🛰️ NATO's nuclear exercise amid Russia tension, potential ISS replacement, AI voices extinct species

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will begin its annual nuclear exercise on Monday in western Europe.

Named ‘Steadfast Noon’, the nuclear exercise will see the active participation of more than 60 aircraft in training flights for a period of two weeks.

All the aircraft taking part in the Steadfast Noon exercise are fighter jets capable of carrying the United States’ nuclear warheads. However, no live weapons will be used during the tenure of the exercise. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on jobs.interestingengineering.com:

> Sr. Development Data Engineer
> Senior Database Automation Engineer

Reading Time: 4 mins

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Subscribe here.

MUST-READ

🚀 Steadfast Noon: NATO begins nuclear exercise with 60+ aircraft in western Europe

NATO's nuclear exercise is an annual affair that usually takes place in October. This time, it will involve 2,000 military personnel from eight airbases and a variety of aircraft types, including nuclear-capable jets, bombers, fighter escorts, refueling aircraft, and planes capable of reconnaissance and electronic warfare.

According to a press release by the organization, this year’s exercise involves flights mainly over host countries Belgium and the Netherlands and in airspace over Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the North Sea.

According to NATO, thirteen of its allies are sending their aircraft to take part in the drills this year. The planning began almost a year ago, and the aircraft will participate in various exercises over the next few days to prove their skills and combat readiness.

🛰️ US firm unveils next-gen Haven-2 space station; potential ISS replacement 

Vast, a US-based space habitation tech company, has unveiled Haven-2, which could be the successor to the International Space Station (ISS).

The company showcased the design of Haven-2 during the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC). This next-gen orbital station will offer a spacious and comfortable environment for astronauts, with plenty of room for research, recreation, and even personal hobbies.

The ISS is scheduled to be retired by 2030. In response, NASA has initiated the Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) program to develop a successor. And Haven-2 is a potential candidate for the CLD contract. NASA is expected to announce Phase 2 winners in mid-2026.

🦤 Talk to a dodo: AI voices dead species to raise awareness of biodiversity crisis

In a groundbreaking use of artificial intelligence (AI), Cambridge University’s Museum of Zoology is bringing dead animals back to life—at least in a conversational sense.

This unique month-long project, starting on Tuesday, allows more than a dozen museum exhibits, including an American cockroach, a red panda, a fin whale skeleton, and even the remnants of a dodo, to “speak” to visitors.

The AI technology enables these long-dead creatures to share their stories and experiences, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of their lives and the biodiversity crisis.

Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. Subscribe here

HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> Scientists have taken a significant step toward protecting coral reefs by successfully breeding corals with improved heat tolerance, according to a new study. (More)

> A new study proposes that rats can manipulate particles in the air with sound to enhance their impressive sense of smell. (More)

> A nearby alien planet is the first of its kind, new observations by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest. (More)

ENERGY

> China's domestically developed buoyant airborne turbine (BAT) reached a record height on Thursday in central China's Hubei Province, harnessing stronger, steadier winds from higher altitudes to generate power. (More)

> Newly confirmed data reveals that superhot, superdeep rock miles beneath the surface can form permeable fractures, enhancing geothermal energy prospects. (More)

> Volunteers bring solar power to Hurricane Helene's disaster zone. (More)

INNOVATION

> Could Spanish private space company PLD Space take on SpaceX? The company just announced a line of new rockets, as well as Europe’s first private crew capsule. (More)

> Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, has introduced a massive robot to retrieve the first fuel sample from a reactor. This comes 13 years after a devastating earthquake and tsunami triggered a meltdown and radioactive leak at the site. (More)

> Researchers have unveiled a novel approach to tackle obesity by targeting fat absorption in the small intestine. (More)

VIDEO

> NASA launched a spacecraft from Florida on Monday on a mission to examine whether Jupiter's moon Europa has conditions suitable to support life, with a focus on the large subsurface ocean believed to be lurking beneath its thick outer shell of ice. (More)

> Waterfront properties are some of the most sought-after and most expensive properties in the world. Sea-steading offers a new opportunity: living on the water, not just by it. What kind of engineering goes into building a community on the sea? (More)

IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

The answer is:
The first row is 17×17=289, The second row is 18×18=324
The third row is 19×19=361. So the missing number is 1

Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on Instagram and Facebook! 

FROM THE WEB

> Nanoparticle infusion therapy breaks down plaques in arteries

> ‘SuperLimbs’ could help astronauts recover from falls

> UFO drones are surveilling America’s most sensitive military sites — and the Pentagon says it can’t stop them

> A Southern California school plants a 'Moon Tree' grown with seeds flown in space

> British explorer Sandy Irvine's foot was discovered 100 years after he vanished on Everest

> See the gorgeous Rosette Nebula — before it destroys itself