✨ Startup wants to vaporize space junk with ground lasers

Plus: South Korean chip fab bonanza, could “tara gum” replace plastics?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 January 16, 2024 | [Read Online]( Japanese startup EX-Fusion is planning to deploy a groundbreaking space debris removal method using lasers, and has already partnered with an Australian firm’s tracking observatory. While satellites can maneuver to intercept larger targets, ground-based systems may offer a more affordable way to counter the threat of the growing number of smaller shreds that could endanger active spacecraft. If EX-Fusion is successful, their technique promises to offer significant benefits over orbital junk clearing proposals. Learn more about this startup hopes to clear the road to space in today’s [Must Read](. 🚨 AI Logs is your essential update on all things artificial intelligence. To get the very latest insights every Wednesday, [subscribe now](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it! Reading time: 5 minutes Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe ✉](  VIDEO OF THE DAY How the AC-130 gunship revolutionized airborne firepower The AC-130, with its 105 mm howitzer and $165 million price tag, excelled in various battlefields, from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. IE+ 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. [Subscribe]( HOT TOPICS - 👩‍💻 [International Monetary Fund warns, AI to threaten 40% of global jobs]( Job replacement has been a key risk factor with advancement in AI-related tech. - 🔎 [Laser technology unveils 2500 year-old hidden Amazonian city]( The detailed laser imagery revealed intricate networks of roadways, platforms, and plazas. - 🚀 [North Korea ‘launches’ solid-fuel hypersonic missile, putting US on radar]( According to reports from North Korean state media service KCNA, North Korea's latest test of a hypersonic glide vehicle was a complete success. MUST READ 🎯 [Japanese startup takes aim at sky scrap with groundbased laser system]( EX-Fusion will install high-powered lasers at a dedicated Australian detection facility to target small debris under 4 inches wide, objects which have long proved challenging to track and destroy from Earth. By pulsing concentrated beams lagging behind targets to decelerate targets, the system will gradually drag fragments into decaying orbits to eventually burn up in the atmosphere. While technical hurdles around precision and power remain before realization, the group envisions around-the-clock automated removal to clear the most dangerous shards from their orbits. The laser method avoids the shortcomings of existing ground concepts that mainly rely on weaponized thermal alternatives. However, skepticism persists around the ability of using rapid-fire pulses to deliver sufficient impulse to high-velocity, high-altitude targets. Learn how the space janitors on Earth might one day sweep the skies clean from below. [Read more >]( [INNOVATION]( 💰 [South Korea reveals $470B vision for world's largest chipmaking hub]( South Korea plans a $473 billion semiconductor mega-cluster led by Samsung and SK Hynix, to achieve regional economic transformation and create 3 million high-tech jobs. With tax incentives securing domestic private funding, the government targets 50% self-sufficiency in equipment and materials by 2030 for supply chain security. By aggressively expanding its manufacturing capacity, the country hopes to capture 10 percent of the non-memory chip market, and expand its global influence. [Read more >]( [SCIENCE]( 🌱 [Could 'Tara Gum' seeds replace plastics? Possibly]( Tara gum's biodegradable and non-toxic properties make the tree seeds a promising eco-friendly polymer alternative for industries reliant on plastics. From stabilizing fatty foods to vitamin-infused antibacterial wound dressings, the Korean researchers foresee diverse applications for these versatile natural carbohydrates. With modifications underway to remove any shortcomings, tara gum’s sustainability could soon transform packaging and medicine. [Read more >]( JOB ALERT In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Software Development Engineer]( at