🚀 China’s secret space plane releases 6 enigmatic ‘wingmen’ in orbit

Plus: Cybertruck’s boat add-on kit, quantum teleportation progress.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 December 20, 2023 | [Read Online]( Days after arriving in orbit, China’s robotic Shenlong space plane has released six mysterious escorts. These “wingmen” occasionally transmit encoded messages of unknown purpose. While their specific purposes remain unclear, some expert analysts suspect they could be monitoring satellites or technology testbeds. For now, the wingmen represent the secrecy surrounding much of China's space program and a willingness to signal that space is a primary development goal. In today’s [Must Read](, we review what's known about the puzzling payload dispatched by China's secretive space plane. 🎙 New podcast [Engineering sustainability: Navigating green tech with a global manufacturing network.]( 👀 Have you subscribed to our two latest newsletters? [Mechanical]( and [AI Logs]( are your weekly briefings on the worlds of mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. They’re both essential reading. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it! Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe ✉](  VIDEO OF THE DAY Innovation on wheels: The story of the first car The history of the car begins in 17th-century China with Ferdinand Verbiest, who created a steam-propelled trolley for Emperor Kangxi, possibly the first steam-powered vehicle. 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MUST READ 🫥 [China’s secret aircraft deployed 6 ‘mysterious wingmen’ in space]( Amateur satellite trackers have observed China’s Shenlong space plane launching six unidentified “wingmen” objects into orbit just days after reaching space. The wingmen occasionally emit signals that suggest potential monitoring or research applications. While the wingmen’s purpose remains murky, the timing demonstrates China’s progress in space tech and synchronization with recent US capabilities. For now, these objects exemplify both the secrecy and strategic messaging shrouding China’s rapid expansion of space capabilities. [Read more >]( TRANSPORTATION 🛥 [Cybertruck can transform into a boat with conversion kit]( Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed plans for an official modification package turning the futuristic Cybertruck into an amphibious vehicle. Aiming for waterworthiness sufficient to cover at least 100 meters, the add-on plays into Musk’s vision of driving between South Padre Island and SpaceX’s Texas rocket facility. Cybertruck’s growing versatility cements its sci-fi reputation. [Read more >]( SCIENCE 🪃 [Quantum effect used to ‘teleport’ complex data]( By manipulating light patterns using quantum physics principles, researchers instantly transported intricate facial-image-level information without it physically traveling. While basic quantum bit satellite transfers enable secure communication, this new technique brings high-capacity quantum networks closer to sci-fi tech. Learn how quantum teleportation could reshape communication. 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