🛰️ Lawmakers urge Elon Musk to activate SpaceX’s StarShield for Taiwan

Plus: A frozen wonderland across 300 football fields                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 February 26, 2024 | [Read Online]( SpaceX's StarShield, a satellite network crucial for Taiwan's defense amid rising threats, faces a hurdle. Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, hesitates to extend the service to Taiwan despite a Pentagon contract mandating it. Check out the full story by reading today’s [Must Read]([.]( You asked, and we understood the assignment. 'The Blueprint' is evolving beyond IE! Watch this space to witness our newsletter soar into uncharted scientific realms, covering top science and tech stories across various media. Expect bigger, better, and more exciting news delivered to your inbox six days a week. New to the BP? Don't miss out – [sign up now](. 👀 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. 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[API Software Engineer]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🛰️ Lawmakers urge Elon Musk to activate SpaceX’s StarShield for Taiwan SpaceX’s StarShield, a satellite network designed for the U.S. military, could be a lifeline for Taiwan in the face of growing aggression. But there’s a problem: Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, has been reluctant to provide the service to the island nation despite having a contract with the Pentagon that requires him to do so. That’s why a group of U.S. lawmakers, led by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), sent a letter to Musk on Wednesday, urging him to make [StarShield]( available to American defense forces in and around Taiwan. The letter comes as tensions between China and Taiwan have escalated recently. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to reunify it. Conversely, Taiwan is a [self-governed democracy]( that enjoys strong support from the U.S. and other countries. 🪙 Colombia plans to get treasure from the galleon San José 316 yrs after it sunk In 1708, a gold, silver, and precious jewel-laden Spanish galleon, the San José, was sunk just south of the Colombian coast by the [British Royal Navy](squadron. 316 years later, the Colombian government plans to raise the sunken treasure estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Plans were announced on February 23 for a deep-water expedition to explore the wreck and validate the presence of the supposed sunken goodies. The first port of call is to conduct scientific research to determine which pieces around the 1,969-foot (600-meter) deep shipwreck can be extracted. Colombia located the galleon in 2015, but its exact location is now [a state secret]( due to legal and diplomatic disputes. The government plans to invest $4.5 million this year to explore a sunken 62-gun, three-masted galleon that was ambushed while it was on its way to Cartagena, Colombia. 🧊 China’s ‘Ice City’: A frozen wonderland across 300 football fields Since 1963, the annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been a global standout. Alongside Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival, it holds its place among the world's premier ice and snow festivals. This year’s Harbin’s ice park sprawls over 810,000 square meters, meticulously crafted from [250,000 cubic meters]( of ice harvested from the frozen Songhua River. A team of around 300 ice miners, comprising construction laborers and farmers, undertake the task each December. Since artificial ice lacks the necessary thickness and strength to endure the wind, it involves extracting thousands of ice blocks from the expansive Songhua River, transporting them via truck, and assembling them to form [towering ice structures.]( IE+ Love what you're reading? Join our vibrant online community, explore fascinating scientific breakthroughs, get special discounts and stay in the know with our exclusive weekly premium newsletter. Upgrade to IE+ for quality reporting beyond the headlines – plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. [Subscribe here]( HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY SCIENCE > Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Western University have uncovered a previously unnoticed dimension within an organism’s genome. They delved into the possibility that it could harbor more than just genealogical or taxonomic details. ([More]() > An international team of scientists has revealed the mysteries surrounding Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, a five-meter-long aquatic reptile from the Triassic period of China, dating back approximately 240 million years. ([More]() > Astronomers have uncovered three new moons, including Uranus’ first in over two decades, marking a milestone in our understanding of the outer reaches of the solar system. ([More]() ENERGY > Chinese wind turbine orders surged to a historic 100 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, setting a new global record. ([More]() > Nokia has introduced an innovative technology, the Nokia Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Controller Software, aiming to reduce energy usage, carbon emissions, and associated expenses in mobile networks. ([More]() > A cargo ship carrying more than 41,000 tonnes of fertilizer was hit by multiple missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, causing an oil slick in the Red Sea that could worsen into an environmental disaster. ([More]() INNOVATION > Researchers present a deep learning-based model that enables a humanoid robot to sketch pictures in real time, mimicking the creative process of a human artist. ([More]() > A new study reveals how a simple device can manipulate the charging process in wireless chargers and cause your phone to overheat or burst into flames. ([More]() > Scientists use levitating magnets to understand quantum gravity. They used superconducting devices known as traps, magnetic fields, precision detectors, and advanced vibration isolation techniques. ([More]([)]( VIDEO > Discover the fascinating evolution of helicopters, from Da Vinci's early sketches to today's soaring achievements in vertical flight. This brief history captures the excitement of their journey through time. ([More]() > Explore the pivotal role of U.S.-manufactured missiles in Ukraine's resistance against formidable challenges, from shoulder-fired weapons taking down Russian tanks to advanced air defense systems reshaping strategic dynamics. ([More]() > What's the real story behind genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? In a thought-provoking video, we confront prevailing misconceptions about GMOs and reveal their potential benefits. ([More]() THINGS WE LOVE > LEVOIT Smart Humidifier: ([Buy Now: $134.99]() > Tineco Vacuum Cleaner: ([Buy Now: $299.99]() > Dreo Pedestal Fan: ([Buy Now: $125.99]() > Cordless Water Flosser: ([Buy Now: $119.00]() FROM THE WEB > Engineering cul-de-sac’ concern for Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari [future](? > Supernova: Astronomers crack cosmic ['murder mystery']( > Scientists freeze positronium atoms with [lasers]( > Construction workers being replaced by AI robot [bricklayers]( > Martian soil could be turned into fibers as strong as [steel]( > First commercial Moon mission marks new era for space [travel]( > Scientists may have finally solved the mystery of consciousness – their discoveries are[troubling]( > Microplastics found in every human placenta tested, study [finds]( Need help with advertising? 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