Amazon gets its own satellite constellation

Plus: A solar panel that generates electricity at night Apr 06, 2022 [View in browser]( Like it or not, Amazon is expanding its operations into low-Earth orbit. The tech giant has booked dozens of new launches on three different rockets to get its future satellites into orbit. The contracts cover up to 83 launches, making it one of the largest commercial launch deals ever signed. And, surprise, surprise: Elon Musk's SpaceX is conspicuously absent from the list of providers. Before we take off to orbital space, today’s video will show you how solar panels are manufactured — an item in lock-step with a newly invented solar panel that can generate electricity at night. You read that right. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Enjoy the sunshine. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [This is how solar panels are made in a factory]( It's a long process, but the output's worth it. [This is how solar panels are made in a factory]( INNOVATION [Here's everything we know about Amazon's new agreement for 83 Kuiper launches]( [An artist's impression of ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket.]( Amazon's SpaceX-rivaling internet service Project Kuiper [has made a major leap toward]( becoming operational and catching up with SpaceX's Starlink, which itself is already cluttering our skies. - That's because Amazon announced on Tuesday what it calls the biggest commercial rocket deal in the history of commercial space programs. The tech giant reached an agreement with three companies for up to 83 launches of its Project Kuiper internet satellites. They’re not wrong. United Launch Alliance (ULA) will operate 38 of those launches, European firm Arianespace will operate 18 of the launches, and 12 will be carried out by Blue Origin, which was founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Once fully deployed, Project Kuiper will consist of a network of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit, which will be able to provide high-speed internet anywhere in the world. The service will rival SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites, [more than 2,000 of which are already in operation](. [Read More]( SCIENCE [UN scientists say limiting global warming is "now or never." Is there hope?]( [Solar panels and wind generators with a modern city on the horizon.]( United Nations scientists [have laid out a plan]( that they believe could help people avoid the worst effects of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report essentially argues for a revolution in how we generate energy and power our civilization. - If urgent action is not taken, humanity will fail to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, setting the stage for a future of endless wildfires, droughts, and storms. At their presently rising levels, however, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to cause twice as much warming: roughly 3.2°C by 2100. Urgent but not impossible. The report's key takeaways include the fact that the clean energy revolution is becoming cheaper, that politics and resistance to change are the primary obstacles, and that significant and rapid cuts in methane emissions are vital. The report has been called "[a defining moment for our planet]( for good reason. Unless global greenhouse gas emissions peak within the next three years and are cut nearly in half by 2030, the world will face increasingly devastating climate impacts. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Stanford engineers invent a solar panel that generates electricity at night]( [Ordinary solar panels.]( Researchers from Stanford University [created a photovoltaic cell]( that captures energy from the environment during the day and night, eliminating the need for batteries. - The new technology takes advantage of a surprising fact about solar panels. Solar panels — like everything warmer than absolute zero — emit infrared radiation. This means that there’s light emitted from the solar panel, which cools it down, making its surface a few degrees cooler than the air around it. Everything is illuminated. That temperature differential is what the researchers are taking advantage of. A device called a thermoelectric generator can capture some of the heat flowing from the warmer air to the cooler solar panel and convert it into electricity. On a clear night, the device generates roughly fifty milliwatts for every square meter of solar panel (50 mW/m2). With some improvements, it could generate twice that amount of electricity, paving the way for [a viable, renewable source of electricity at night](. [Read More]( Yesterday’s Results We asked whether you are worried about the new COVID variants. The majority of you will continue to carry masks and sanitizers for the foreseeable future. Yes. My mask and sanitizer are staying with me. 34% It’s concerning, but I’ve gotten used to living with them. 28% No, I’m just tired of it. 21% Like you said: we’ve moved beyond the need for virus anxieties. 17% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ Form follows function. ” Louis Henri Sullivan in “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered” (1896) AND ANOTHER THING... - A bird-like solar-powered aircraft [is aiming to break clean speed records](. - The daring Chinese biophysicist who created the world's first gene-edited children [has been set free after three years]( in a Chinese prison. (MIT Technology Review $) - The nuclear bombs and missiles market [will reach $126 billion by 2030](. China, Pakistan, and India are expected to see the fastest growth. - To avert privacy breaches, scams, and environmental damage, governments and central banks need to know [how best to regulate crypto and digital currencies](. (Nature) - Scientists [have figured out one of the big reasons]( that dogs are — in scientific terms — impossibly cute. - 1,500 pages of UFO-related research [were just declassified]( as part of a FOIA request. Apparently, UFOs left “radiation burns” and “unaccounted-for pregnancies.” (Live Science) - Here’s [everything we know about Vulcan]( a hypothetical planet between the sun and Mercury. Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? 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