Smithsonian Channel

Experience the tactical advantages of cutting-edge reconnaissance. Discover how orbital cameras revolutionized global intelligence, see how phone intercepts snared an infamous cartel boss, and study the precision of a modern hostage rescue at sea.

A look at the top U.S. military aircraft in America's modern arsenal, including the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the hybrid V-22 Osprey, and more.

At Monster Jam, custom-built monster trucks roll, flip, and fly through the air. With the metal-bending beating these trucks endure, teams of specialized mechanics race against the clock to repair these engineering marvels in time for the next event.

Mike is in Iceland, where teams harness the power of volcanos to keep the geothermal energy flowing; they battle harsh weather to maintain and upgrade giant power systems, fixing miles of steam pipes, and bringing a dead well back to life.

New York's Hudson River stretches 315 miles through natural landscapes, from the Adirondack Mountains to the George Washington Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

Exploring some of the most cavernous places on the planet, including an expansive Siberian crater with no explainable origin, Greenland's bizarre black holes, an ancient forbidden well in the Yemeni desert, and a voluminous void in Antarctica.

Arctic conditions continue to wreak havoc in British Columbia; Jeremy Birch is called upon to raise a concrete-hulled vessel.

New York's Hudson River stretches 315 miles through natural landscapes, from the Adirondack Mountains to the George Washington Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

Exploring some of the most cavernous places on the planet, including an expansive Siberian crater with no explainable origin, Greenland's bizarre black holes, an ancient forbidden well in the Yemeni desert, and a voluminous void in Antarctica.

A vehicle the size of a small car spent a year on Mars.

Paid programming.

In Florida, Mike tackles one of the dangerous jobs on the planet, commercial diving; he helps a specialized team keep waterways safe; fixing construction site leaks and removing dangerous structures, all while hurricane season is in full swing.

In the Alps of Switzerland, Mike helps an elite team install a new cable (rope) system on an iconic mountain gondola line, helps fix the world's steepest cogwheel railway track and explores mountaintop family farms only accessible.

Get to know the Supermarine Spitfire, which changed the fate of an entire nation in 1940; Explore this legendary fighter's superior engineering and see how its revolutionary elliptical wings helped it emerge victorious in the Battle of Britain.

A look at the top U.S. military aircraft in America's modern arsenal, including the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the hybrid V-22 Osprey, and more.

Experience the tactical advantages of cutting-edge reconnaissance. Discover how orbital cameras revolutionized global intelligence, see how phone intercepts snared an infamous cartel boss, and study the precision of a modern hostage rescue at sea.

Get to know the Supermarine Spitfire, which changed the fate of an entire nation in 1940; Explore this legendary fighter's superior engineering and see how its revolutionary elliptical wings helped it emerge victorious in the Battle of Britain.

A look at the top U.S. military aircraft in America's modern arsenal, including the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the hybrid V-22 Osprey, and more.

Experience the tactical advantages of cutting-edge reconnaissance. Discover how orbital cameras revolutionized global intelligence, see how phone intercepts snared an infamous cartel boss, and study the precision of a modern hostage rescue at sea.

A U.S. Parachute Infantry Regiment rushes to protect a critical bridge from a Nazi battle group during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

A U.S. Parachute Infantry Regiment rushes to protect a critical bridge from a Nazi battle group during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

A U.S. Parachute Infantry Regiment rushes to protect a critical bridge from a Nazi battle group during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

Bill Nighy narrates a trip along the River Po, traveling across northern Italy from the snow-capped Alps to the delta where it meets the Adriatic Sea.

A perfect circle carved around an ancient peak; a scary phenomenon in the Pacific; strange shapes in a Middle Eastern desert; a formation below the ocean's surface.

Phil Risko's team at Northstar works fast to refloat a trawler that's been blown onto the shore of a national park in New Jersey; the team improvises to get it back to sea before it suffers further damage.

Bill Nighy narrates a trip along the River Po, traveling across northern Italy from the snow-capped Alps to the delta where it meets the Adriatic Sea.

A perfect circle carved around an ancient peak; a scary phenomenon in the Pacific; strange shapes in a Middle Eastern desert; a formation below the ocean's surface.

Historical and modern examinations of constellations.

Paid programming.

