Apple gives in to Right to Repair

Astronauts will traverse the moon in 2025 using an autonomous buggy, researchers successfully used iodine to power a satellite in space Nov 18, 2021 # Good morning. Many satellites use xenon as a propellant to change orbit, but it's expensive – and a surprising element might provide us with a cheaper alternative. Surprisingly, instead of a rare Earth mineral, it turns out we can use a common food supplement called iodine. Also in space news, Northrop Grumman announced that it will design an electric and autonomous buggy for the Artemis mission with the help of Apollo astronauts. Meanwhile, back on Earth, we are witnessing changing tides: Apple will make manuals and tools available for a number of its most popular devices in an unexpected yet welcomed win for the Right to Repair. This is The Blueprint. Keep reading. INNOVATION [Astronauts Will Traverse the Moon in 2025 Using an Autonomous Buggy]( [The lunar buggy.]( The timeframe for NASA's return to the moon is slippery, but when it finally happens, a vehicle designed by Northrop Grumman will transport Artemis astronauts around the lunar surface. - Shoot for the moon. [Northrop Grumman announced that it will design]( the electric and autonomous Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for Artemis astronauts, who are due to land on the moon in 2025 after [delays over Blue Origin's failed legal dispute]( with NASA. Northrop Grumman has Apollo astronauts Dr. Harrison “Jack” Schmitt and Charles Duke on its team to provide first-hand knowledge. Both astronauts rode NASA's lunar buggy during the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions respectively, so they definitely know what they’re doing. Cosmic teamwork. Northrop Grumman will be the primary contractor, but it’s also teaming up with other companies. - Northrop Grumman will handle systems integration and other facets like energy management, avionics, navigation, and training. - AVL will provide its expertise on battery-electric systems, and autonomous driving. - Intuitive Machines will bring its knowledge on landing systems to the table, while Lunar Outpost will bring dust mitigation technologies from its MAPP rover. - Finally, Michelin will design a robust airless tire specifically for the LTV. The LTV will help take humans to the lunar south pole for the first time in an expedition that could [uncover ice and water resources](. And it doesn’t end there, since Northrop is also developing the Habitat and Logistics Outpost (HALO), which will be a lunar habitat with living quarters. One thing’s for sure: It’s going to be a tight deadline. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Researchers Successfully Used Iodine to Power a Satellite in Space]( [Xenon-powered thruster in action.]( A team of researchers from the space firm, ThrustMe, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore [may have found the elusive component]( to making electric propulsion more mainstream in the near future. - Interestingly, the component isn't some rare earth mineral but a common food supplement, iodine. Expensive thrust. The current propellant of choice for satellites is xenon, an inert gas found in trace amounts on the planet. However, apart from being rare, its commercial production is an expensive affair and unsustainable in the long term. Iodine in space. Unlike xenon that needs to be pressurized, iodine can be stored as solid fuel inside the spacecraft. It’s also far cheaper to produce and more abundant than xenon on Earth. - It works. On November 6, 2020, ThrustMe used iodine as a propellant on a 44-pound (20-kg) CubeSat and performed maneuvers to place it into orbit. It now only confirms the use of iodine as a propellant but also claims that it has a higher ionization efficiency. Propellants like iodine must be heated before burning, which means warm-up and cool-down stages. This, in turn, creates considerable downtime where satellites cannot do their intended mission. However, using iodine as a propellant can also make satellite systems smaller, simpler, and easier to deploy and dispose of after their lifetime. Time will tell whether this will accelerate the adoption of alternative propellants within the space industry and demonstrate the potential of iodine [for a wide range of space missions](. [Read More]( INNOVATION [In Major Switch, Apple Will Teach You How to Repair iPhones and Sell Spare Parts]( [Cracked phone screen.]