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  • 🚀 SpaceX Crew-10 docks, driverless electric bus in Barcelona, world’s first 3D-printed train station

🚀 SpaceX Crew-10 docks, driverless electric bus in Barcelona, world’s first 3D-printed train station

Plus: US firm unveils factory where humanoids will build robots, deliver 12,000 units a year

The newest Lexicon episode is out! How is untreated hearing loss linked to cognitive decline? Join Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical, as he explores the future of fully implanted hearing devices, Apple's move into the hearing aid market, and the hidden impact of hearing loss on mental health.

🎧️ Tune in now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website!

The newest Lexicon episode is out! How is untreated hearing loss linked to cognitive decline? Join Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical, as he explores the future of fully implanted hearing devices, Apple's move into the hearing aid market, and the hidden impact of hearing loss on mental health.

🎧️ Tune in now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website!

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday when SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft docked at 12:04 a.m. EDT while the station orbited about 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

The Crew-10 astronauts will replace four crew members who have been aboard the ISS for an extended stay—NASA’s Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos’ Aleksandr Gorbunov. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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In the new crew, McClain serves as the Crew-10 commander, with Ayers as the pilot and Onishi and Peskov as mission specialists. The four astronauts will remain aboard the ISS for approximately six months, the typical length of crew rotations.

Hague and Gorbunov arrived in late September as part of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, while Williams and Wilmore have been in orbit since early June after launching on the first crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

The mission was initially expected to last about eight days, but during the rendezvous with the space station, the Starliner encountered propulsion system issues, and NASA ultimately decided against bringing the crew back on the spacecraft. In response, NASA reassigned Williams and Wilmore to an extended ISS mission and adjusted the Crew-9 launch by removing two astronauts to accommodate their eventual return.

Commuters in Barcelona have recently been enjoying free rides on a new driverless minibus. Deployed by Renault, the trial aims to discover the future of urban mobility.

Two autonomous electric minibuses are operating on a 2.2-kilometer (1.36-mile) open road loop in the heart of Barcelona’s streets, in a collaboration between Renault and WeRide.

“By developing autonomous shuttles in a dense and complex urban environment, the experimentation demonstrates the maturity of new technologies for automated public transport services,” said Renault in a statement.

Japan’s train stations span from small rural shelters to expansive urban hubs, some featuring their own wineries, while others house towering ancient relics with glowing eyes.

Amid this diversity, JR West is now unveiling Japan’s first-ever 3D-printed station building.

Hatsushima Station, a new addition to the Kisei Line in Arita, Wakayama Prefecture, will be a single-story concrete structure measuring 2.6 meters in height, 6.3 meters in width, and 2.1 meters in depth. The project aims to provide an efficient solution for station construction when renovating aging facilities presents challenges, the company stated.

HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> Using a new method, researchers developed 2D sheets of bismuth, gallium, indium, tin, and lead that were hundreds of thousands of times thinner than human hair. Developed by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Physics, the ultra-thin metal sheets also offer exceptionally high electrical conductivity. (More)

> Laser 2.0: Flowing quantum dots produce one million pulses in a second (More)

> A new study reveals that Earth's biomes changed dramatically after mass volcanic eruptions 252 million years ago. (More)

ENERGY

> A UK-based firm, Powerhouse Energy Group, has initiated the operation of its Feedstock Testing Unit (FTU), which can convert waste plastics into hydrogen. (More)

> A Japanese town has discovered a method to convert cow manure into hydrogen fuel, which can power vehicles such as cars and tractors. (More)

> Covering every roof with solar panels could cover most of the world's electricity needs - and eliminate all fossil electricity generation too, says a new study. (More)

INNOVATION

> California-based Figure has announced that it is developing a new high-volume BotQ robot manufacturing facility. Developed in-house by Figure, the new factory is designed solely to produce humanoid robots. (More)

> Mercedes-Benz has revealed the highly anticipated, technologically advanced, and fully electric CLA. (More)

> China's LimX Dynamics launched a versatile bipedal robot last year with modular foot ends to walk or roll around as needed. Now the company has demonstrated its agility chops by having the squat bot hop over low fencing, climb stairs and clear obstacles with aplomb. (More)

VIDEO

> The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a sophisticated military platform that increases soldiers’ safety during combat. (More)

> The state-of-the-art B-52, B-1B, and B-2 bombers are the cornerstone of U.S. air dominance, combining unrivaled power and advanced technology. (More)

FROM THE WEB

> How do we know pi is an irrational number?

> Scientist Says He Found Evidence Our Entire Universe Is Trapped Inside a Black Hole

> First fast reactor fuel safety tests in decades carried out at INL

> China’s observatory in Chile in doubt as US raises military concerns

> A “biohybrid” robotic hand built using real human muscle cells

> Archaeology breakthrough as scientists uncover part of ancient statue that could solve century-old puzzle

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