The Engineering Edge Review: 3D Printing Meat and Medicine in Space
By: Gege Li
You’ve heard of 3D printers, and you’ve heard of flights into space. Combine them together, and you get the first 3D printer on a test flight, which was made possible by Made In Space. This engineering company is focusing on repurposing waste plastic and even dirt from the moon as feedstock for 3D printing. In the future, it may be possible for astronauts to use this 3D material to build lunar facilities. For example, with 3D printers, the idea of putting a 3D bioprinter in space could be possible in a few years. In fact, NASA has even “printed” cow tissue from stem cells to be eaten by astronauts. To know more about these wild changes happening in space, click on the link!
School of Robots are Mapping the Unknown Features of the Deep Sea
By: Claudia Geib
71% of our planet is covered by ocean, but only 15% of the features under the deep sea have been accurately mapped. To explore the secrets of the ocean at a faster pace, Japan’s grant-making Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans announced a joint project to map the deep sea. The deadline they gave to the scientific community: 100% of the ocean floor is to be mapped by 2030. On the other hand, Shell is holding the Ocean Discovery XPRIZE ($7 million competition) for exploration and mapping with 19 different semifinalist teams from around the world. To take a look into these innovations for mapping the deep-sea floor, take a look at Futurism’s link to their article.
I-70 Reopens; Mile Hight Shift Completed as Viaduct Demolition Begins
On May 24, 2021, Interstate 70 opened back up from being closed all weekend for a massive demolition and transition project by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The Mile High Shift cleared the way for demolition of the 57-year-old viaduct located between Washington Boulevard and Interstate 270 in Denver. Since the project began in August 2018, it has garnered national attention and become a history-making project for the State of Colorado. Next up is the entire demolition of the old I-70 viaduct and building the eastbound lanes, which will take 5 months to do. There is more information about The Mile High Shift in the link below!
