Smithsonian Ch. - Survival in the Skies: Series 1 (2015) 1080p HDTV x264 AAC MVGroup

They eject us from planes when disaster strikes. They gently guide us to Earth from thousands of feet in the air. They transport us with amazing speed and remarkable safety. And they keep us alive in the most extreme environments humans have ever explored. This series tells the stories behind the machines and devices that help us survive in the skies--space suits, parachutes, ejection seats, and jet engines--and how they evolved from humble beginnings to incredible instruments that have changed the world and lifted us to new heights.

Part 1: Space Suits
Track the evolution of the space suit, from the first pressure suit of the 1930s to outfits that will take man to Mars.

Part 2: Parachutes
Meet the innovators who developed newer, safer ways to fall from the sky and those whose lives were saved by them

Part 3: Ejection Seats
Witness the ingenuity and bravery of the pioneers who developed, built, and even risked their lives testing the ejection seat.

Part 4: The Jet Race
From the first gas turbine to tomorrow's hypersonic jet engines, see the evolution of the machine that is changing the world.