Reusable spaceplane demonstrator completes 5 test flights in 3 days

Space [Reusable spaceplane demonstrator completes 5 test flights in 3 days]( [The Mk-II Aurora suborbital spaceplane is a technology demonstrator for the more advanced Mk-III]( Dawn Aerospace has announced that it has successfully completed five test flights of its uncrewed Mk-II Aurora suborbital spaceplane in the skies over Glentanner Aerodrome on New Zealand’s South Island using surrogate jet engines instead of a rocket. [Read more]( Energy [Wendelstein 7-X fusion reactor on path to plasma twice as hot as the Sun]( [The first plasma produced by the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator in 2015]( Physicists have confirmed a major advance in the performance of the Wendelstein 7-X fusion reactor, with efforts to address inherent energy losses in the design potentially enabling the reactor to host plasma twice as hot as the Sun's core. [Read more]( Photography [The awe-inspiring winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year awards]( [Bronze - Birds in the Environment. Yellow-billed Oxpecker. Nikon D4S with Nikkor 500mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 700mm, 1/1,600 second, f/8, ISO 1,600]( A sublime shot of a Roadrunner facing the US-Mexico border wall has taken top prize in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year contest. The contest is one of the biggest in the world to solely focus on bird photography. [Read more]( Architecture [3D-printed construction hits the mainstream with Icon's Texas homes]( [The East 17th St 3D-printed Home Development's homes consist of a 3D-printed lower floor and a timber upper floor]( Shortly after unveiling plans to 3D print a simulated Mars base in collaboration with NASA and the Bjarke Ingels Group, Icon has now completed a new development consisting of four 3D-printed homes in Austin, Texas that start at $450,000. [Read more]( SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS [Save an extra 20% on this exclusive VPN Plan]( Ultra-fast speeds, 10 multi logins, 24-hour support, a 31-day money back guarantee and no logs are just some of the benefits of PureVPN. Enter the code newatlas20 to receive an extra 20% off – that's 3 years of premier VPN service for just $55! [Read more]( Medical [Protein discovery pulls at the roots of recurring brain cancer]( [Scientists have made a key discovery around how cancer stem cells can give rise to recurring brain tumors]( In a development likened to targeting the roots rather than cutting the weeds, scientists have identified proteins that may help unravel low-lying but dangerous cancer stem cells, which could translate to new treatments for aggressive brain tumors. [Read more]( Automotive [Hatchet hacks Jeep Wrangler into pop-top overland micro-camper]( [The Hatchet Camper takes advantage of its Jeep Wrangler base in seeking out remote campsites over rugged paths]( Hatchet Overland is preparing to enter the fray of go-anywhere 4x4 micro-RVs. Its lightweight Jeep Wrangler pop-up adds less than a foot of ride height, sets up in a minute flat, and pops up and out to create a comfy sleeper roof and standing height. [Read more]( Energy [Liquid-metal energy harvester works underwater – and on dry land]( [Along with being twistable, the device can also be stretched by up to five times its relaxed length]( Although there are now a number of devices that generate electricity via movement, most of them only work in dry environments. A new one, however, also works underwater – meaning it could be used in implants, or wearables that get exposed to sweat. [Read more]( Space [Space-junk sail to help deorbit its own launch vehicle]( [When spread out, the deorbiting drag sail Spinnaker3 has an area of 194 square feet]( A space-debris-clearing drag sail developed by Purdue engineers called Spinnaker3 that is large enough to pull a spent rocket booster out of a 400-mile orbit to safely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere will be put to the test next month. [Read more]( Science [Ancient beer was brewed from rice 9,000 years ago]( [Some of the pottery discovered in the platform mound at the Qiaotou site that has been found to have once contained an early beer-like drink]( Archaeologists have discovered one of the oldest examples of alcohol consumption. Ancient pots dating back 9,000 years have been found to contain traces of an early form of beer, which seems to have been used as part of a ritual honoring the dead. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [Learn a new language in 3 weeks with 55% off Babbel]( With Babbel, you can become conversational in a new language with just 3 weeks of practice. The app's immersive lessons are designed to be fun and completed in 10-15 minutes. Pick up Spanish, Italian, or countless other dialects with 55% off Babbel. [Read more]( Medical [Motion-powered mesh accelerates healing of damaged tendons]( [Scientists have developed an implantable mesh that converts power from human movement into an electrical current to treat injured tendons]( A new study has explored the potential of piezoelectric devices, which turn motion into electricity, to treat damaged tendons and found they can act as a "switch" to turn on highly targeted regenerative processes. [Read more]( Wearables [Bose battles distracting noise with QC 45 wireless ANC headphones]( [Bose promises improved ANC, more comfortable fit and top notch audio]( For a long while, Bose sat at the top of the active-noise-cancellation hill with its popular QuietComfort headphones. Now the company is hoping to take back some ground from the likes of Sony and Apple with the QuietComfort 45 wireless over-ears. [Read more]( Around The Home [MB&F's oddball Orb clock is inspired by eyes and beetle wings]( [The Orb in closed and open modes]( MB&F and L’Epée 1839 have released another playful clock that looks like it's half timepiece and half puzzle. At first glance, the Orb looks like a huge enameled eye, but opening the four beetle-like wings provides some versatile display options. [Read more]( Materials [Rainbow road sign film would be easier for autonomous vehicles to read]( [Left: a visible light image of a Stop sign covered in the new microscale concave interface (MCI) material. Right: a LIDAR image of the same sign.]( Autonomous vehicles operate in a complex environment, and recognizing traffic signs is an important part of that. A new microstructured material reflects light in rainbow rings, which can make traffic signs easier for computer vision systems to read. [Read more]( Space [ELSA-d spacecraft captures "space debris" in orbit for the first time]( [ELSA-d's magnetic capture mechanism includes a servicer and client module]( Private orbital debris removal company Astroscale has demonstrated its magnetic capture system that is designed to tackle the problem of space junk, with its ELSA-d servicer satellite managing to capture a simulated piece of space debris in orbit. [Read more]( Medical [Hydrogel produces oxygen to help heal chronic wounds]( [Sixteen days after being treated with the microsphere-containing hydrogel, diabetic ulcers on mice were reduced to 10.7 percent their original size]( Diabetic skin ulcers often take a long time to heal, sometimes even leading to complications that result in amputation. A new hydrogel is designed to help keep that from happening, by delivering oxygen directly to such wounds. [Read more]( Automotive [All-electric Ioniq 5 robotaxi to join Lyft ride-hailing service in the US]( [The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is expected to start ride-hailing duty in 2023]( Hyundai launched the first vehicle in its new all-electric Ioniq brand back in February, the almost-true-to-concept Ioniq 5 hatchback. And now the company has partnered with autonomous vehicle company Motional to put the EV to work as a robotaxi. [Read more]( Medical [Diving beetle inspires a better diagnostic skin patch]( [The male Hydaticus pacificus beetle, putting the setae on his forelegs to use]( When someone is suffering from a skin disease, diagnostic devices are often used to determine what disease it is, and how it's progressing. A new adhesive patch could make doing so quicker and easier than ever – and it's inspired by a diving beetle. [Read more]( Science [World's biggest Triceratops skeleton goes up for auction]( [Big John is the largest Triceratops specimen ever discovered]( Your chance to own one of the most iconic dinosaurs is about to come up – provided you have a spare few million and an empty ballroom on hand. The largest known specimen of Triceratops, nicknamed “Big John,” will go up for auction in October. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). 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