Starlink activates high-speed ‘space laser’ links between satellites

Plus: The world's first solar-powered off-road car, Babylonians found the hypotenuse before Pythagoras, asteroid Psyche is metallic. Starlink is connecting its satellites with laser beams in a bid to outpace growing competition from its rivals. Their growing orbital data network enables ultra-high-speed transfers up to 100 Gbps between satellites. By avoiding slower radio frequency links and bypassing ground station bottlenecks, Starlink’s inter-satellite lasers provide a new level of speed and performance. With a planned mesh network of over 8,000 linked satellites, the company is implementing a real-time internet backbone in space. This marks a massive upgrade of satellite technology, with direct high-capacity connections between nodes hundreds of miles apart. Get the full story of this orbital engineering feat in today’s [Must Read](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let's get into it. 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Must Read [🛰 Starlink activates laser links between satellites, boosting internet speeds]( SpaceX's Starlink launched new satellites with laser links for high-speed inter-satellite data transfer. The space laser network enables speeds up to 100 Gbps between satellites, boosting performance for Starlink's space-based internet service without involving infrastructure on Earth. The laser-equipped satellites are Starlink's latest upgrade as satellite internet competition intensifies. Fast, reliable service is critical for retaining users and winning new maritime and aviation clients. Starlink plans to operate over 8,000 laser-linked satellites to improve their global coverage as demand increases. [[Read More]( [Science]( 🪩 NASA aircraft reveals metallic nature of asteroid Psyche NASA's now retired flying observatory SOFIA studied the asteroid Psyche and found its surface emits light uniformly, indicating a metallic composition. As one of the largest asteroids, believed to be an exposed planetary core, Psyche offers insights into planets' inner structure. Further study by SOFIA and the upcoming NASA mission set to reach Psyche in 2029 will reveal more about this rare metal-rich asteroid. [[Read More]( [Culture]( 📐 Ancient Babylonian tablet reveals Pythagorean theorem A Babylonian tablet from around 1770 BC uses principles of the Pythagorean theorem, suggesting ancient Babylonians discovered it centuries before the famous Greek mathematician Pythagoras for whom it's named. Decoded markings reveal Babylonians knew the theorem relating square sides and hypotenuse in a right triangle, indicating knowledge of advanced math before Pythagoras, who may have popularized rather than discovered it. [[Read More]( [Transportation]( 🚙 Meet Stella Terra: World's first solar-powered off-road car Students at Eindhoven University of Technology developed Stella Terra, the world's first solar-powered off-road vehicle. Weighing just 1200 kg, it has a top speed of 90 mph and max range of 390 miles. Custom-designed components like the suspension and solar inverters enable it to withstand off-road conditions. After testing in the Netherlands, Stella Terra will take a 600 mile trip to the Sahara this month to prove the potential of solar vehicles. [[Read More]( job alert In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Software Test Engineer]( [Boulder,US]( [Principal Platform Software Engineer - Platform Architect]( [Santa Clara,US]( [Associate Principal, Software Engineering: ServiceNow Development]( [Chicago,US]( [Network Engineer II]( [Annapolis Junction,US]( [Sr SRE DEV Ops Engineer]( [Clearwater,US]( [Senior Software Engineer (Full stack)]( [Annapolis Junction,US]( QUESTION OF THE DAY How do you connect to the internet? [Via satellite]( [Fiber connection]( [Mobile network]( [Copper wire and modem]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS In our latest poll, 47 percent of you accept the benefits of having artificial general intelligence in the workplace, but 25 percent expect to retire before it becomes a reality. 47% Yes, I can see how it would help 25% I'll retire before that happens 14% Only if they'd like to work with me 14% No, I only work with humans “Our findings suggest the asteroid is very complex and likely holds many other surprises. The possibility of the unexpected is one of the most exciting parts of a mission to study an unexplored body, and we look forward to gaining a more detailed understanding of Psyche’s origins.” Anicia Arredondo, Southwest Research Institute. 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