Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

During 1953-1958, as the Cold War intensifies, Korolev is asked to build a rocket capable of carrying a five-ton warhead to America - he designs and constructs the R-7 Semyorka, and is later allowed to use it to launch the first satellite, Sputnik 1. Meanwhile, von Braun struggles to persuade the US government to allow him to launch his own satellite - after Sputnik's launch and the failure of the US Navy to launch a Vanguard satellite, he is finally allowed to launch the first American satellite, Explorer 1.

We're unlocking the secrets of our planet's voyage and discovering that earth's journey affects us all. The Earth is extremely dynamic. It is spinning on its axis, it's whirling about the sun and it's corkscrewing throughout the this galaxy. And there is the fact than Andromeda and the Milky Way are currently 2.5 million light-years apart, but they're hurtling towards each other at over 250,000 miles an hour. A collision is inevitable. As stars, dust, and gas swirl around each other, gravitational interactions could slingshot our solar system out into intergalactic space.

Every summer in the seas off Alaska humpback whales, sea lions and killer whales depend on an explosion of plant life, the plankton bloom. It transforms these seas into the richest on Earth. But will these animals survive to enjoy the great feast? The summer sun sparks the growth of phytoplankton, microscopic floating plants which can bloom in such vast numbers that they eclipse even the Amazon rainforest in sheer abundance of plant life. Remarkably, it is these minute plants that are the basis of all life here. But both whales and sea lions have obstacles to overcome before they can enjoy the feast. Humpback whales migrate 3,000 miles from Hawaii, and during their 3 month voyage lose a third of their body weight. In a heart-rending scene a mother sea lion loses her pup in a violent summer storm, while another dramatic sequence shows a group of killer whales working together to kill a huge male sea lion.
In late summer the plankton bloom is at its height. Vast shoals of herring gather to feed on it, diving birds round the fish up into a bait ball and then a humpback whale roars in to scoop up the entire ball of herring in one huge mouthful. When a dozen whales work together they employ the ultimate method of co-operative fishing - bubble net feeding. One whale blows a ring of bubbles to engulf the fish and then they charge in as one. Filmed from the surface, underwater and, for the first time, from the air, we reveal how these giant hunters can catch a tonne of fish every day.

The film recounts the story of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II and follows bomber crews on dangerous missions to destroy targets inside German-occupied Europe. The Documentary honors the heroes of the Group and portrays the intensity of war, the dangers that the airmen face, and the friendships and relationships that develop. This unit from the Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress suffered tremendous losses in combat, with 177 aircraft missing in action, flying its last mission on 20 April 1945.
Meet the airmen who inspired the tv series 'Masters of the Air' as they share the harrowing and transformative events of the 100th Bomb Group. The interviews with the real-life heroes are revealing, and the wealth of newsreel footage compiled in the documentary is utilized with a sharp eye for detail.

Egypt on the Brink: Arab Spring climaxed in the overthrow of President Mubarak in Egypt. But for many Egyptians, the situation has actually gotten worse. China's Ghost Towns: Fifteen years ago, China changed its policy so people could buy their own homes. Real-estate investments boomed, and new cities began popping up. The problem is: people don't live in what have become 'ghost cities.'

A bizarre 3,000 year-old gold relic crafted with intricately designed cryptic patterns is believed to form a highly complex celestial code; using advanced imaging technology, experts speculate that it could be an ancient device for predicting the future.
Professor Timothy Koeth at Maryland University received a package containing a curiously heavy two-inch black cube. It comes with a message: "Taken from Germany from the nuclear reactor that Hitler tried to build."