National Geographic Channel premieres 'Megastructures- Season 2' on July 24th

New Delhi July 14, 2006: Its time to Think again, reassess the world you live in as National Geographic Channel, unravels the new season of Megastructures. This series promises to leave the viewers of National Geographic feeling small by revealing the size of the world we now live in. Miracles of modern engineering, built to last, built to excel. Premiering on July 24th at 10:00 pm, Megastructures Season 2 includes brand new episodes that will redefine the word BIG through 10 architectural masterpieces.

Megastructures Season 2 explores the engineering feats that have turned the impossible into possible. From man made islands in Dubai to the world's largest hydroelectric power plant, each night viewers are transported around the globe to witness the construction of these mammoth structures. The series reveals the drama, personal stories and the remarkable technological innovation behind some of the world's most impressive structures.

Speaking about the series, Joy Bhattacharjya, Senior Vice President - Programming, National Geographic Channel India said "Staying true to our philosophy of making our viewers rethink about the world they live in, Megastructures Season 2, showcases amazing examples of once unthinkable engineering challenges, which are now accomplishments of human intelligence and hard work. The series not only presents mammoth structures but also redefines the size of our dreams by putting them in context of the new world."

Megastructures Season 2 features ten episodes of an hour each focusing on man-made wonders that have overcome impossible odds and have broken construction and engineering records. Understand the triumph of giant-scale engineering by looking at the world's tallest bridge that overcame the laws of physics and the forces of nature or the longest suspension bridge that has conquered earthquakes; be a part of an exciting ride aboard the newest addition to the US Navy's nuclear-powered arsenal, USS Virginia or watch satellites being launched in outer space from a launch pad in the sea.

The series that premieres on Monday, July 24 at 10 pm will continue till Friday, August 4 and will feature the following ten episodes:

Hoover Dam: It took five years to build. When completed in 1936, Hoover Dam was one of the world's largest hydroelectric facilities. Today, it generates 4 billion kilowatt hours of energy a year, enough to serve 1.3 million people. An astonishing 660 feet thick at its base, the dam needs to be strong - its reservoir can store up to two years-worth of the Colorado River's average water flow. This episode will be aired on Monday, July 24 at 10:00 pm.

The Itaipu Dam: The Itaipu Dam is the world's largest hydroelectric power plant and a triumph of giant-scale engineering. Find out how engineers and over forty thousand Brazilian and Paraguayan workers toiled around the clock to create this immense structure. Follow the story as they lay millions of tons of concrete, divert the course of the world's 7th largest river, and relocate thousands of people and animals in order to bring power to millions of people in two countries while overcoming impossible odds and breaking construction and engineering records. This episode will be aired on Tuesday, July 25 at 10:00 pm.

Sea Launch: The two giant ships of Sea Launch, a NASA-like mission control and a launch pad floating on the ocean, form part of an audacious, outrageously expensive, multi-national venture for blasting commercial satellites into space. The plus side: it's a very effective way of launching satellites into geosynchronous orbit (allowing the satellite to keep pace with the earth's rotation). The minus side: it cost over a billion dollars, it's never been done before, and it's riddled with challenges. This episode will be aired on Wednesday, July 26 at 10:00 pm.

USS Virginia: Megastructures brings you the newest nuclear sub to prowl the oceans, the USS Virginia. The first major redesign of nuclear subs since the end of the Cold War, the USS Virginia is the most tricked-out underwater warship in the US Navy. Built to answer America's military needs for the 21st century, this sub features a number of forward-looking advances in naval technology. This episode will be aired on Thursday, July 27 at 10:00 pm.

Oil Sands Mine: Just beneath the surface of Northern Canada's Alberta forest sits the largest oil reserve in the world, possibly capable of satisfying world needs for up to 55 years. Mother Nature has thrown engineers a giant curveball - the oil can't be pumped because it is trapped in sand, and extracting that energy is already having an unprecedented impact on the Canadian environment. Watch as multiple companies race to develop technologies that unlock the vast oil and profit hidden below Canada's forests. This episode will be aired on Friday, July 28 at 10:00 pm.

