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.
Genre: Documentary, History
Cast:Mike Bratton , Daniel Dickrell , Rhys Morgan , Andrew Steele , Luke Bisby , Suzie Sheehy , Jen Masengarb , Kate Mulcahy , Wendy Fok , Panayotis Papanikolas , Dennis Poon , Stuart Justice , Yewande Akinola , Adrian Brugger , Jun Xia , Urs Meier , Pete Kosogorin , Leila Nilipour
S1.E1 ∙ Mega Bridge
The construction of the Rion-Antirion Bridge across the Gulf of Corinth in Greece is featured.
S1.E2 ∙ Ultimate Warship
Construction of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest warship in the history of the British Royal Navy, is chronicled; also featured are the US-made F-35b fighter jets that will be stationed aboard her.
S1.E3 ∙ Skyscraper of the Future
Construction of the Shanghai Tower, the second-tallest building in the world and the tallest building in China, is chronicled.
S1.E4 ∙ Ultimate Airport
Construction of the Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay, Japan is featured.
S1.E5 ∙ World's Fastest Train
A look at the Shanghai Transrapid maglev train, the fastest public passenger train in the world. It reaches a speed of 268 miles per hour in its 19-mile, 7-minute trip from the city of Shanghai to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
S1.E6 ∙ World's Largest Plane
A look at the construction of the Airbus A380, the largest passenger airliner ever built.
S2.E1 ∙ NASA's Rocket to Mars
For NASA to send a person 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 universe's harshest environments.
S2.E2 ∙ Worlds Tallest Bridge
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.
S2.E3 ∙ Ultimate Football Stadium
The AT&T Stadium in Texas is home to the Dallas Cowboys and the world's largest retractable roof. This $1.2 billion stadium can house over 100,000 fans, and we'll go inside how this engineering feat was built.
S2.E4 ∙ World's Most Powerful Dam
China's 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.
S2.E5 ∙ World's Longest Tunnel
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.
S2.E6 ∙ World's Biggest Cruise Ship
Go inside the largest cruise ship on the planet: a massive ship that's 1,181 feet long and a staggering 227,000 tons.
S2.E7 ∙ U.S. Navy's Super Submarine
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.
S2.E8 ∙ The Glass Skyscraper
A 73-story glass skyscraper in London is an engineering marvel. 11,000 exterior glass panels form this mega tower's façade. It's colossal concrete core supports luxury apartments, a hotel, and nearly 600,000 square feet of office space.
S3.E1 ∙ World's Largest Radio Telescope
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.
S3.E2 ∙ Panama Canal Overhaul
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.
S3.E3 ∙ World's Biggest Ship
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 world's deepest waters and features state-of-the art thrusters and mammoth lifting beams.
S3.E4 ∙ Ice Base
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.
S3.E5 ∙ Mega City Railway
Uncover what it took to build one of the most ambitious rail projects in history, London's Crossrail. This staggering feat will span over 73 miles and transport 200 million people a year around one of the world's largest and busiest cities.
S3.E6 ∙ The Invincible Tower
Discover what it took to build the world's 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.
S3.E7 ∙ International Space Station
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.
S3.E8 ∙ US Navy's Super Ship
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.
S3.E9 ∙ Inside the Tesla Factory
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.
S3.E10 ∙ World's Biggest Aircraft
The world's 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.
S3.E11 ∙ World's Tallest Roller Coaster
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.
S3.E12 ∙ Monster Gateways
The construction of two "monster gateways" are featured. The first half covers the widening of the Panama Canal to allow larger ships to pass through. The second half features the construction of the Rion-Antirion Bridge across the Gulf of Corinth in Greece. The program was re-edited from two previous episodes of the series, with some new narration added.
S3.E13 ∙ Monster Oil Rig
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.
S3.E14 ∙ Giants of Asia
Two giant construction projects in Asia are featured. The first half covers the construction of the world's largest and most powerful single-dish radio telescope, in Guizhou Province, southwest China. The second half features the construction of the Shanghai Tower, the second-tallest building in the world and the tallest building in China. The program was re-edited from two previous episodes of the series, with some new narration added.
S3.E15 ∙ World's Most Powerful Ships
Discover what it took to build Britain's newest Aircraft Carrier the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the biggest, longest, most powerful ship that is used to remove and install oil platforms, the Pioneering Spirit.
