This is the shocking but true story behind one of the most exciting and exhilarating times in history. It begins in the bloody throes of the Second World War and spans through to the moon landings, revealing the ruthless, brilliant scientists who played their crucial part in the space race and the desperate levels of human endurance required to lead the field. The race to create the most powerful rocket; to land astronauts on the moon; the pioneering experiments and catastrophic risks which cost untold riches and ended scores of lives can be traced back to the rivalry between two recklessly daring scientific leaders: the charismatic ex-Nazi Wernher von Braun in the American team, and the enigmatic Soviet project leader, known mysteriously as 'The Chief Designer'. A gripping story of betrayal and soaring ambition is chronicled as this dramatic 20-year story unfolds.

This is the shocking but true story behind one of the most exciting and exhilarating times in history. It begins in the bloody throes of the Second World War and spans through to the moon landings, revealing the ruthless, brilliant scientists who played their crucial part in the space race and the desperate levels of human endurance required to lead the field. The race to create the most powerful rocket; to land astronauts on the moon; the pioneering experiments and catastrophic risks which cost untold riches and ended scores of lives can be traced back to the rivalry between two recklessly daring scientific leaders: the charismatic ex-Nazi Wernher von Braun in the American team, and the enigmatic Soviet project leader, known mysteriously as 'The Chief Designer'. A gripping story of betrayal and soaring ambition is chronicled as this dramatic 20-year story unfolds.

Long before Columbus, the Maya established one of the most highly developed civilizations of their time in the jungles of Mexico and Central America. Yet this advanced society of priests, astronomers, artisans, and farmers suddenly and mysteriously collapsed more than a thousand years ago. Accompany archeologists to Copan, Dos Pilas, and other spectacular Classic Maya ruins as they unearth artifacts and huge temples of incredible beauty. Recently deciphered hieroglyphics and other new discoveries offer astounding clues to the lives of these ancient people. You'll hear the startling story of one kingdom's downfall and its final desperate hours of violent warfare. Through spine-tingling recreations, witness ancient rituals reenacted on sites where they originally occurred. And meet the enduring Maya who still maintain many of their ancestor's traditions. You'll hear the voices of a magnificent civilization as you uncover LOST KINGDOMS OF THE MAYA.

Great cities in ruins, lost in the jungles of Central America and Mexico. Who would have built these cities? It would take more than a century and two extraordinary people to uncover the secrets of ancient Maya. The american John Lloyd Stephens, together with his english companion Frederick Catherwood, enbarked upon the first of two epic voyages to central america in 1839. Facing many dangers and illnesses, they returned from the mysterious land with extraordinary stories and breath taking images from a once great civilization of native americans. One hundread years later, Mayan archeology had made enormous advances, although the inscriptions that adorn the Mayan ruins had not been completely decyphered. It would be the extraordinary studies of the russian Tatiana Proskouriakoff, a woman in a world of men, that would reveal the true lives of the Maya to the world.

The terrifying last moments of a city caught in a volcanic death trap. On August 24 AD79 the city of Pompeii came to a devastating end as the mighty Vesuvius erupted, showering inhabitants with ash, smoke and rock. Some escaped, but those who remained were entombed forever as they fell. Combining dramatic reconstructions, expert investigations, and lavish CGIs, following a cast of key characters including lovers, soldiers, slaves, and families, this film recreates a vivid and engaging account of the last day of Pompeii.

The Galapagos archipelago is made up of thirteen main islands and more than sixty other islets, rocks and reefs, scattered over four hundred kilometres of open ocean. Sitting at a confluence of four major ocean currents, the islands are actually the summits of vast undersea volcanoes, and are steadily on the march. How has such an odd assortment of life managed to find a footing in this unruly world? Micro-climates and altitude have combined to form discrete environmental zones: perfect habitats for the islands' diverse faunamarine iguanas, petrels, blue-footed boobies and giant tortoises being but a famous few. Galapagos is a rare insight into an incredible landscape, a natural laboratory and an exquisite evolutionary habitat that Darwin described as a 'world within itself'. Both fragile and furious, the Galapagos is unlike any other place on earth.

