Astronomical Engineering

S1, E1: In April 1981, the first Space Shuttle launched, ushering a new era of space exploration as the first reusable spacecraft. Carrying the shuttle and its space faring rocket siblings to the launch pad is the equally monstrous NASA Crawler, capable of delivering massive weight of space vehicles without dislodging even a wire. For the past two decades when we look up to the night sky, we can see the glint of the largest human made machine in space. Maintaining the ISS systems requires out of this world thinking, from its water supply to its secret defence against orbital debris. But some of our deepest understanding of the universe comes from the ground where the Very Large Telescope array has engineering tricks up its sleeve that allow us to peer farther back in time than ever before. Unlocking the secrets of the cosmos requires amazing machines and what's under the hood of these technical wonders is nothing short of rocket science.