Virgin Galactic just launched its first commercial space tourism flight

Plus: 'Presumed human remains' found in Titan wreck by US Coast Guard Sponsored by In a small step for space exploration, but a giant leap for commercial spaceflight, Virgin Galactic carried a crew including three paying customers on a suborbital flight for the first time. The space industry is going through a revolution lately, with private companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin leading the charge. While governmental space agencies have long dominated space exploration, these visionary companies are bringing space travel within reach of private citizens (though usually very wealthy ones). We've the full story about the flight, its crew, and its overall significance in today’s Must Read, below. But first, here’s [your video of the day](. Good morning. I’m Tim, an Editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers learned about the engineering challenges of using our oceans to remove CO₂. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receiv e exclusive interviews, features, and much more. VIDEO OF THE DAY [PzH 2000 Howitzer]( [Accuracy Meets Power: The PzH 2000 Howitzer in Action]( Renowned for its exceptional hit accuracy and impressive range, this howitzer has become a formidable force in the field. MUST READ [Virgin Galactic just launched]( [Virgin Galactic just launched its first commercial space tourism flight]( Virgin Galactic successfully completed its first-ever commercial space tourism expedition, with its VSS Unity spaceplane reaching a maximum altitude of 87 kilometers. The flight carried a four-man crew, including three paying customers, and marked a significant milestone for the company. The mission also served as a research endeavor, conducting 13 experiments during the 90-minute flight. Virgin Galactic plans to continue operating monthly commercial spaceflights starting in August. The successful mission positions the company ahead of its competitor, Blue Origin, and solidifies its presence in the emerging space tourism industry. [Read More]( CULTURE US Coast Guard says 'presumed human remains' found in Titan wreck Debris and evidence recovered from the seafloor at the site of the Titan submersible include “presumed human remains,” the US Coast Guard said in a press release. The cause of the catastrophic implosion is being investigated and may be down to the carbon fiber used in the construction. [Read More]( THE SPONSOR OF THE DAY [Divvy]( [Try Divvy and celebrate Fourth of July with a $100 Amazon gift card!]( Declare your independence from manual expense reports with Divvy's free, all-in-one solution that helps you track and control spending, automate expense reports, and close your books faster than ever. Get to know Divvy, BILL's spend & expense solution, with a quick, 20-minute demo and we’ll send you a $100 Amazon gift card to help make your July 4th fantastic. Divvy offers: - Fully automated expense reports - Flexible and enforceable budgets - Scalable business credit that fits your needs [Upgrade your expense management]( with Divvy and your 4th of July celebration with a $100 gift card right now! [LEARN MORE]( INNOVATION Chinese spy balloon used off-the-shelf US tech The Wall Street Journal has released an exclusive investigation revealing that the Chinese spy balloon used both US and Chinese technology. [Read More]( SCIENCE NASA’s Roman and ESA’s Euclid to join forces to study dark energy The European Space Agency’s Euclid mission will launch tomorrow to explore why the universe’s expansion is speeding up, also known as “dark energy.” By May 2027, NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will join Euclid in the sky to aid in the investigation. [Read More]( JOB BOARD [Environmental Systems Engineer]( Arcadis [Principal Engineer, Cloud Engineering]( WELLS FARGO BANK [Environmental Project Engineer]( Intertek [Mechanical Engineer]( Baker Hughes [Principal DC Infrastructure Eng , Data Center Design Engineering - Availability]( Amazon Web Services, Inc. [Test Analyst - Web Automation Engineer]( Capgemini [Mobile Application Software Engineer (Remote Ohio)]( Crown Equipment Corporation [Customer Engineer, Data Analytics, Financial Services, Google Cloud]( Google [DevOps Engineer and Kubernetes SME]( Booz Allen Hamilton [Systems Engineer Chief]( SAIC MAIL & MUSINGS Given the opportunity, who would be your preferred space exploration provider? [Virgin Galactic]( [Blue Origin]( [SpaceX]( [Government space agency]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday we asked you about the first detection of the cosmic gravity background. 36 percent of you recognized the magnitude of this discovey, but 34 percent do not understand the implications. 36% Enormously significant 34% I don't understand it 28% Confirms what we know 2% Biggest discovery ever QUOTE OF THE DAY Despite established protocols for the purchase and use of personal information, defendants took a different approach: theft. Extract from the lawsuit filed against OpenAI [Lexicon podcast]( THINGS WE LOVE [Sonos Gen 2 Speakers]( [HEMOTONE Modern Farmhouse TV Stand]( [MAttinata Espresso Machine]( [RESPAWN Gaming Chair]( AND ANOTHER THING - [ChatGPT creator OpenAI slammed with 157-page lawsuit]( - [WHO to classify aspartame sweetener as a potential carcinogen]( - [AI can now transform your eye reflections into intricate 3D renderings]( - Paradox explained: [Why hibernating bears don't get blood clots uncovered]( [premium] - [UK startup to improve our capacity for detecting tiny pieces of space debris]( - In a world first, [scientists detect neutrino emission from within Milky Way]( - [Joby's electric air taxi moves a step closer to flying passengers by 2025]( - [Rondo to open world's largest battery factory in Thailand]( - Groundbreaking study reveals [older adults can improve brain power, defying cognitive aging decline]( [premium] - [3D reconstruction reveals what the Flores island 'Hobbit' looked like 18,000 years ago]( [Subscribe to IE+]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Privacy Policy]( [Term of Service]( © Copyright 2023 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 530 Fifth Ave, 9th floor New York, NY 10036 | All Rights Reserved You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here.](