Impossible Engineering

How the world's largest cruise ship was built. Also: the greatest submarine ever built.

How the fastest things in the universe were engineered.

How some of the toughest things on Earth are engineered.

World's Tallest Structures are investigated

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

The engineering project to expand the Panama Canal is detailed.

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.

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.

A look at the construction of London's Crossrail.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Perdido Oil Platform is one of the most advanced 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.