S3.E16 ∙ Marvels of Japan
Discover what it took to build the worlds tallest building, the Tokyo Skytree and build the Kansai Airport on man-made island.
S3.E17 ∙ Built for Hell
Discover what it took to build the 110 ton ice station, Halley-6 in Antarctica and build the 450 ton International Space Station which provide the platform for research into systems and procedures for deep space exploration.
S4.E1 ∙ Deadliest Trains
The world's toughest trains have conquered deadly jungles, deserts, and mountains, and were made possible by expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.
S4.E2 ∙ World's Fastest Trains
The world's fastest trains were built with expert engineering and cutting-edge technology, pushing the speed of railroad travel to new limits.
S4.E3 ∙ Mega City Trains
The world's busiest cities are kept running by innovative train systems built with expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.
S4.E4 ∙ Trains of the Abyss
The world's most incredible trains cross deadly canyons and chasms of terrifying heights, and were made possible by expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.
S4.E5 ∙ Monster Mountain Trains
The world's 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.
S4.E6 ∙ Trains of Deadly Seas
The world's most incredible trains have conquered dangerous oceans and seas, and were made possible by expert engineering and cutting-edge technology.
S5.E1 ∙ Chernobyl's Toughest Fix
The Chernobyl disaster created one of the world's 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.
S5.E2 ∙ NYC Mega Build
New York City's biggest construction project ever features several brand-new buildings in Manhattan's Hudson Yards, where an army of ambitious engineers and builders are tasked with developing seven city blocks over 24-hour subway trains.
S5.E3 ∙ US Army's Super Tank
The US Army's 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.
S5.E4 ∙ Skyscrapers of the Deep
To build the world's biggest offshore wind farm, engineers and builders braved the deadly waters of the North Sea, and using the latest science and tech, these innovators constructed 175 towering turbines that can withstand the most hellish conditions.
S5.E5 ∙ The Real Iron Man Suit
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.
S5.E6 ∙ Underwater Mega Tower
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.
S5.E7 ∙ US Navy's Aircraft Carrier
The US Navy's brand-new Ford-class aircraft carrier is the world's largest warship, and using the latest naval and aeronautic technology, engineers and military personnel race to build and test this cutting-edge vessel.
S5.E8 ∙ World's Fastest Car
An ambitious team of engineers is building the world's 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.
S5.E9 ∙ Himalayan Mega Train
To build the world's tallest railway, engineers braved a deadly Himalayan environment and its -40 degree temperatures.
S5.E10 ∙ World's Greatest Yacht
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.
S6.E1 ∙ Beasts of the Bayou
When engineers built railroads across the swamps of New Orleans, they had to use 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.
S6.E2 ∙ The Trains That Built America
The first railroads in the United States were engineering marvels built to conquer America's deadliest places, and using cutting-edge science, engineers and builders changed the nation by connecting the California frontier with the rest of the country.
S6.E3 ∙ Monster of the Andes
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.
S6.E4 ∙ Himalaya Mega Bridge
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 world's tallest railway bridge, towering almost 1,200 feet high.
S6.E5 ∙ NYC Monster Train
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.
S6.E6 ∙ Rise of the Hyperloop
Engineers at Virgin are building the world's 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.
S7.E1 ∙ Dubai's Impossible Island
The man-made islands of Dubai are modern-day engineering marvels that turn the Arabian Sea into high-priced real estate, and today, a team of expert engineers use cutting-edge technology to build a brand-new city district where there was once only water.
S7.E2 ∙ World's Toughest Tunnels
A team of engineers are overhauling London's underground infrastructure to build a world-class sewer system, and using cutting-edge tech and the latest construction methods, they work to transform a centuries-old network into a modern-day masterpiece.
S7.E3 ∙ F-35 Fighter Jet
The F-35 is the most advanced fighter jet on the planet, and special access into the most expensive military program ever reveals how engineers use cutting-edge technology to outfit this 1,200 mile-per-hour aircraft with a state-of-the-art stealth system.
S7.E4 ∙ NYC Mega Tower
The skinniest skyscraper in the world will soon become New York's third tallest, and using an innovative, gravity-defying design, this colossal megastructure is breaking all the rules of engineering.
S7.E5 ∙ World's Biggest Airport
Engineers are racing against the clock to build the world's biggest airport, and using cutting-edge construction methods, experts put the finishing touches on a modern-day marvel that will move 100 million people in and out of Beijing every year.
