Impossible Engineering
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 revolutionised their field. Each episode details how giant structures, record-beating buildings, war ships and spacecraft are built and work. As the show revels in these modern day creations, it also leaps back in time to recount the stories of the exceptional engineers whose technological advances made it all possible.
Genre: Documentary
Country: United Kingdom, United States of America
Type: tv
Season: 1
Episode: 1
Duration: 0h 42m
Release: 2015
Rating: 6.9
Season 1 - Impossible Engineering
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."
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."
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 building's occupants will never feel it sway."
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."
2015-06-01
"We take the world's 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."
Season 2 - Impossible Engineering
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 universe's harshest environments."
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."
2016-03-30
"The AT and 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."
2016-04-20
"Go inside the largest cruise ship on the planet: MS Harmony of the Seas. A massive ship that's 1,181 feet long and a staggering 227,000 tons."
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."
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."
Season 3 - Impossible Engineering
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."
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."
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 world's deepest waters and features state-of-the art thrusters and mammoth lifting beams."
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."
2017-04-27
"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."
2017-05-04
"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."
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."
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."
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."
2017-06-01
"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."
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."
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."
Season 4 - Impossible Engineering
24 May 2018
"The world's fastest trains were built with expert engineering and cutting-edge technology, pushing the speed of railroad travel to new limits."
2018-06-14
"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."
Season 5 - Impossible Engineering
2019-01-03
"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."
2019-01-10
"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."
2019-01-17
"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."
2019-01-24
"To build the world's 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."
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."
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."
2019-02-14
"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."
2019-02-21
"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."
2019-02-28
"To build the world's tallest railway, engineers braved a deadly Himalayan environment and its -40 degree temperatures."
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."
Season 6 - Impossible Engineering
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."
2019-05-08
"The first railroads in the United States were engineering marvels built to conquer America's deadliest places. Using cutting-edge science, engineers and builders changed the nation by connecting the California frontier with the rest of the country."
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."
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 world's tallest railway bridge, towering almost 1,200 feet high."
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."
Season 7 - Impossible Engineering
Season 8 - Impossible Engineering
Season 9 - Impossible Engineering
Season 10 - Impossible Engineering