambitious engineering project that remade the famous Panama Canal. Billions of dollars were spent to move millions of cubic tons of earth, and ultimately, the canal will be able to accommodate the biggest ships in the world.

S3E3 - World's Biggest Ship 2017-04-13

Find out what it took to build the largest ship in the world, the Pioneering Spirit. This 900,000-ton behemoth can install oil pipelines in the worlds deepest waters and features state-of-the art thrusters and mammoth lifting beams.

S3E4 - Ice Base 2017-04-20

Go inside a state-of-the-art research base located in Antarctica, the coldest continent on Earth. Halley VI is built atop giant skis on a floating ice shelf, and this innovative design helps scientists brave the dangers of this extreme environment.

S3E5 - Mega City Railway 2017-04-27

Uncover what it took to build one of the most ambitious rail projects in history, Londons Crossrail. This staggering feat will span over 73 miles and transport 200 million people a year around one of the worlds largest and busiest cities.

S3E6 - The Invincible Tower 2017-05-04

Discover what it took to build the worlds tallest freestanding tower, the Tokyo Skytree. This record-breaking marvel faces some of the most deadly disasters on the planet, and must brave earthquakes and extremely high winds.

S3E7 - International Space Station 2017-05-11

The International Space Station is the most expensive engineering project ever attempted, and the result is a masterpiece of modern ingenuity. This incredible vessel pushes the boundaries of space exploration and brings us closer to galactic colonization.

S3E8 - US Navy's Super Ship 2017-05-18

The US Navy is the largest sea force on the planet and their new, ground-breaking Littoral Combat Ships are the fastest combat ships in its fleet. Built for speed, these innovative warships can travel at over 40 knots per hour in shallow water.

S3E9 - Inside the Tesla Factory 2017-05-25

The Tesla car factory is one of the largest and most innovative factories in the world. This state-of-the-art facility is the home to high-tech robots that work around-the-clock to produce thousands of cutting-edge electric cars each week.

S3E10 - World's Biggest Aircraft 2017-06-01

The worlds largest aircraft combines the latest in technology and engineering to dwarf everything else in the skies. This marvel can stay airborne for five days and land anywhere in world, whether on land or at sea.

S3E11 - World's Tallest Roller Coaster 2017-06-08

Kingda Ka is the tallest roller coaster in the world and fastest in the U.S., redefining the design of all thrill rides. This engineering colossus is one of the most innovative on the planet and features the fastest drop ride ever built.

S3E12 - Monster Oil Rig 2017-06-15

The Perdido Oil Platform is one of the most advance feats in modern engineering, producing 100,000 barrels of oil each day; this structure is as tall as the Eiffel tower and manages to stay afloat in some of the deepest waters in the world.

S4E1 - Deadliest Trains 2018-05-17

The worlds toughest trains have conquered deadly jungles, deserts, and mountains, and were made possible by expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.

S4E2 - World's Fastest Trains 2018-05-24

The worlds fastest trains were built with expert engineering and cutting-edge technology, pushing the speed of railroad travel to new limits.

S4E3 - Mega City Trains 2018-05-31

The worlds busiest cities are kept running by innovative train systems built with expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.

S4E4 - Trains of the Abyss 2018-06-07

The worlds most incredible trains cross deadly canyons and chasms of terrifying heights, and were made possible by expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.

S4E5 - Monster Mountain Trains 2018-06-14

The worlds toughest trains have conquered the deadly heights of our tallest mountains, and were made possible by cutting-edge railroads engineered to make impossible climbs and brave extreme weather.

S4E6 - Trains of Deadly Seas 2018-06-21

The worlds most incredible trains have conquered dangerous oceans and seas, and were made possible by expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.

S4E7 - Season 4, Episode 7

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S4E8 - Season 4, Episode 8

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S5E1 - Chernobyl's Toughest Fix 2019-01-03

The Chernobyl disaster created one of the worlds deadliest places, and as a temporary fix around the damaged reactor begins to fail, engineers race to build a cutting-edge structure to contain the contamination that could threaten the world.

S5E2 - NYC Mega Build 2019-01-10

New York Citys biggest construction project ever features several brand-new buildings in Manhattans Hudson Yards, where an army of ambitious engineers and builders are tasked with developing seven city blocks over 24-hour subway trains.

S5E3 - US Army's Super Tank 2019-01-17

The US Armys Abrams tank is a 70-ton war machine capable of reaching speeds of 45 miles per hour on the most extreme terrains on earth, but before it enters the battlefield, it must face a set of brutal challenges to put its engineering to the test.

S5E4 - Skyscrapers of the Deep 2019-01-24

To build the worlds biggest offshore wind farm, engineers and builders braved the deadly waters of the North Sea. Using the latest science and tech, these innovators constructed 175 towering turbines that can withstand the most hellish conditions.

S5E5 - The Real Iron Man Suit 2019-01-31

An ambitious team of engineers has created an Iron Man-like jet suit that can propel the user over 30 miles per hour, and using cutting-edge technology, these visionaries have made dreams of the distant future a reality.

S5E6 - Underwater Mega Tower 2019-02-07

One of the most cutting-edge buildings in the world is a 16-story hotel built on the cliffs of an abandoned quarry, and using the latest science and tech, engineers race to build this innovative mega-structure with two underwater floors.

S5E7 - US Navy's Aircraft Carrier 2019-02-14

The US Navys brand-new Ford-class aircraft carrier is the worlds largest warship, and using the latest naval and aeronautic technology, engineers and military personnel race to build and test this cutting-edge vessel.

