4 hours to Australia in hypersonic hydrogen jet

[Blueprint]( [Want to fly to Australia for lunch?]( No problem. The Destinus Eiger, a hypersonic hydrogen jet, takes four hours to fly from Europe to Australia, and it's totally powered by hydrogen. The project is part of Spain's effort to be at the front of the pack when developing and making hydrogen-based vehicles for transportation in different fields, and it seems to be working. But before you start making Antipodean day trip plans, make a plan to look at [this video](. It shows the U.S.-made AN/TWQ-1 avenger missile system that’s keeping Ukraine’s skies safe from Russia. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard about Doggerland and all the new theories that have emerged about it. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. VIDEO OF THE DAY [Keeping Ukraine’s sky safe from Russia: The U.S. made AN/TWQ-1 avenger missile system.]( [Keeping Ukraine’s sky safe from Russia: The U.S. made AN/TWQ-1 avenger missile system.]( Avengers, assemble. MUST READ [This hypersonic hydrogen jet takes 4 hours to fly from Europe to Australia.]( [This hypersonic hydrogen jet takes 4 hours to fly from Europe to Australia.]( Destinus, a Swiss start-up, has been developing a [hydrogen-powered passenger jet]( that can reduce travel time from Europe to Australia to just over four hours, compared to the current 20-hour flight. The company has tested its prototype Eiger for the past two years and announced successful test flights at the end of 2022. Now, the Spanish Ministry of Science has chosen Destinus to take part in a strategic initiative and give them money to do more research and development on a supersonic flight that uses hydrogen as fuel. Destinus claims that its technology will make a flight from Frankfurt to Sydney last just 4 hours, 15 minutes, and a flight from Frankfurt to Shanghai would take 2 hours, 45 minutes — eight hours shorter than the current journey. The project is part of Spain's effort to be at the front of the pack when developing and making hydrogen-based vehicles for transportation in different fields. → Next, Destinus is scheduled to flight test an H2 post-combustor jet engine while working to accelerate hydrogen-only engine technology. Through its work, the company hopes that hydrogen-based solutions for aeronautical mobility will become one step closer to becoming a reality. [Read More]( CULTURE [A brief history of Facebook and its major milestones.]( In this piece, we [briefly explore how Meta started]( and uncover the origins of its name, as well as detail some of Facebook's major milestones. For example, did you know that the original purpose of Facebook, or "The Facebook" as it was known then, was to allow Harvard students to use their ".edu" email addresses and photos to connect with other students at the school? [Read More]( SCIENCE [Kawasaki presents new high-energy laser system for anti-drone defense.]( In collaboration with the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has presented its [High Energy Laser System](. For a laser-based Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) system, KHI started gathering the necessary technology in 2000. This initiative began in 2000 with the development of chemical lasers and some preliminary work, then moved on to work on drone identification and targeting for a future system. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Elon Musk, AI experts sign open letter for immediate pause of AI more powerful than GPT-4.]( A joint letter signed by over a thousand influential people calling for the [blocking of all artificial intelligence (AI) more powerful than GPT-4]( was made public on Wednesday. Over 1,000 influential people claimed to have demanded immediate suspension in developing AI systems more potent than GPT-4, with a minimum 6-month "moratorium," a temporary ban, according to the letter. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS This hypersonic hydrogen jet takes 4 hours to fly from Europe to Australia. Do you think this technology could be applied to commercial flights one day? [Yes, absolutely]( [No, it’s too dangerous]( [Possibly, but it’s a way off]( [I am unsure either way]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you what other uses you think the new cardboard drone technology might primarily have, and 41 percent of you said lightweight deliveries. We hope you’re listening, Amazon. 41% Lightweight deliveries 27% Agricultural uses 16% Other military purposes 15% Something else entirely QUOTE OF THE DAY There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life. Frank Zappa, American musician, composer, and bandleader. THINGS WE LOVE [Plugable USB-C 8-in-1 Docking Station]( [Chill Bill Refrigerator Deodorizer]( [iDOO Hydroponics Growing System]( [State Cheese Boards]( AND ANOTHER THING - [Next-generation space superfood]( inspired by Japan’s aging population. [premium] - Your brain wires itself to [match your native language](. (Science News) - [How is hyperloop engineering progressing?]( The HYPED students provide insights. [premium] - The radical new theory that [wrinkles actually cause aging](. (New Scientist) - The mistake that [changes how we see color](. [premium] - [Can we build Baymax?]( (SN Explores) - Australian food startup makes first-of-its-kind [meatballs with extinct mammoth DNA](. 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