Fiserv, Inc. Omaha, NE [Cloud Security Engineer]( at KUBRA Tempe [Project Analyst, Engineering (EPA)]( at Tential Annapolis, MD - Hybrid Remote [Senior Linux Engineer]( at Smart-tek Marietta, GA $110,000 - $120,000 a year [Mechanical Engineer II/III (Calibration Engineer)]( at TRISTAR & Crane, IN [See More Jobs >]( Question of the Day Are you worried about AI taking your job? [Yes, it keeps me awake at night]( [No, only a human can do my job]( [Maybe, but the threat is overhyped]( [I'm happily retired]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked if you think the upgraded Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute will achieve its goal. Here are the results. 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, this new capability is a game changer (16%) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 It may slightly increase the probability (53%) 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ No, there's no-one out there (18%) 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ They're already here, why search? (13%) “We are on the brink of a technological revolution that could jumpstart productivity, boost global growth and raise incomes around the world. Yet it could also replace jobs and deepen inequality.” Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director THINGS WE LOVE [[DEWALT 20V Max Cordless Drill ] DEWALT 20V Max Cordless Drill $99.00]( [[3 in 1 Charging Station] 3 in 1 Charging Station $19.93]( [[K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker] K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker $79.99]( [[Aipower Wearbuds Watch] Arc Star Floating Speaker $89.90]( AND ANOTHER THING - [Mysterious UFO sighting over Beijing sparks SpaceX speculation]( - [MIT AI models detect the most common type of pancreatic cancer earlier]( - [Quantum cramming: Junk becomes gems in new qubit breakthrough]( - IE+ [Is it time to rethink Dyson Spheres?]( Need help with advertising? Reach 150,000 engineering and tech professionals. [Contact us](mailto:sales@interestingengineering.com?subject=Newsletter+Sponsorship) what else? ⚙️ To explore the wonders of mechanical engineering, get your [Mechanical]( 🔷 For all the week’s top engineering stories, subscribe to the [Vital Component]( 🛩️ For the latest on propulsion, satellites, aeronautics, and more, subscribe to [Aerospace]( 🧑🏻‍🔧 For expert advice on engineering careers, subscribe to [Engineer Pros]( 🧠New: To get the latest AI news every Monday, subscribe to [AI Logs]( 🎬 For a weekly round-up of our best science, tech & engineering videos, subscribe to [IE Originals]( For our weekly premium newsletter and an ad-free experience, [sign up for IE+]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Give Feedback](mailto:tim.snaith@interestingengineering.com?subject=User%20feedback%20for%20the%20Blueprint) --------------------------------------------------------------- //link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/gIGIpUF6d1hGqcQjHe437kyVA6g1LfBq9HXC1ZND4y_KHdNGtW9Rjemv5T9JZONn9N6kE9FabNy8ENARvywendjBQSc8nkjJI3Jm-fN-jt97HCIFeLuaqvPij5Yj0LHjilTDSYJrwUtaG644J9qFkYtiC8DpaSOKaiPghzxB5H_Lx59h5B2yahQ2mT6AdRQcvAIQhagkaedVs2quBTM8mEVCeM7OzToisJuKL8YTp3eesUJ82Cs8ZpbWuTqP1Sjf/431/8xzZT1cpS_ql1geeynAPNw/h44/9XJKAW1jwVHnlHJ2UQaCRJDQLTVbGSTrDiaXLe8SWLg//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/oI2ds1eY3zrDzwM4HveOVRmeJ5i_p5i5KNVinJHZlhSkOHNfWq__msc9VRtNfnHyXddq6vzr5t6T6GYW7KJXdUpzzfGanFORrMI8zWICIfEjm4EeiJq4Bt8OPeELuqlXrJmS9s8Y30WqEmDFAZ00pT3gejcg4EcjDwI6_CKXss-cUct42FdUntjxc9NMZ1o5TzdaFv7wBTCAxh9Eux8ePE7QKsKfaydDns3OelURWlI/431/8xzZT1cpS_ql1geeynAPNw/h46/eJjPgpd3oQ-EObdNcO9c6DGz66Cimq8HYQuU_zArgz4//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/gIGIpUF6d1hGqcQjHe437oAWXHY86pFVzUigyeO7aWaLPmh4WUXCw0RjhsSC7o2NbU_ca_kYL8MJJVyxd9lLLHnpv384io7Db-FZ5RsZytiT-YlGVF8fbTbGPt28XyPQwBGQ2AGbTq_P7JGGRajS4TUj-AlNkw9k9ssxW0KQT2duAWEmUUttx9HbzjkuY5Ionc8ilkyaFomi5cFDid6nb9sQ-YrFMKrwRkVRqf8vqHvgiF8lJxuYes8bTLdI3Qda/431/8xzZT1cpS_ql1geeynAPNw/h48/xVPBvOwJdGWNE1A1z-LOkYHKNxweYWmjfvDuEARI-YM Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here]( © 2024 The Blueprint 530 5th Ave New York, New York 10036, United States of America