The space manufacturing race is on 🚀
Plus find out about Elon Musk's latest in a series of Twitter related controversies 🤦
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🚀 Big Tech & Startup
It seems like there’s a been a new controversy over at X (formerly Twitter) HQ every week since Elon Musk took over. It started with him getting rid of approximately 80% of his workforce, and since then we’ve seen a name change, unbanning’s for unsavoury characters such as Donald Trump and neo-Nazi’s, and a blue tick subscription service that led to inevitable chaos. For his latest turn, Musk has now suggested that having the ability to block other users “makes no sense”.
Unfortunately for Musk, the ability to block other users not only makes sense, it is required by both Google and Apple, and it’s removal could led to X being banned from their app stores. The suggestion quickly garnered controversy, with people pointing out that the blocking feature was particularly necessary for victims of harassment and cyber-bullying. Musk’s next move will be interesting, but he does have form when it comes to backing out of conflicts with Apple…
🔭 Science & Futuristic Tech
In-space manufacturing, once a concept limited to science fiction, is now a burgeoning market with startups and analysts predicting significant growth. McKinsey's Ilan Rozenkopf estimates the market, encompassing sectors like pharma, semiconductors, and health products, could surpass $10 billion by 2030. The unique conditions in space, such as microgravity and high radiation levels, enable innovative manufacturing methods unattainable on Earth. While the International Space Station has been a hub for experiments, including those focused on human tissue growth and drug development, access remains competitive.
Enter startups like Varda Space Industries, aiming to leverage space's unique properties to enhance pharmaceuticals. Central to Varda's strategy is protein crystallisation, a process producing higher quality protein crystals in space than on Earth. These crystals aid in understanding diseases and refining drug designs. However, Varda's focus isn't on mass-produced drugs but on specific ones with significant revenue potential. Meanwhile, in Cardiff, Space Forge is designing in-space factories to produce advanced semiconductors, aiming for a 10 to 100-fold performance boost. The key? Perfect crystals formed in space. These advancements in semiconductors are pivotal for industries like 5G and electric vehicles. Both Varda and Space Forge plan to manufacture only parts of their products in space, bringing the rest back to Earth for completion. The future of in-space manufacturing is unfolding, with startups like these leading the charge.
🧑💻 Dev, Data & Design
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⚙️ Miscellaneous
A Russian spacecraft crashed into the moon 🌝
Police caught 300 dangerous drivers in 3 days using a new AI 🚨
The true appearance of Ötzi the iceman, a 5,300 year old mummy, has finally been revealed ❄️
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