Russiaâs heavy stealth drone âHunterâ is ready for its first flight, hydrogen airships promise zero emissions at one-quarter the price of plane cargo Dec 16, 2021 [View on browser]( Good morning to a historic day, as scientists have found a significant amount of water hiding inside Marsâ grand canyon system. Good news for future astronauts who wonât have to settle for the Red Planetâs poles, and can instead enjoy the lower latitudes. And as we shoot for Mars, the world is ripe with change, with a new hydrogen airship poised to take to the skies and transport cargo with zero emissions. The military scene, however, remains unchanged. At least, at its core: Russia's heavy stealth drone, which can attack aerial and ground targets, is ready for its first flight, with a completion date of 2022. This is The Blueprint. Keep reading. SCIENCE [Scientists Just Found a 'Significant' Volume of Water Inside Mars' Grand Canyon]( [A depiction of canyons (left), and Mars itself (right).]( Scientists have discovered a world-historic discovery on Mars: "significant amounts of water" [are hiding inside the Red Planet's Valles Marineris]( its version of our grand canyon system. - In plain sight. The volume of water was detected by the Trace Gas Orbiter, a mission in its first stage under the guidance of the ESA-Roscosmos project dubbed ExoMars. How? Signs of water were picked up by the orbiter's Fine Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector (FREND) instrument, which is designed to map the presence and concentration of hydrogen hiding in Mars' soil. And it has just told us that up to 40 percent of material near the surface of the canyon could be water molecules! - While [we already knew there was water on Mars]( most earlier discoveries were detected near the poles, subsisting as ice. But now, with what seems like a comparative abundance of water in Valles Marineris, we've taken a major step toward establishing a reliable source of water on the closest alien world. Too soon. Elon Musk canât pack up his bags and fly to the site yet, since much work is left to be done, but one thingâs for sure: the first human missions to Mars may consider exploring this area a major priority. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Russia's Heavy Stealth Drone 'Hunter' Is Ready for Its First Flight]( [The heavy drone being rolled out.]( United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of Rostec, the Russian state corporation that supports military manufacturing, [has unveiled the first flight prototype]( of its S-70 Okhotnik combat drone. - The Okhotnik, Russian for "Hunterâ, is the heaviest drone to go into production at 22 tons. It will have a range of more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km), and carry a weapons payload of roughly 6.6 tons. Four wingmen. The new Russian combat drone is smaller than the Su-57, a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, with which itâs designed to work in tandem. The Su-57 pilot will control four of these drones from the cockpit, and they'll be capable of attacking both aerial and ground targets. Why settle for one wingman when you can have four? Watch the skies. The âHunterâ [is slated for completion in 2022]( after which the military will place orders for the drones to be delivered by 2024. [Read More]( TRANSPORTATION [Hydrogen Airships Promise Zero Emissions at One-Quarter the Price of Plane Cargo]( [H2 Clipper.]( A startup called H2 Clipper [wants to resurrect the hydrogen-filled airship]( for mass transport. The key difference is that instead of transporting people, it will be transporting cargo. - The full package. H2 Clipper claims its cargo airships can lift 8 to 10 times the payload of the best cargo plane in service, and carry it more than 6,000 miles (9,656 km), at a fraction of the cost. Its payload capacity will be roughly 340,000 lbs (150,000 kg), with cargo space of up to roughly 265,000 cubic feet (7,500 cubic m). Need for speed. The H2 Clipper will have a cruising speed of 175 mph (282 km/h), making it nearly ten times faster than a cargo ship â though it would obviously lag behind a cargo plane in that department. Still, in contrast, the H2 Clipper produces zero carbon emissions. The airships will run on hydrogen gas through a fuel cell with all-electric propulsion systems. Their range of more than 6,000 miles (roughly 9,650 km) means that they can connect any two points on the globe with only one stop for fuel. If it lives up to its promise of "100 percent [emissions-free delivery of goods]( it could be critical in the fight to curb the effects of climate change. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS The transportation industry accounts for roughly one-fifth of global CO2 emissions. How can we make the global cargo industry greener? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [We need new, environmentally friendly vehicles.]( [Carbon taxes are key.]( [We have other stuff to worry about first.]( [Whatâs the point? Game over, man.]( Yesterdayâs Results We asked if you believe anyone can be an engineer. And the majority of you responded positively, stating that all you need is enough training. On the other hand, some think that engineering is a mighty profession that can only be undertaken by the worthy. Yes, with enough training. 65%
Only the worthy can manage it. 27%
No! We need more brain surgeons! 5%
Who would want to? Itâs too hard! 4% QUOTE OF THE DAY â In my experience, the most staunchly held views are based on ignorance or accepted dogma, not carefully considered accumulations of facts. The more you expose the intricacies and realities of the situation, the less clear-cut things become. â Mary Roach in 'Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife' [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Tesla Self-Driving Beta Takes on One of the Deadliest Roads in the US]( 318 curves in 11 miles with zero human intervention! [Tesla Self-Driving Beta Takes on One of the Deadliest Roads in the US]( AND ANOTHER THING... - One of the most prized NFT collections on the internet was mistakenly listed for one hundredth of its value and snapped up within seconds. [The owner lost $250,000](. Unfortunate.
- The summits have come and gone. But the truth is that climate change is already upon us. [Take a tour of how climate change has changed 193 countries](. (The New York Times $)
- China has been at par with developments in the U.S., and at its current pace, it could [overtake the U.S. in the next ten years](.
- Japan is getting serious about carbon neutrality: Toyota has announced it [will invest $35 billion in a new suite of 30 all-electric vehicles]( by the year 2030.
- The satirical "conspiracy theory" called "Birds Aren't Real" mocks the belief systems of genuine misinformation campaigns, and [it has taken off with Generation Z](. (CBS News)
- [The concrete âbattleshipâ Fort Drum]( was built to protect Manila Bay in the Philippines, and while it certainly looked the part, it couldn't move, at all.
- Canadian oil company Reconnaissance Energy Africa has bulldozed land for [a test oil well inside a protected wildlife area]( in northeastern Namibia, and people were offered jobs in return for their silence. (National Geographic)
- Hereâs [what happens when the worldâs deadliest weapons miss their targets](. [Share to Win]SHARE TO WIN [All products]( Share The Blueprint! Give your friends deeper insights into engineering and tech, and win exclusive IE swag for free. [Read Details]( Share your link Copy & share your referral link with others. [ [Referral Program Terms and Conditions]( Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? [Subscribe]( [About Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Contact Us](
[Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter.
Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe [here.]( © Copyright 2021 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]