Pentagon leaks confirm US officials knew of more Chinese spy balloons

Plus: Ford pioneers autonomous driving in Europe with BlueCruise approval [Blueprint]( Sponsored by Up to four Chinese surveillance balloons were known to American officials and not reported to the public, according to new documents that were allegedly released by Massachusetts air national guard member Jack Teixeira. That's at least three more than the one that flew over the continental U.S. and was shot down in February. It has now been revealed that officials classified one of the balloons as “Killeen-23‘’. But first, here’s your [video of the day]( which will wrap up how 3D-printed food can revolutionize the way we look at eating. Good morning. I’m Sade, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard all about the mystery of where Earth's water comes from. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. VIDEO OF THE DAY [How 3D printed food can change the way we look at eating]( [How 3D printed food can change the way we look at eating]( The concept of 3D printing food may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it is quickly becoming a reality. MUST READ [Pentagon leaks confirm]( [Pentagon leaks confirm US officials knew of more Chinese spy balloons]( According to Pentagon leaks, U.S. officials were aware of at least three additional Chinese spy balloons in addition to the one that was shot down in February. However, why these finds were not made public remains unknown. Some of the other balloons had nicknames "Killeen-23," "Bulger-21," and "Accardo-21." They were given these names based on notorious criminals, according to a U.S. intelligence official who requested anonymity when informing The Washington Post. Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts air national guard who was detained on April 13 and charged with espionage, allegedly leaked the additional papers on a Discord chatroom. [Read More]( TRANSPORTATION [Ford pioneers autonomous driving in Europe with BlueCruise approval]( Ford's Level 2 hands-free advanced driver assistance system has received regulatory approval in the UK. With that, it became the first automaker in Europe to launch a Level 2 autonomous driving system. BlueCruise technology is now offered in the UK on 2023 Mustang Mach-E cars for a subscription service fee of £17.99 ($24.88). In England, Scotland, and Wales, it will allow drivers to travel in "hands-off, eyes-on" mode on about 3,700 km of pre-mapped motorways known as "Blue Zones." The system will help drivers manage road markings, speed signs, and traffic conditions to control steering, acceleration, braking, and lane positioning. [Read More]( THE SPONSOR OF THE DAY [Sentry]( [Risks to kids online are growing. How do you make sure they don’t consume unwanted content?]( The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a rise in the number of kids being exposed to the vast world of the internet. While it was predominantly for educational purposes, the possibility of kids being exposed to obscene content also grew rapidly. Since then, parental control has gained paramount importance to ensure kids don’t consume wrong content. With SentryPC, you can track and monitor all online activity, from website visits and social media usage to email and chat conversations. You can also set custom filters to block inappropriate content and control screen time limits to ensure a healthy and balanced digital lifestyle. Get SentryPC now and make sure obscene and unwanted content doesn’t find its way onto your child’s mobile feed. [LEARN MORE]( SCIENCE [NASA-led study unravels mystery of 'smooth terrains' on icy moons circling Jupiter and Saturn]( A new study has attempted to solve the mystery behind the "smooth terrain" surface found on moons orbiting gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. The NASA-led study examines the potential connection between moonquakes and landslides, which may help to explain why Europa, Ganymede, and Enceladus have exceptionally smooth topography. The extremely flat landscape has never before been connected to earthquakes. In the past, researchers thought that the smooth surface was the result of liquid spewing from icy volcanoes. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Inspired by NASA's hypersonic aircraft, engineers break paper plane flight world record]( By flying a paper airplane a total of 289 feet, 9 inches (88 meters), three aerospace engineers broke the previous record of 252 feet, 7 inches (77 meters). The team's design, which was influenced by hypersonic aircraft, particularly the NASA X-43A, focused on speed and minimizing drag. They spent months studying origami and aerodynamics in order to create, test, and refine their winning airplane, which they dubbed "Mach 5." Additionally, before setting the record in Crown Point, Indiana, the engineers labored for almost 500 hours. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Up to four Chinese surveillance balloons were known to American officials and not reported to the public. Do you feel that this information should have been shared? [Absolutely]( [No]( [I'm not sure]( [I'm not interested in spy balloons]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Last time, we asked whether you found Stanford's "Mainspring" engine— which could handle and switch between any fuel source— interesting. 85 percent of you all said it was: 84% Absolutely 12% Maybe, if I learned more about it 2% I don't know 2% No [ingenious tech]( THINGS WE LOVE [Cuisineart Patio Heater]( [FOTILE Under Cabinet Range Hood]( [Woven Paths Electric Fireplace TV Stand]( [XtremeAir Island Mount Range Hood]( AND ANOTHER THING - [Did unicorns exist?]( New research traces cultural traditions to find their origin. [premium] - Scientists uncover the amazing way sandgrouse [hold water in their feathers](. (MIT News) - The rise of 'wetware': the [strange world of fungi-computers](. [premium] - [Robot and cobot technology]( transform food operations. (Food Engineering) - Scientists propose using lunar dust to block sunlight. [What are the risks?]( [premium] - Why is it so [hard to make vegan fish?]( (Scientific American) - Elon Musk says the US government had [full access to DMs on Twitter](. [subscription banner]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( © Copyright 2023 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 205 Hudson St New York, NY, 10013, USA | All Rights Reserved You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here.](