Ep 1. World's Largest Radio Telescope

In the debut episode of season 3 of Impossible Engineering, viewers are taken on a journey to explore the world's largest radio telescope, situated deep in the heart of China. Nestled in the rolling hills of Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is a technological marvel that boasts an impressive 500-meter wide dish capable of scanning the sky for signs of life beyond our planet.

As the Impossible Engineering team descends into the heart of the Chinese countryside, they are met with a captivating view of the FAST telescope. The sheer scale of this engineering feat is immediately apparent, with the giant dish stretching out for what seems like miles. The team is quick to note that the telescope is so large that if it were filled with water, it could hold five Olympic swimming pools.

As they begin to explore the inner workings of FAST, the Impossible Engineering team quickly discovers that the scale of its design poses several unique challenges, from designing the hovering platform that suspends the dish to the challenges of transporting and assembling the 4,450 triangular panels that make up its surface.

The team takes a deep dive into the technology behind FAST, highlighting the incredible measures taken to ensure that this giant dish functions seamlessly. They examine the advanced pulsar timing technology utilized by the telescope, which allows it to detect millisecond pulsars - tiny, incredibly high-frequency stars that orbit around black holes.

Key to the operation of the FAST telescope is its ability to collect and process millions of terabytes of data. The Impossible Engineering team meets the scientists responsible for analyzing the data collected by FAST, who explain the enormous computing power required to process the vast streams of data received by the telescope.

As the episode draws to a close, the Impossible Engineering team reflects on the incredible significance of the FAST telescope. They highlight the potential of this technology to revolutionize our understanding of the universe, unlocking answers to some of the most profound questions known to humanity.

Overall, the season 3 debut of Impossible Engineering is a fascinating deep dive into the world's largest radio telescope. From exploring the challenges associated with its construction to understanding the intricate technology behind its operation, viewers will be left in awe of the incredible engineering that went into this marvel of human achievement.