💰⏩ Startup’s fusion engines funded, could propel spacecraft into new, deep space era

Plus: Tesla’s android gets a graceful upgrade, cattle dung powers rocket, transparent wood outperforms glass. Using traditional chemical rockets to propel spacecraft over vast distances is extremely demanding, with some very real practical limitations. An innovative startup aims to solve this problem with a compact new fusion-powered thruster. California-based Helicity Space has raised $5 million to further develop their Helicity Drive technology. It uses magnetic fields to compress and heat plasma, generating clean nuclear fusion rocket propulsion. This revolutionary approach could enable much faster and more efficient travel to Mars and beyond, with a much smaller fuel load than a chemical rocket would require. As the company leverages funding to further develop this engine, their eventual success would transform humanity’s capacity for sustainable deep space exploration. Find out how Helicity plan to succeed where others have failed in today’s [Must Read](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s fire up the engines! VIDEO OF THE DAY [Is Nikola Tesla Overrated?]( What makes these monster tanks unstoppable? Modern Armed Engineering Vehicles (AEVs), resembling post-apocalyptic tanks, are mobile fortresses that clear minefields, build fortifications, and offer crucial support in combat. SUPPORT INTERESTING ENGINEERING Invest in science and engineering Insider access to exclusive content, featuring riveting stories that take you right to the heart of the action. Engage with our thriving online community, dive into captivating science discoveries, and stay informed with our enlightening weekly premium newsletters. With IE+, quality reporting is more than just news - and it is Ad-Free. 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Must Read [🚀 $5M injection powers up startup’s fusion thruster for deep space travel]( California-based startup Helicity Space has raised $5 million to advance development of its Helicity Drive — a nuclear fusion rocket engine for spacecraft. Fusion provides over 10 million times more energy, gram-per-gram, than chemical propellants, potentially enabling much faster Mars transit. Helicity’s technology uses magnetic compression and heating of plasma jets to generate immense thrust. The funding will further R&D of their proprietary clean propulsion system. By harnessing the power of stars within small, controllable fusion reactors, the company ultimately hopes to transform interplanetary exploration and travel with safer, ultra-efficient plasma engines. [[Read More]( [Culture]( [🦾 Tesla’s Optimus robot gains balance and dexterity after upgrade]( Tesla’s latest humanoid robot iteration sports a slimmer profile, faster walking speed and remarkably deft hand movements for manipulating objects like eggs. Optimus Gen 2 builds on the prototype's initial steps shown in September 2022 with enhanced balance, body coordination and responsiveness. Founder Elon Musk believes the robot will someday surpass Tesla’s main businesses in value by assisting owners with household chores and errands. Click below to watch the flagship bot’s progress toward real-world duties. [[Read More]( [Innovation]( [🐮 Cow-dung-powered space rocket engine successfully tested in Japan]( Japanese startup Interstellar Technologies successfully tested a reusable rocket engine powered by liquid biomethane from cattle manure. The 10-second engine firing marks progress toward 2025 orbital launches. By tapping into an abundant green energy source, the innovative bio-derived rocket fuel aims to boost sustainability. Learn more about the waste-to-space initiative. [[Read More]( [Science]( [🪟 Transparent wood opens window to high-tech possibilities]( Research teams have transformed the renewable material into optically transparent wood through the processes of removing color and precisely matching internal light refraction. The resulting material has a strength that rivals steel, with superior thermal insulation than glass, and “smart” electrochromic functionality for adjustable sun blocking. These custom variants enable wood to substitute glass across a wide range ofproducts. Discover more about this novel use for an age-old material . [[Read More]( job alert In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [AWS Cloud Software Engineer]( at FIS Global Boston(US) [Senior Embedded Software Engineer]( at rf IDEAS, Inc. Schaumburg(US) [Platform Engineer 4637]( at MetroStar Washington(US) [Manager, Cloud Engineering]( at Optima Financial Group Llc Santa Ana(US) [Mechanical Engineer II/III (Calibration Engineer)]( at TRISTAR Crane(US) [Tech Transfer Engineer]( at Colgate-Palmolive Cambridge(US) QUESTION OF THE DAY Which country will be the first to launch a fusion-powered interplanetary spacecraft? [The United States]( [China]( [An international effort]( [It'll never happen]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS The risk of disruption that affects critical infrastructure is a major concern for 79 percent of you. Only 2 percent are not worried about the threat at all. 79% Very, our defenses must improve 17% Moderately, we need to prepare 2% The threat is overhyped 2% Not something I worry about “Nuclear fusion propulsion technology is the critical missing ingredient to fast, sustainable and safe space exploration of our solar system.” Dr. Stephane Lintner, co-founder of Helicity Space THINGS WE LOVE [Logitech G Pro X]( [$159.00]( [Elegato Stream Deck]( [$199.99]( [Mesh WiFi System]( [$119.99]( [INNOCN Gaming Monitor]( [$147.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - [This AI-powered robot dog could help water plants in your garden]( - [premium] [The company that wants to make ‘whole aviation industry turbulence-free’]( - [Eight extinct predators you wouldn't want scientists to resurrect]( - [Armada aims remote deployment of AI power to battlefields using Starlink]( - [Starlink triples its internet traffic amid geopolitical tensions]( - [US Army gets first batch of 249+ mile-range Precision Strike Missiles]( - [BAE to get $35M government funding to boost domestic chip production]( - [Cereal-box-sized spacecraft offers new views of ‘hot Jupiters’]( - [MIT mathematicians mimic ‘quantum bomb tester’ in droplet experiment]( - [Coca-Cola won’t help if you choke on turkey this Christmas, says study]( Need help with advertising? 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