Dragonfly 2027: NASA preps next-gen rotorcraft for Titan mission

Plus: Russia’s “super weapon” isn’t credible, Hyperloop Express Freight system, fixing Voyager’s gunk problem. NASA is prepping Dragonfly, its latest robotic helicopter, to explore the hazy surface of Saturn's moon Titan. This robotic helicopter with 8 spinning rotors will hover over Titan's lakes and dunes to collect samples. Studying Titan's chemistry could reveal clues about how life began in our Solar System. Before Dragonfly's 2027 launch, engineers are testing a smaller version in a wind tunnel. This will help fine tune the copter for flight in Titan's atmosphere. When it arrives in 2034, Dragonfly will be the first mission ever to fly across another ocean world. We have more details and footage of the test in today’s [Must Read](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Prepare for takeoff. 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[SUBSCRIBE]( HOT TOPICS - 🔥 [Huge 100 billion cubic meter deep coalbed methane reserve found in China]( The state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation announced the discovery. - ♻️ [Energy transformation: IEA's bold 2030 clean energy outlook]( In a groundbreaking report, the IEA forecasts a clean energy revolution by 2030, including a significant rise in electric cars, solar power, and renewables. - 🛰 [First-of-its-kind study says space solar farms are feasible]( Researchers tracked a satellite over a period of six years, monitoring how its solar panels produced electricity. 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To get ready for the tough job of exploring Titan, NASA engineers first built a smaller test version of Dragonfly and placed it in a wind tunnel to simulate Titan's dense atmosphere. This allows NASA to perfect Dragonfly's special rotor design for smooth flying on the distant moon. The real Dragonfly is due to arrive and get to work on Titan in 2034. Its cameras and tools will show us close-up views of this mysterious ocean world for the very first time. Want to see Dragonfly's cool wind tunnel test in action? Click below to check out the video and full story! [[Read More]( [Military]( [☢️ Russia's new 'super-weapon' nuke missile likely overhyped, says expert]( Experts believe Russia's nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile offers few — if any — military advantages. Despite claims of unlimited range, Russia already possesses an extensive arsenal of ICBMs and SLBMs that can overwhelm defense systems. With little unique capability of its own, the weapon seems intended for intimidation. But its propulsion system remains unproven, and most analysts doubt it lives up to the hype as an unstoppable “super weapon.” Click below to learn about its alleged capabilities. [[Read More]( [Transportation]( [🚄 HyperloopTT’s express freight: speed, efficiency, sustainability]( HyperloopTT has revealed designs for an Express Freight system to revolutionize cargo shipping with unprecedented speed and efficiency. The concept uses vacuum tube infrastructure but with capsules optimized for loading standard cargo containers. The design aligns with feasibility study findings on achieving cost and time savings over traditional shipping. With recent backing for a full-scale Italian hyperloop, the Express Freight system could soon make HyperloopTT's freight vision a reality. [[Read More]( [Innovation]( [📡 Gunk protection? NASA tweaks Voyager software for a surprising reason]( NASA is sending a software update to the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft to extend their operational lifespan. After 45 years in space, the probes' thrusters have accumulated residue that could clog fuel lines. The update will alter thruster firing intervals to reduce buildup. The change will also allow antennae to drift more before an emergency mode triggers, preventing data loss. Beaming the update over 15 billion miles will take 18 hours per craft. If successful, the tweaks will enable five more years of data collection from these historic interstellar probes. [[Read More]( job alert In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Software Engineer Lead - SRE Visualization Team]( at PNC Financial Services Group Pittsburgh(US) [Silicon Formal Verification Engineer]( at Accenture Ottawa(CA) [Data Engineer]( at Alert Innovation Andover(US) [PHP Software Engineer]( at Aptive Environmental LLC Provo(US) - $130,000 - $140,000 a year [Senior Surveillance Systems Engineer]( at The MITRE Corporation McLean(US) QUESTION OF THE DAY Which upcoming NASA mission are you most excited about? [Artemis crewed lunar mission]( [Europa Clipper]( [Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope]( [Dragonfly]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS The prospect of planetary destruction caused by kilonova radiation does not overly worry respondents to yesterday’s poll, with 58 percent saying it has a low probability of happening. 12 percent think it would be a spectacular way to bring Earth’s history to a conclusion. 58% No, seems like a low risk 16% It didn't, until today 13% I expect it would be quick 12% What a way to go! “This far into the mission, the engineering team is being faced with a lot of challenges for which we just don’t have a playbook. But they continue to come up with creative solutions.” Linda Spilker, NASA Voyager project scientist THINGS WE LOVE [Bellroy Tech Kit]( [$59.00]( [Wireless CarPlay Adapter]( [$89.99]( [Retro Typewriter Keyboard]( [$84.99]( [Compressed Air Duster]( [$59.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - [Scientists now know more about the Sun thanks to ancient Korean texts]( - [Toyota unveils Land Cruiser and Pickup next-gen EV concepts]( - [New tubes enable LIGO to probe 60% more of the universe]( - [Empowering tomorrow's innovators: Experiential learning in STEM]( [premium] - [Northrop Grumman's ATHENA is a MANPAD's worst nightmare]( - [Rivian R1T becomes first EV to win the US' longest off-road rally]( - [Activity on Pluto suggests presence of a super cryovolcano]( - [JWST observations bring clarity to white dwarfs and their debris disks]( - [Scientists find ancient landscape beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet]( - [AI employed for crucial decisions in over 8 Whitehall departments]( - [Volcanic rocks added to soil can pull CO2 from the air]( Need help with advertising? 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