Mike in northeastern Australia, goes on and under the water, into labs and onto construction projects working with specialized teams; they tackle the challenge of saving dying coral on the Great Barrier Reef.

Mike joins crews as they build the world's longest railway tunnel in the Alps, fixing gridlock through the infamous Brenner Pass by drilling, blasting and digging their way through the mountains.

A U.S. Parachute Infantry Regiment rushes to protect a critical bridge from a Nazi battle group during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

A U.S. Parachute Infantry Regiment rushes to protect a critical bridge from a Nazi battle group during the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge.

A new Olympic and Paralympic museum tests engineers with its trailblazing accessible design. A dazzling curved glass skyscraper battles gravity in Milan. And a student center built under a noisy railroad.

Mike works with repair and construction teams at Dreamworld, Australia's largest theme park, after a cyclone caused $4M in damage; they fix scream machines and finish a $50M expansion featuring the world's first triple switch rollercoaster.

A new Olympic and Paralympic museum tests engineers with its trailblazing accessible design. A dazzling curved glass skyscraper battles gravity in Milan. And a student center built under a noisy railroad.

Mike works with repair and construction teams at Dreamworld, Australia's largest theme park, after a cyclone caused $4M in damage; they fix scream machines and finish a $50M expansion featuring the world's first triple switch rollercoaster.

A new Olympic and Paralympic museum tests engineers with its trailblazing accessible design. A dazzling curved glass skyscraper battles gravity in Milan. And a student center built under a noisy railroad.

Mike works with repair and construction teams at Dreamworld, Australia's largest theme park, after a cyclone caused $4M in damage; they fix scream machines and finish a $50M expansion featuring the world's first triple switch rollercoaster.

A new Olympic and Paralympic museum tests engineers with its trailblazing accessible design. A dazzling curved glass skyscraper battles gravity in Milan. And a student center built under a noisy railroad.

Bill Nighy leads a magical journey in the Norfolk Broads along England's holiday river, the River Bure; discovering a watery world where both wildlife and recreation go hand in hand.

Decoding the secrets of long-lost human settlements; scrutinizing a mysterious Norwegian mound, a prehistoric stone circle on the banks of the Tagus River, a lost city in the cradle of civilization and bizarre rock shapes.

At the mouth of the Suez Canal, Lino Arosemena and his crew have a monster repair job of removing and refitting a 20-ton propeller.

Bill Nighy leads a magical journey in the Norfolk Broads along England's holiday river, the River Bure; discovering a watery world where both wildlife and recreation go hand in hand.

Decoding the secrets of long-lost human settlements; scrutinizing a mysterious Norwegian mound, a prehistoric stone circle on the banks of the Tagus River, a lost city in the cradle of civilization and bizarre rock shapes.

At the mouth of the Suez Canal, Lino Arosemena and his crew have a monster repair job of removing and refitting a 20-ton propeller.

The Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World which can still be seen in its original state.

At the heart of Saqqara, the largest necropolis in Egypt, is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 2600 BC.

A new Olympic and Paralympic museum tests engineers with its trailblazing accessible design. A dazzling curved glass skyscraper battles gravity in Milan. And a student center built under a noisy railroad.

Mike works with repair and construction teams at Dreamworld, Australia's largest theme park, after a cyclone caused $4M in damage; they fix scream machines and finish a $50M expansion featuring the world's first triple switch rollercoaster.

A new Olympic and Paralympic museum tests engineers with its trailblazing accessible design. A dazzling curved glass skyscraper battles gravity in Milan. And a student center built under a noisy railroad.

Mike works with repair and construction teams at Dreamworld, Australia's largest theme park, after a cyclone caused $4M in damage; they fix scream machines and finish a $50M expansion featuring the world's first triple switch rollercoaster.

Salute the Boeing 747, a massive airliner designed to carry more passengers than was ever thought possible in the 1960s. Discover the engineering innovations and the high-stakes risks it took to bring the aptly named Queen of the Skies to life.

Climbers landing on a glacier at the foot of Mount Denali, follow in the footsteps of aviation pioneers. A swarm of 600,000 bees threatens the plane's structural integrity and veterinarians battling a rabies epidemic go up again.

Viewing Northern Italy from the air; the fashion capital of Milan; the canals of Venice; the peaks of the Dolomites; the colorful coast of Cinque Terre.

