Zero-emissions aircraft edge closer

Plus: How the 'cute' phenomenon known as pink snow threatens water supplies in the US. Dec 08, 2022 [Blueprint]( [Zero-emissions aircraft just got a little more real.]( It’s no secret that aircraft have some ground to make up when it comes to emissions, but if this new development comes to fruition, that could be a thing of the past. That’s because Airbus has revealed it is developing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. It’s one of its potential solutions for its zero-emission aircraft, which it says will enter service by 2035. It’s a lean, green, flying machine. But before you get carried away by that plane, take a moment to bid farewell to this one. [This video]( shows the last Boeing 747 being built. It’s the end of an era. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. [How CGI has taken animals off the scene in Hollywood](. [premium] Welfare aside, experts are now looking at whether technology would be cheaper than training an animal. Depending on the trick performed, it can take a week or more to learn a specific command – on top of the many months it takes to learn the basics. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Goodbye Boeing 747: the last one has now been built.]( [Goodbye Boeing 747: the last one has now been built.]( It’s finally Boeing out. [Must Read]MUST READ [Airbus unveils zero-emissions hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine.]( [Airbus unveils zero-emissions hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine.]( [Zero-emissions aircraft could soon be a thing]( thanks to Airbus. The company has revealed it is developing a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. It’s one of its potential solutions for its zero-emission aircraft, which it says will enter service by 2035. The A380 MSN1 flight test aircraft is in the process of being altered to give it the capacity to carry liquid hydrogen tanks and their distribution systems. After that, Airbus will start ground and flight testing onboard its ZEROe demonstrator aircraft. So it’s what you might accurately describe as all systems go. Developers believe that if technology targets are achieved, fuel cell engines may be able to power a one-hundred-passenger aircraft with a range of approximately 1,000 nautical miles. Which is fairly groundbreaking …or air-breaking, if you prefer. → Elsewhere at the company, Airbus recently unveiled DisruptiveLab, which is a new flying laboratory designed to test technologies that improve aircraft performance and reduce helicopters’ CO2 emissions. Pretty cool. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [Pink snow: Here's how this 'cute' phenomenon threatens water supplies in the US.]( So-called “[watermelon snow]( may look cute and sound like something Harry Styles would sing about, but sadly it’s anything but. Researchers say it could be a threat to U.S. water supplies, and they’re currently trying to find out what triggers the algae that gives the snow its pink color. Snow algae, a group of freshwater microalgae, have been observed in a variety of colors, which are dependent on the unique species, stages of life, or geography. They’ve been known to travel long distances when transported by wind, which is important because pink snow means lower albedo. This means more absorbed sunlight and faster snowmelt, which isn’t good. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [TRANSPORTATION]TRANSPORTATION [Sorry hydrogen, electric cars have already won — here's why.]( [Hydrogen fuel cell cars]( were widely considered an avenue toward universal green motoring. But hydrogen cars have now all but disappeared. Toyota and Hyundai, the only vehicle manufacturers to produce hydrogen cars for the U.K. market, sold just 12 hydrogen cars in the country in 2021. And earlier this year, Shell closed all of its U.K. Hydrogen refueling stations. Meanwhile, electric vehicles, despite not delivering the range or the fast refueling of a hydrogen car, have surged in popularity. In 2010, 138 electric vehicles were sold in the U.K. This grew to roughly 190,000 annual sales in 2021. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [B-2 bombers undertook an elephant walk to showcase American strategic deterrence.]( During a recent Spirit Vigilance 22 training exercise at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, [eight B-2 Spirit stealth bombers did an elephant walk](. An elephant walk is a common part of airpower exercises by the U.S. military, but when undertaken properly, it never fails to impress. Essentially, it’s U.S. Air Force term for the taxiing of military aircraft in close formation, which is often employed to project air power through the rapid deployment of multiple aircraft at once. (And it looks very cool.) The exercise is designed to focus on the training and readiness of airmen directly involved in bomber operations, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Airbus unveils zero-emissions hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. Do you think we’ll see zero-emissions planes in our lifetime? [Yes, totally]( [No, they’re being optimistic]( [Possibly, but not commercially]( [I am unsure either way]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you which you think will come first, harnessing nuclear fusion on Earth, or in space, and 37 percent of you said in some places, maybe. 37% In some areas, possibly 26% I am unsure either way 21% No, Google still wins 16% Yes, it's incredibly smart [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [iSonic Jewelry Cleaner]( [image]( [Shokz OpenRun Bone Conduction Headphones]( [image]( [Puleo International Christmas Tree]( [image]( [Fujitsu Flatbed Scanner]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - World’s first [carbon-eating concrete blocks]( are weeks away from commercial use. [premium] - The ancestor to modern brewing yeast has been [found hiding in Ireland](. (Science News) - This fusion machine becomes the [hottest place in the solar system]( when turned on. [premium] - Self-knowledge: How to [know your true personality]( and why it matters. (New Scientist) - The US and Israel will work together to develop a [100-kW laser weapon system](. - Groundbreaking test can [catch signs of 14 early-stage cancers](. (BBC) - Apple's self-driving car debut [pushed back and may be less advanced](. [Subscribe to IE+ today.]( Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? [Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here](. © Copyright 2022 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 205 Hudson St New York, NY, 10013, USA [Interesting Engineering]