( Apple [has at last declared that]( people may finally repair their own phones in a major pivot from its present repair standards, but there's more. The tech juggernaut also plans to sell repair parts directly to customers, in a move few other phone developers have tried in the last decade. - What to expect. Self Service Repair will be available in the U.S. early next year for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and will soon be followed by Mac computers with M1 CPUs. It will then expand to other nations in 2022. The firm's repair offerings will initially emphasize batteries, screens, and cameras, but more is coming in 2022. Customers will be allowed access to repair manuals, and, after diagnosing the issues, they can order the needed parts and tools from Apple. Once the repair is finished, customers can then return defunct parts to an Apple store, which will earn them store credit. - Massive milestone. It should go without saying that this is a colossal shift in Apple's attitude toward right-to-repair issues, before which the Big Tech firm had enforced a repair monopoly on all of its products, going far out of its way to stop people like you from fixing your own devices. Apple has repeatedly sued repair companies for using what the firm claims are "counterfeit" parts, and [has fought hard to prevent Right-to-Repair legislation]( from coming to fruition. But now the tides have turned, and it could fundamentally change the public's attitude to not only iPhones and other smartphones, but digital technology in general. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS It’s no secret that Apple has a distaste for the Right-to-Repair movement, but now seems to have had a change of heart. Do you think this is a smart move by Apple? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes, others will follow.]( [No, it won’t be profitable.]( [iPhones are too complex. Who among us?]( [I don’t fix, I buy.]( Yesterday’s Results And now let’s check out your answers to yesterday’s question! We asked you what's stopping you from switching to an EV right now. And for 58% of you, it’s the high price point of EVs. This is a valid concern since an electric vehicle still costs $7–14,000 more than an internal combustion equivalent. However, this seems to be a temporary situation, and [one that may resolve itself in four to six years](. On the other hand, 29% voiced their concerns about range anxiety. Well, the majority of modern EVs can go from 150 to 300 miles (240 to 280 km) on a single charge, so you don’t need to pop the pill for this one. They’re too expensive! 58% Range anxiety is real. 29% I’m in a love affair with my car. 9% I don’t like change. 4% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ Science is the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not. That needs more courage than we might think. ” Jacob Bronowski in 'The Common Sense of Science' [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [A Craftsman Built a Chainless Bicycle. But Does It Work as Well as the Real Thing?]( No more untangling the bike chain! [A Craftsman Built a Chainless Bicycle. But Does It Work as Well as the Real Thing?]( TODAY IN HISTORY In 1970, Linus Pauling, a Nobel Laureate, declared that large doses of vitamin C could prevent the common cold. It doesn’t, which is why the medical community was quick to voice their strong opposition to this idea. But many people believed Dr. Pauling and began taking large amounts of vitamin C. Today, most people still believe in the power of vitamin C to ward off a cold, and there are [many other commonly believed health myths]( that have been debunked by modern science. AND ANOTHER THING... - A couple of weeks after Elon Musk challenged the UN's World Food Program (WFP) to publicly state how it plans to save millions from starvation, [the WFP has responded and put the ball back]( in Musk's court by publishing the details he needed to make a donation. - Severe flooding in British Columbia [has reached catastrophic proportions]( with one person killed and several more feared dead. Torrential rainfall and subsequent floods mark only the latest in a string of natural disasters that have touched down in B.C. this year. (VICE) - Here's what [would happen if your helicopter's engine quit]( while approaching the summit of a mountain. If you knew how to fly one, of course. - An Indigenous clan fears [it will lose its place in the world]( as the government pursues a quest to open a spaceport and lure the billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk. (The New York Times $) - Individual hackers had the arena to themselves long before nation-states got in on it. [Here’s how they pushed computing to the limits](. - [Substances that persistently luminesce]( are already used in some bike lanes, and in the future could be applied to sidewalks, streets, and buildings — saving energy and reducing urban heat. (Knowable Magazine) - A company converted a missile silo into a luxury survival resort that can house 75 people for five years. The condos range from $500,000 to $3 million, and [they're guaranteed to be doomsday-proof](. [Share to Win]SHARE TO WIN [All products]( Share The Blueprint! Give your friends deeper insights into engineering and tech, and win exclusive IE swag for free. 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