S5E8 - World's Fastest Car 2019-02-21

An ambitious team of engineers is building the worlds fastest car, and using cutting-edge rocket technology, this record-breaking vehicle will be able to accelerate from zero to 1,000 mph in just 20 seconds.

S5E9 - Himalayan Mega Train 2019-02-28

To build the worlds tallest railway, engineers braved a deadly Himalayan environment and its -40 degree temperatures.

S5E10 - World's Greatest Yacht 2019-03-07

The Black Pearl is one of the largest and fastest sailing yachts in the world, and using cutting-edge innovations in shipbuilding and engineering, its crew puts this brand-new $200 million vessel through the gauntlet to test its unique capabilities.

S6E1 - Beasts of the Bayou 2019-05-01

When engineers built railroads across the swamps of New Orleans, they used cutting-edge technology and methods to get it done, and these extreme trains attest to the innovative engineering required to conquer the most challenging water environments.

S6E2 - The Trains That Built America 2019-05-08

The first railroads in the United States were engineering marvels built to conquer Americas deadliest places. Using cutting-edge science, engineers and builders changed the nation by connecting the California frontier with the rest of the country.

S6E3 - Monster of the Andes 2019-05-15

When engineers built a cutting-edge railroad to navigate the South American Andes, they use cutting-edge tech and engineering to conquer its deadly heights, and this trailblazing train sets new records on one of the most dangerous routes in the world.

S6E4 - Himalaya Mega Bridge 2019-05-22

Experts use cutting-edge tech and bold engineering to build a record-breaking bridge that spans a deadly chasm in a remote section of the Himalayas. When completed, it will be the worlds tallest railway bridge, towering almost 1,200 feet high.

S6E5 - NYC Monster Train 2019-05-29

New York City is building an 11 billion dollar construction project to extend the busy Long Island Railroad, and using brand-new technology, engineers and builders blast bedrock to create a vast tunnel below Grand Central Terminal.

S6E6 - Rise of the Hyperloop 2019-06-05

Engineers at Virgin are building the worlds first hyperloop train system, an innovative high-speed technology that uses magnetic levitation to travel over 600 miles per hour and transform transportation as we know it.

S7E1 - Dubai's Impossible Island 2020-01-01

The man-made islands of Dubai are modern-day engineering marvels that turn the Arabian Sea into high-priced real estate. Today, a team of expert engineers use cutting-edge technology to build a brand-new city district where there was once only water.

S7E2 - World's Toughest Tunnels 2020-01-08

A team of engineers are overhauling Londons underground infrastructure to build a world-class sewer system. Using cutting-edge tech and the latest construction methods, they work to transform a centuries-old network into a modern-day masterpiece.

S7E3 - F-35 Fighter Jet 2020-01-15

The F-35 is the most advanced fighter jet on the planet. Special access into the most expensive military program ever reveals how engineers use cutting-edge tech to outfit this 1,200 mile-per-hour aircraft with a state-of-the-art stealth system.

S7E4 - NYC Mega Tower 2020-01-22

The skinniest skyscraper in the world will soon become New Yorks third tallest, and using an innovative, gravity-defying design, this colossal megastructure is breaking all the rules of engineering.

S7E5 - World's Biggest Airport 2020-01-29

Behind every seemingly impossible marvel of modern engineering is a cast of historic trailblazers who designed new building techniques, took risks on untested materials and revolutionized their field.

S7E6 - Spy Plane Declassified 2020-02-05

A state-of-the-art NATO airplane is one of the most complex surveillance tools in the world. Special access inside the behemoth reveals how cutting-edge engineering and a hi-tech midair refueling system helps its crew defend against security threats.

S7E7 - World's Highest Bridge 2020-02-12

The worlds highest bridge impossibly spans an 1,800-foot chasm known as the Crack in the Earth, and to build this engineering marvel, experts use cutting-edge construction technology that can conquer the deadly cliffs of this rugged environment.

S7E8 - Conquering Avalanche Country 2020-02-19

Deadly avalanches and catastrophic flooding are ever-present threats at one of the worlds busiest ski resorts, but new technology and cutting-edge construction methods help engineers conquer the elements to keep this mountain-top getaway safe.

S8E1 - Secrets of the Supertanker 2020-07-15

The worlds biggest oil tanker is longer than four football fields and can haul 15,000 trucks worth of oil.

S8E2 - Seattle Super Bridge 2020-07-22

Engineers in Seattle are building the worlds first floating railway bridge, and to tackle this complex engineering challenge, they use new, innovative construction technology that enables high-speed trains to go where theyve never gone before.

S8E3 - Texas Super Skyscraper 2020-07-29

A brand-new skyscraper in Texas is a gravity-defying engineering marvel with a one-of-a-kind shape, and to build it, experts use cutting-edge construction and design that pushes modern-day tower-building to strange and innovative heights.

S8E4 - World's Strongest Ship 2020-08-05

The worlds largest heavy-left ship can carry entire cruise ships halfway across the globe without stopping, and to do this, experts use cutting-edge maritime engineering and the latest science for herculean strength and first-class maneuverability.

S9E1 - Largest Plane: Stratolaunch 2020-11-11

Test pilots and engineers embark on the first flight of the largest airplane ever built: the Stratolaunch, a one-of-a-kind aircraft designed to transport rockets, spacecraft and experimental hypersonic planes into the stratosphere.

S9E2 - World’s Greatest Waterworks 2020-11-18

Engineers in China are constructing the largest and most ambitious water transfer project in human history, defying nature to move vast quantities of water from the south to the dry north in Beijing, all without the use of pumping stations.