Golden Gate Bridge: The Golden Gate Bridge has been under constant attack from treacherous currents, fierce winds and sea fog laden with corrosive salts. But the worst may be still to come. Seismic engineers are predicting a massive tremor that would dwarf the killer quakes of the last century. In a $400 million retrofit, state-of-the-art isolation bearings and absorption devices are being installed to soak up an earthquake's damaging vibrations. The roadways and the cables they hang from are already new; now every rivet will be checked, over half the steel replaced and the concrete towers re-clad. It is the most complex and costly earthquake-proofing project ever undertaken on a bridge. But it is a race against time. This episode will be aired on Monday, July 31 at 10:00 pm.

Milau Bridge: The Milau Viaduct in Southern France is the tallest bridge in the world - almost a third taller than any other on the planet. With the roadway sitting above the clouds, the bridge also has to rank as one of the most beautiful. The tallest pillar measures a staggering 343 metres, making this awesome structure only 10% shorter than the Empire State Building. This is a megastructure they said could never be built. To do it the construction team had to overcome the laws of physics and the forces of nature. This episode will be aired on Tuesday, August 1 at 10:00 pm.

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge: It is the world's longest suspension bridge - a third longer than any constructed before. It is also the tallest and the most expensive suspension bridge ever built. But it's built in a place where no bridge should be. Japan's Akashi Strait is a deepwater channel beset by typhoons; heavy rain; treacherous currents and to make things worse, it is built in the middle of a major earthquake zone. Midway through construction the bridge was hit by the full force of the Kobe earthquake. Incredibly, construction is only delayed by a month. The bridge has been open and trouble-free for six years. But could it one day fall down? This episode will be aired on Wednesday, August 2 at 10:00 pm.

Dubai's Palm Islands: An enormous project is underway in the Arabian Gulf that will literally change the face of the coastline. It's so vast it can be seen from space. Large artificial islands are being constructed and fashioned in the shape of massive palm trees. An ambitious engineering feat, it is part of an even bigger plan to transform Dubai into one of the world's premiere tourist destinations. Megastructures tell the story of the race to build this new engineering feat. This episode will be aired on Thursday, August 3 at 10:00 pm.

Diamond Diggers: Located in Canada's Northwest Territories, the Ekati Diamond Mine lies only 200 km below the Artic Circle, making it one of the most remote diamond mines in the world. Most of the diamonds have already been extracted from Ekati's main surface pit, so experts are now seeking a way to extract the diamonds buried far below the earth's surface. To reach this layer, the team will need to dig a two-kilometre long tunnel, removing about 200,000 tons of earth. If successful, this project-nicknamed the Panda Tunnel-could access a whole new stock of diamonds, potentially delivering almost five million carats worth of gems. Join Megastructures to see how diamond diggers of Ekati take on this mammoth task. This episode will be aired on Friday, August 4 at 10:00 pm.

Note to the Editor

National Geographic Channel Asia

National Geographic Channel Asia launched on July 1, 1998. Its programming covers adventure and exploration, natural history, science, wildlife and people of the world. The National Geographic Channel is currently distributed to over 30 million 24-hour homes and over 50 million day-part cable homes in Asia Pacific. National Geographic Channel Asia is a business enterprise of National Geographic Television, NBC, and Fox Entertainment Group.

National Geographic Channel International

National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) invites viewers to re-think the way they see television - and the world - with smart, innovative programming. A business enterprise owned by National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F), FOX Entertainment Group and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), NGCI contributes to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education.

Globally, National Geographic Channel (including NGC U.S. which is a joint venture of NGT&F and Fox Cable Networks Group) is available in over 290 million homes (including day-part households) in 164 countries and 27 languages.

For further details, please contact:
Shrey Khetarpal / Niharika Sharma
Genesis Burson-Marsteller
Tel: 9811525715 / 9811947452
E-mail: shrey.khetarpal@bm.com / niharika.sharma@bm.com

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