Month: August 2017

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North Korea’s miniaturized #nuclear warhead – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

As you may have heard, North Korea has successfully produced a miniaturised nuclear warhead to be delivered by its Hwasong-14 (KN-14) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to an analysis by the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency. North Korea may have the required technologies and materials for reentry vehicles (RVs) and it may have demonstrated them in rocket-engine static-test firings, but it has not successfully flown them under real flight conditions. A second Hwasong-14 missile test on July 28 reached a height of 3,725 kilometres and travelled 998km, before landing in waters off Japan. However, video of the ICBM reentering the atmosphere … Continue reading North Korea’s miniaturized #nuclear warhead – an annotated infographic

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#India celebrates its first high-speed rail line becoming a reality – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are to lay the foundation stone for India’s first high-speed rail line that could see trains run at 350 kilometres an hour. The projects is part of a ‘Diamond Qaudrilateral’ of high-speed trains over 10,000km of track that India wants to set up connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading #India celebrates its first high-speed rail line becoming a reality – an annotated infographic

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Moon Express details plans to mine the Moon – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Moon Express hopes to become the first private spaceflight company to send a robotic lander to the moon, scoop up some moon dust, load it into a small return vehicle and send it back to Earth. In one small step for space business, Moon Express has won US regulatory approval — under the 104-nation Outer Space Treaty — to become the first private company to fly to the Moon. At the heart of the company’s plans is a single-stage spacecraft, similar in size and shape to the R2-D2 droid from Star Wars, but a little bigger. Launched from New Zealand, … Continue reading Moon Express details plans to mine the Moon – an annotated infographic

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#India buys six stealth submarines – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

In what is said to be its largest ever underwater defence deal, India has initiated the process to acquire six new submarines, which are seen as crucial to counter China’s growing undersea prowess. As part of the long-delayed deal, India’s Ministry of Defence has issued the Request For Information (RFI) to Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and Spain to build the submarines with an estimated Rs. 70,000 crore ($10.9 billion) together with an Indian shipyard. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading #India buys six stealth submarines – an annotated infographic

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#NuclearWar threat as #Trump and #KimJongUn fight over #NorthKoreaNukes – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Some Western analysts suggest that North Korea’s Hwasong-14 (KN-14) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is powered by a 1960s Soviet-era RD-250 engine, originally designed and built in the Ukraine. The second rocket launch on July 28 reached a height of 3,700km before landing in the sea about 1,000km away. Fired on a flatter, standard trajectory, it could reach US cities such as Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago, according to David Wright, a missile expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Michael Elleman, senior fellow for missile defence at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said that the rocket’s engine … Continue reading #NuclearWar threat as #Trump and #KimJongUn fight over #NorthKoreaNukes – an annotated infographic

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#ElectricVehicles – the dawn of a new age – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

The cost of owning an electric vehicle will draw level with that of a fossil fuel-powered car as early as next year. According to Swiss bank UBS, this will lead to sooner than expected adoption of EVs. An analysis by UBS concluded that the total cost of ownership, which includes fuel and other running costs, will draw level with traditionally powered vehicles next year in Europe, and in 2023 in China and 2025 in the United States. The bank predicted an “inflexion point for demand” for battery-driven cars and raised its expectations for global electric vehicle sales by 50 percent, … Continue reading #ElectricVehicles – the dawn of a new age – an annotated infographic

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#Netflixandchill takes off worldwide – subscriber boom means celebration @Netflix – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Netflix is booming on the back of its subscribers outside of the United States. The Silicon Valley-based streaming service added 9.9 million paid subscribers in the first six months of 2017. Last year Netflix burned through $1.7 billion creating original content – an estimated 126 series or films to offer something unique to its global web subscribers. Netflix is projecting an even wider gap in 2017, with free cash flow – that’s cash from operations minus capital expenditures – worsening to a $2 billion outflow. Netflix hasn’t had a positive free cash flow for three years and expects negative cash … Continue reading #Netflixandchill takes off worldwide – subscriber boom means celebration @Netflix – an annotated infographic

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US Navy honours past President with Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

The US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been commissioned. It is the most expensive warship ever built. The $12.9 billion vessel is the first in a new generation of aircraft carriers, featuring a host of changes over the current Nimitz-class fleet. The Ford is the lead ship in the US Navy’s new class of super carriers. Two nuclear reactors power the 1,092ft-long warship, allowing it to cruise at 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour). Its new technologies include electromagnetic launch systems for jets and drones, a system that replaces steam catapults. The carrier has been … Continue reading US Navy honours past President with Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier – an annotated infographic

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#Airbus Perlan II glider aims for new heights and rare scientific data – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

The Airbus-sponsored Perlan II mission is in Argentina for a second year of flight operations in a bid to set a new glider altitude record by riding so-called “mountain waves” created by powerful gusts of wind over the Andes Mountains. The team hopes to reach a height of 16,700 metres using a custom-built pressurized sailplane – breaking the current glider record set by Perlan I in 2006 – while also gathering valuable scientific data on high altitude flight and climate change. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading #Airbus Perlan II glider aims for new heights and rare scientific data – an annotated infographic

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Voyager Interstellar Mission – the 40th anniversary – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Later this month it will be the 40th anniversary of the Voyager Interstellar Mission launch. Voyagers 1 and 2 were launched in August 1977 to take advantage of a favourable alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The two spacecraft – sent in opposite directions – have been exploring interstellar space ever since. Voyager 1 and 2 have explored all the giant planets of our outer solar system, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune; 48 of their moons; and the unique system of rings and magnetic fields those planets possess. By the time of the anniversary, Voyager 1 will have traveled … Continue reading Voyager Interstellar Mission – the 40th anniversary – an annotated infographic