S7.E6 ∙ Spy Plane Declassified
All about the AWACS platform and the technology that made it possible.
S7.E7 ∙ World's Highest Bridge
The world's 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.
S7.E8 ∙ Conquering Avalanche Country
Deadly avalanches and catastrophic flooding are ever-present threats at one of the world's busiest ski resorts, but new technology and cutting-edge construction methods help engineers conquer the elements to keep this mountain-top getaway safe.
S8.E1 ∙ Secrets of the Supertanker
The world's biggest oil tanker is longer than four football fields and can haul 15,000 trucks worth of oil.
S8.E2 ∙ Seattle Super Bridge
Engineers in Seattle are building the world's 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 they've never gone before.
S8.E3 ∙ Texas Super Skyscraper
A brand-new skyscraper, The Independent in Austin, Texas, is a gravity-defying engineering marvel with a one-of-a-kind shape. To build it, experts use cutting-edge construction and design that pushes modern-day tower-building to strange and innovative heights.
S8.E6 ∙ World's Strongest Ship (Boka Vanguard)
The world's largest heavy-lift 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.
S9.E1 ∙ World's Largest Plane: Stratolaunch
Test pilots and engineers embark on the first flight of the largest aeroplane ever constructed, Stratolaunch, a one-of-a-kind carrier aircraft designed to transport rockets, spacecraft and experimental hypersonic planes into the stratosphere.
S9.E2 ∙ World's Greatest Waterworks
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.
S9.E3 ∙ Kings of the Battlefield
To carry infantry troops to the front lines, military engineers designed three battlefield behemoths that command the land, sea and air; special access reveals how cutting-edge tech made these innovations possible.
S9.E4 ∙ Titan on the Water
A cutting-edge engineering marvel can lift boats and water to astonishing heights and its advanced design makes it the first and only construction of its kind; behind-the-scenes access shows how it works.
S10.E1 ∙ World's Largest Crane Vessel
The largest semi-submersible crane vessel in the world pushes the limits of engineering possibilities; with its two record-breaking cranes, it's one of the most complex ships ever constructed and redefines how we build at sea.
S10.E2 ∙ Mars Rover Declassified
The Rosalind Franklin Mars rover is a brand-new space mission to discover hard evidence of extraterrestrial life; special access reveals how engineers and experts are making a new age in exploration possible.
S10.E3 ∙ World's Greatest Submarine
The deepest-diving submersible vessel in the world is one of the most intricately designed craft that has ever been engineered for the sea, and having reached the bottom of each of the five oceans, this submarine's accomplishments are truly monumental.
S10.E4 ∙ Abandoned Resurrection
The abandoned Battersea Power Station on the banks of the River Thames is being reinvented into a stunning centrepiece of London; now, experts use cutting-edge construction techniques to transform this historic landmark into a pioneering new destination.
S10.E5 ∙ Firefighting Sky Giant
The Global Supertanker is the largest firefighting aircraft in the world and equipped to reach the biggest blazes anywhere; expert engineers reveal how this game-changing machine is a vital tool for supporting heroic firefighters on the ground.
S10.E6 ∙ Inside the Super Stadium
The Singapore National Stadium is a gigantic multipurpose arena that all sits under the world's largest free-spanning dome; expert engineers reveal how this cutting-edge design marks the dawn of a new age in superstructure construction.
S10.E7 ∙ Heavy Lift Helicopter
The largest helicopter in the US military arsenal has completely redefined the capabilities of heavy lift aircraft, and using the latest in cutting-edge engineering, it can transport vast amounts of cargo and personnel all while under enemy fire.
S10.E8 ∙ US Military Hovercraft
The US military's most advanced hovercraft represents the next generation of amphibious transport vehicles, and using the latest in cutting-edge tech, it's designed to carry the heaviest cargo into locations that were previously impossible to reach.
S10.E9 ∙ Scotland's Super Bridge
The Queensferry Crossing in Scotland is the longest triple tower cable-stayed bridge in the world, and with record-breaking underwater foundations, it stretches the limits of engineering possibilities and marks a new age of superstructure construction.
S10.E10 ∙ US Combat Helicopter
The V-22 Osprey is a revolutionary feat of aviation engineering that combines the speed and range of an airplane with the landing versatility of a helicopter, allowing the US military to transport troops and cargo into seemingly impossible locations.
