Russia’s losses, SpaceX's gains

Plus: A Boeing 737 nosedives in China from 29,000 feet Mar 22, 2022 [View in browser]( The war in Ukraine is changing the fabric of space programs all around the world. Satellite company OneWeb’s satellite launches will go forward on the “broomsticks” of its competitor, SpaceX. But it didn’t happen in a meet-cute: This somewhat awkward pairing came after Russia demanded that commercial Western satellites not be used for military purposes. As always, SpaceX is happy to have the extra business. Before we dig in, picture the joy of watching everything crushed under the unstoppable force of a hydraulic press. Then consider how cool it'd be to build a miniature version without spending a fortune. That’s today’s video, made for you. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. Have you had your coffee yet? This is The Blueprint. Let’s open Pandora’s box together. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Here's how you can make your own hydraulic press from plastic pipes]( Why buy one when you can build one? [Here's how you can make your own hydraulic press from plastic pipes]( CULTURE [SpaceX is launching OneWeb's satellites after Russia drops out]( [Russia lowering its Soyuz rocket (left), and a depiction of space internet satellites (right)]( OneWeb, a satellite company partly owned by the U.K. government, is following SpaceX's lead by sending a constellation of communications satellites to space. Until now, more than 420 OneWeb satellites successfully entered orbit — all aboard Russian-built Soyuz rockets. - But, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, demanded that [OneWeb's satellites not be used]( for military purposes. OneWeb refused, so Russia removed all 36 satellites due to launch atop its Soyuz rocket on March 4, 2022. Unconventional allies. In response, OneWeb has turned to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for help, effectively finding another means to send its latest batch into space. This might seem bizarre considering prior disagreements between SpaceX and OneWeb — namely, [an alleged "close call"]( between the companies' orbiting satellites. But now, with SpaceX and OneWeb using the same launch system, there might be a much greater chance of cutting the risk of close calls to a minimum. [Read More]( TRANSPORTATION [China plane crash: Boeing 737 suddenly nosedives from 29,000 feet]( [China plane footage.]( While the world awaits news on the cause of the air crash in southern China, [aviation experts believe that]( the plane nosedived to the ground from its cruising altitude of 29,000 feet. - A video clip reportedly captured by a surveillance camera of a mining company close to the scene of the accident site shows an aircraft falling vertically from the sky. China Eastern Airlines' Boeing 737 aircraft was just 100 miles away from its destination when it nosedived into the mountains at deadly speeds. Exacerbating the mystery is the fact that the China Eastern aircraft seems to have recovered from its nose-dive for a few seconds before plunging steeply again. Bizarre. The reason why. The crash could be the result of a combination of events like major equipment malfunction and disoriented pilots. More light on the cause of the incident will only be shed once [the data and voice recorders]( are recovered from the site. China’s agencies haven't released official casualty counts just yet. [Read More]( SCIENCE [A startup wants to provide high-speed internet on the Moon by 2024]( [Satellites orbiting the Moon.]( A startup called Aquarian Space [announced that it just received]( $650,000 in seed funding to work on the development of a broadband internet connection that would link the Earth, Moon, and maybe even Mars. - There were 13 landers, orbiters, and rovers on and around the Moon in 2021, according to Kelly Larson, CEO of Aquarian Space. By “2030, we will have around 200, creating a multibillion dollar lunar economy,” said Larson. “But this can’t happen without solid, reliable Earth-to-Moon communications." Moon on a stick. Aquarian aims to create a system called Solnet using high-speed delivery satellite networks with speeds of 100 megabits per second. The startup has released little in the way of specifications, but says it aims to deploy its first lunar system as soon as 2024. Of course, Aquarian isn't the only company building communications infrastructure for space. SpaceX has recently garnered public praise for its Starlink internet satellites, which will soon be tested for space communication by [the all-civilian Polaris Dawn mission]( scheduled for later this year. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Imagine you’re on the Moon, with high-speed internet connection. What would you do? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Open my location settings and tweet away.]( [Share a #MoonSelfie on Instagram. My followers have needs.]( [Call my family and friends to brag.]( [See what’s on the dark side of the Moon. It’s time.]( Yesterday’s Results We asked if you agree with governments' plans to phase out nuclear plants. While some would argue that nuclear power needs to overcome a bad reputation stemming from its association with the atomic bomb and radioactive disasters, that's not the case for the majority of you. Let’s not fearmonger. We need nuclear, forever. 50% They should do that in the future, but it’s not logical yet. 30% Yes. It’s too dangerous. 11% Why not, if the energy mix works without them? 10% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ I always have a quotation for everything—it saves original thinking. ” Dorothy L. Sayers in “Have His Carcase” (1932) AND ANOTHER THING... - A Boeing 737-800 crashed yesterday in southern China, [but it's not the only one](. - Imagine a vaccine that could spread to others, protecting populations from microbial attacks. That’s the goal of scientists who are [reviving controversial research to develop]( self-spreading vaccines. (National Geographic $) - A meat-free world [might be possible by 2035]( according to Impossible Foods founder Patrick O. Brown. - “Dumbphones” [are continuing to enjoy a revival]( Google searches for them jumped by 89 percent between 2018 and 2021. (BBC) - Scientists [have captured a memory]( forming in the brain of a living fish in real-time. - Homeless people [can now move into tiny homes]( in San Francisco. (Vice) - Elon Musk has announced that he's working on Tesla Master Plan Part 3. [Here are some of our theories]( for what that might look like. [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. 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