Survival in the Skies

The origins of the space suit began nearly a century ago when engineer Russell Colley designed a pressurized suit that allowed aviator Wiley Post to soar at 50,000 feet. Colley’s designs laid the groundwork for many of the space suits astronauts wear today, from the iconic silver outfits that took man to the moon to new, robust suits built for colonization on Mars. Join us as we examine the history of the space suit, told by those who design them, build them, and risk their lives to wear them at the highest frontier of human exploration.

Parachutes have come a long way since Leonardo da Vinci sketched the first one over 500 years ago. They have evolved from 18th century oddity to wartime lifesaver to the ultimate thrill-seeking activity. And now they are being designed to drop astronauts on alien planets. But perfecting these highly sophisticated devices has been a risky endeavor for the pioneers who design them. Join us as we tell the untold story of parachutes, from the people who build them, test them, and those who owe their lives to them.

The origins of the ejection seat began over a century ago and in that time, they have saved over 10,000 lives. But as new technology continues to push the limits of aviation, engineers are constantly tasked to find better ways to propel pilots to safety when disaster strikes. Witness the evolution of the ejection seat, from humble beginnings into one of the world’s most sophisticated survival machines. It’s a story told through rarely seen archival footage and accounts from those who designed the seats and those who owe their lives to them.

In just a few decades, the jet engine has advanced warfare, transformed the way people travel and do business, and may soon change the way we explore space. Join us as we track its history, from the first crude attempts to build a prototype gas turbine engine to the Pratt and Whitney J58, which can outrun a missile. It’s a story of ingenuity, bravery, and dogged determination, told by those who invented it, those who push it to new limits, and those who dream of taking it to new heights.