Leonardo - The story of the most imaginative mind in human history as it's never been told before. Artist, scientist and engineer, Leonardo was one of the greatest figures of the Renaissance and yet only a handful of facts are known about him. He ate and drank with the most powerful men of his day yet always remained an outsider. This is the portrait of a genius of extraordinary diversity who lived a rollercoaster life of success and failure.

Unveiling the man behind the myth. Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo created three of the art world's greatest icons: the statue of David, the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and the dome of St Peter's in Rome. This revealing drama documentary traces his development from angry young man to pride of Rome.

Discover the story of Europe, from the birth of the continent through to the modern day. It is an epic journey back three billion years, through tropical swamps and ice ages, among civilisations and revolutions, to experience the events that shaped the landscapes and wildlife of Europe. No other continent has such a variety of landscapes and wildlife crammed into so little space. What gives Europe this incredible diversity?

Discover the story of Europe, from the birth of the continent through to the modern day. It is an epic journey back three billion years, through tropical swamps and ice ages, among civilisations and revolutions, to experience the events that shaped the landscapes and wildlife of Europe. No other continent has such a variety of landscapes and wildlife crammed into so little space. What gives Europe this incredible diversity?

There is a submarine - part sub killer, part terrorist hunter and part spy - that is so unparalleled in its capability to impact world events that the Navy has kept it a secret. Until now. Join NGC as Explorer travels the globe to classified facilities, foreign navies, and top secret labs to bring viewers the story of the newest and most advanced member of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine force - the USS Texas. Get an unprecedented look at the future of naval warfare: Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs).

As the world's insatiable demand for oil and gas grows, companies are going deeper into more hostile environments than ever before. In the Gulf of Mexico, one of the largest ultra-deep water rigs in the world is towed into place just in time for hurricane season. Is this rig built to withstand a Category 5 storm as its designers claim? We rip apart the largest oil rigs on the planet to reveal the secrets of these amazing technological achievements. Can they survive a direct hit from Mother Nature without fouling the environment?

In the brief but brilliant “Age of the Helicopter,” there have been many contenders for the title of “Super Copter.” The CH-47 Chinook, the UH-1 “Huey,” which transformed the very nature of warfare in Vietnam, and Eurocopter’s Ecureuil AS350, which has carried out some of the highest altitude rescues in history. But one of the newest copters that brings it all home is the EH101. Recently chosen to be the next “Marine One”—the Presidential Helicopter, the EH101, will be specially outfitted as the new Oval Office in the sky. It was a tight race with Sikorsky’s S-92, and the competition between the two copters isn’t over yet. Though the EH101 is the president’s vehicle of choice, both of these state-of-the-art flying machines are now vying for a multi-billion dollar contract to supply the U.S. Air Force with their new generation of search and rescue helicopters.

In April the maiden flight of the Airbus A380 made aviation history. For 35 years the Boeing 747 had reigned supreme as the world's biggest airliner, but the A380 is 45% bigger. Its development took over 10 years and 12 billion $. With exclusive access to the project since 2003, World's Biggest Airliner: Building the Airbus A380 tells the compelling story of the multi-billion-pound gamble to build the world's biggest airliner.

Mars: Pioneering the Planet is the story of the next great adventure in space exploration.We meet the dedicated band of scientists, engineers and astronauts who have fought to keep Mars on the Nasa map.We eavesdrop on the cutting-edge space science that will take us to Mars.We meet the astronauts who are researching into the effects of long-duration space travel on the human body and the engineers who are designing the first Mars base.We visit the laboratory where Nasa’s new high-speed plasma engine is being developed. Using stunning 3D computer animation blended with live action, we take viewers on the pioneering mission to Mars and witness the moment in human history when the first astronaut steps out on to the surface of the Red Planet.