Salute the Boeing 747, a massive airliner designed to carry more passengers than was ever thought possible in the 1960s. Discover the engineering innovations and the high-stakes risks it took to bring the aptly named Queen of the Skies to life.

Climbers landing on a glacier at the foot of Mount Denali, follow in the footsteps of aviation pioneers. A swarm of 600,000 bees threatens the plane's structural integrity and veterinarians battling a rabies epidemic go up again.

Viewing Northern Italy from the air; the fashion capital of Milan; the canals of Venice; the peaks of the Dolomites; the colorful coast of Cinque Terre.

Salute the Boeing 747, a massive airliner designed to carry more passengers than was ever thought possible in the 1960s. Discover the engineering innovations and the high-stakes risks it took to bring the aptly named Queen of the Skies to life.

Climbers landing on a glacier at the foot of Mount Denali, follow in the footsteps of aviation pioneers. A swarm of 600,000 bees threatens the plane's structural integrity and veterinarians battling a rabies epidemic go up again.

The Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World which can still be seen in its original state.

At the heart of Saqqara, the largest necropolis in Egypt, is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 2600 BC.

Traveling the Dordogne River via traditional boats through the green heart of southwest France; drinking wine and hunting for truffles; riding a luxury cruiser to a lighthouse built for a king.

Zoom in on some otherworldly sights; spot a giant glacier on the Red Planet, let the milky seas off the coast of Java bathe your vision, ponder a huge hexagon floating above Saturn and take a spin around a doughnut-shaped lake in Saskatchewan.

Veteran salvor Paul Hay and his team rescue a clam-dredging crew's harvest lost in a storm off the New Jersey coast; following an annual cleanup operation in New Zealand that salvages fishing equipment gone astray.

Traveling the Dordogne River via traditional boats through the green heart of southwest France; drinking wine and hunting for truffles; riding a luxury cruiser to a lighthouse built for a king.

Zoom in on some otherworldly sights; spot a giant glacier on the Red Planet, let the milky seas off the coast of Java bathe your vision, ponder a huge hexagon floating above Saturn and take a spin around a doughnut-shaped lake in Saskatchewan.

Veteran salvor Paul Hay and his team rescue a clam-dredging crew's harvest lost in a storm off the New Jersey coast; following an annual cleanup operation in New Zealand that salvages fishing equipment gone astray.

Meidum is the least-known of the pyramids of Egypt as it stretches skywards to resemble a castle keep.

On the site of Dahshur, south of Cairo, are two revolutionary monuments which seem to be the first real pyramids.

Trek through the tunnels of Merkers Mine and scour the Alps for WWII weapons.

Climbers landing on a glacier at the foot of Mount Denali, follow in the footsteps of aviation pioneers. A swarm of 600,000 bees threatens the plane's structural integrity and veterinarians battling a rabies epidemic go up again.

Viewing Northern Italy from the air; the fashion capital of Milan; the canals of Venice; the peaks of the Dolomites; the colorful coast of Cinque Terre.

Salute the Boeing 747, a massive airliner designed to carry more passengers than was ever thought possible in the 1960s. Discover the engineering innovations and the high-stakes risks it took to bring the aptly named Queen of the Skies to life.

Climbers landing on a glacier at the foot of Mount Denali, follow in the footsteps of aviation pioneers. A swarm of 600,000 bees threatens the plane's structural integrity and veterinarians battling a rabies epidemic go up again.

Viewing Northern Italy from the air; the fashion capital of Milan; the canals of Venice; the peaks of the Dolomites; the colorful coast of Cinque Terre.

Observing the peak of experimental tank design as the war reaches its climax; following the action in Burma and the beaches of Normandy to see how both outdated machines and highly specialized new models fought to turn the tide for the Allies.

A look at riverine warfare from the Civil War to Vietnam and small but powerful combat ships.

Consider the factors that inevitably cause dictatorships to crumble; look at how hubris destroys cults of personality; see how factions fracture military dictatorships; weigh the miscalculations that turn the tide against tyranny.

Observing the peak of experimental tank design as the war reaches its climax; following the action in Burma and the beaches of Normandy to see how both outdated machines and highly specialized new models fought to turn the tide for the Allies.

A look at riverine warfare from the Civil War to Vietnam and small but powerful combat ships.