⬡ Lunar Habitat Master Plan: Hassell’s hexapods could shape the future

Plus: UK closes in on laser weapon capability, MIT sensor harvests energy from the air                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 January 22, 2024 | [Read Online]( In a visionary step toward permanent lunar living, Hassell Studio unveiled an expansive Moon base concept that will support self-sufficient habitation for around 150 residents. Dubbed the Lunar Habitat Master Plan, the model’s modular inflatable architecture interlocks to form a sprawling radiation-shielded village. Designed to grow as requirements evolve, the design’s hexagonal form will offer module for agriculture and even recreation as the community expands and new needs become apparent. To get a glimpse of how Hassell Studio’s lunar base will look, jump to today’s [Must Read](. 👀 Have you subscribed to Engineer Pros? For the latest engineering news, career updates, and insider knowledge every Tuesday, [sign up here](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get this week rolling! Reading time: 5 minutes Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe ✉](  VIDEO OF THE DAY How NASA intentionally crashed their satellite at an asteroid? In February 2013, the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, witnessed a breathtaking event when a rapidly falling object, initially believed to be an asteroid, streaked across the sky. It turned out to be a bolide, a meteoroid that exploded due to its high velocity. Measuring a massive 5766 feet in diameter, the asteroid hurtled towards Earth at an astonishing speed of 43,000 miles per hour. 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 - 👀 [Is $3,499 too much? Apple's Vision Pro pre-orders explode in minutes]( Those who managed to place their orders early will receive their headsets on February 2, 2024, the official launch date of the product. - 🚁 [NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter goes silent after 72nd flight]( Ingenuity has exceeded all expectations, completing its original five-flight demonstration in the spring of 2021 and continuing to fly on an extended mission. - 🗃 [NASA reveals first photographs of its stunning Bennu samples]( Having made it through two stubborn sampler head fasteners, NASA reveals the first high resolution image of the samples collected from the asteroid Bennu. MUST READ ⬡ [Hassell Studio conceptualizes a sustainable future on the lunar surface]( Rather than prescribe defined permanent structures, the creative coalition synthesized terrestrial inspiration like wave-breaking seawalls with space expertise into an adaptive core. The configurability resembles rearrangeable building blocks sculpting homes then civic services prefabricated on-site using local materials. With cospatial work, living and playing fostering social cohesion, the vision elevates existential survival into aspirational horizons for enriched exploration and scientific pioneering spreading amid the stars’ silent allure Hassell’s lead designer focused on inhabitable destinations avoided stagnant settlements dependent on Earth’s benevolence for breathable air, potable water and sustainable nutrition. With clever biosphere conservation techniques meeting daily substance needs, the proposed village hub intends jumpstarting imminent Moon morphology then expansion seeded by upcoming programs like the Artemis missions. So perhaps ornamented extraterrestrial neighborhoods await next generations beyond a challenging first footprint if inspirations transition into pragmatic possibility. [Read more >]( [MILITARY]( 💥 [UK’s powerful laser weapon in action hits aerial targets for the first time]( After successful static ground tests, the UK military’s cutting-edge DragonFire laser weapon hit airborne targets marking a breakthrough for directed energy’s progress toward forward deployment. With accuracy and sustainability touted against the cost of maintaining missile stockpiles, the industry-government collaboration yielded milestones like advanced target tracking for the speed-of-light aerial interceptor. [Read more >]( [INNOVATION]( ⚡️ [MIT’s breakthrough self-powered sensor harvests energy from the air]( MIT engineers invented a battery-free temperature sensor that perpetually harvests energy from ambient fields around live wires. The breakthrough prototype clips onto assets like ship engines to track vital diagnostics without external charging. By carefully balancing storage and transmission, its customized circuits self-power then budget electricity needs. But how did they do it? [Read more >]( A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR AI skills are on the rise. Have you hopped on the trend? AI has been a game changer in the world of technology, influencing almost every field you can probably think of. Given its meteoric rise, it’s essential to arm yourself with the required arsenal of skills to join this technological revolution. For application developers, solution architects, data engineers, and data analysts, SingleStore is organizing [a FREE webinar]( covering various topics such as real-time AI, vector search, CDC for MySQL, Mongo, Snowflake, Databricks, etc. This webinar will be held from 10 AM to 12 PM PST on 24th January. If you aren’t able to make it after registering, you’ll receive a copy of the webinar video recording and Github assets via email. Join this symphony of innovation and reserve your spot today! [Learn more >]( Question of the Day Is building and maintaining a permanent settlement on the Moon a realistic goal? [Yes, it's vital for humanity’s progress]( [Not now, but maybe if we develop our capabilities]( [It's pointless, the Moon is dead and useless to us]( [We'll never get it together enough to succeed]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked what makes the discovery of life on Mars most intriguing. Here are the results. 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Potential for shared origins of life (14%) 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ Unveiling habitability on other planets (24%) 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Exploring the possibility of Martian organisms (16%) 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Addresses solar system life evolution (15%) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Quest for life beyond Earth (31%) “It is quite dangerous to live on the moon... We need to start planning for how larger communities can not just survive but also thrive and live on the moon.” Xavier De Kestelier, Head of Innovation at Hassell Studio THINGS WE LOVE [[Monochrome Laser Printer] Monochrome Laser Printer $129.99]( [[Bissell Portable Cleaner] Bissell Portable Cleaner $120.00]( [[Airthings Radon Detector] Airthings Radon Detector $113.99]( [[WiFi 6 Mesh System] WiFi 6 Mesh System $179.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - IE+ [Nature vs. nurture: Is being a vegetarian in your genes?]( - [Nuclear data unveils the secrets of the microbial ecosystem]( - [New tool offers deeper analysis of rotation and transport in Tokamak plasma]( - [Chinese scientists develop a breakthrough Vanadium flow battery stack]( Need help with advertising? Reach 150,000 engineering and tech professionals. 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