Important Innovations

  Satellite Launching Business                                                  Source:  Virgin Orbit Targets $1 Billion Valuation Richard Branson's satellite launching business Virgin Orbit hopes to raise $200 million in a round of funding.  That would place the valuation of the company at $1 Billion.  The money will be used to fund satellite launches and for capital expenditures.   The Wall Street Journal first reported Branson's target of $200 million in funding. 747 Jumbo Jet Approach Branson is using highly modified 747 jumbo jets to launch, from mid air, rockets carrying satellites and place them in orbit.  The target market is small satellites ranging from the size of a toaster to a household refrigerator.  The satellites are placed in low Earth orbit for highly sophisticated services ranging from commercial applications to national security information gathering.  Launches can originate from any airports capable of 747 take-offs and landings. Space Competition Virgin Or

 A   #1 New Release on Amazon                                                                                                                     Source:  Amazon  https://amazon.com/author/ekane Musk's Latest SpaceX and Tesla Achievements  For the past week, journalist Edward Kane's latest book "The Elon Musk Factor" has been a #1 new release on Amazon and on the Amazon Hottest Book list.  To learn about the entrepreneur's most recent breakthroughs in electric vehicles, automotive engineering, space travel and renewable energy, take a free preview at  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B08KHCYGY9&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_5mIGFb7N0RYTC   I co-authored the book with Ed.

 US Army's   Unique, Innovative Technology                                                                                                                                                           Source:  US Army Purpose: Better Communication, Protection & Safety For Soldier & Dog The US Army is developing augmented reality goggles for military dogs to help them better protect their soldier partner and themselves.  The goal is to allow soldiers to give dogs specific directional commands when not in the direct line of sight.  This innovative technology development is being funded by the Small Business Innovation Research program.  AR Goggles for Dogs vs. For People AR goggles for dogs work very differently than for humans.  The Army Research Lab explains that the AR goggles will be used to provide military dogs with commands and cues.  It is not for the dog to interact with the world in the way humans do using AR goggles. Tech Specifics The equipment for the dogs include a

  Innovative Environmental Cleanup Technology                                             Source:  Galgeschon Preserve Cleaning 7.5 Million Tons of Plastic From Nature Preserve  In Belgium, a team of engineers have built a giant, smart vacuum to remove millions of pieces of plastic - too small to be removed by hand - from a Belgium nature preserve and bird sanctuary.  The Galgeschon Preserve is located in Antwerp.  It is home to endangered bird species.  Over the years the salt marches and mud flats in the preserve were inundated with plastic particles from towns and industries along the river Scheldt. Intense Competition Port Authority officials launched a competition to design technology solutions to de-contaminate the site.  The winner is a huge vacuum called the "Nul-o-Plastic" developed by Envisan, which is the environmental division of the maritime infrastructure company Jan De Nul Group. Very Smart Vacuum The  Nul-o-Plastic is a very smart vacuum customized to the pres

  Cambridge 1 Being Built By US-Based Nvidia                                                       Source  Nvidia For Drug Discoveries and Treatments in COVID World Graphics chip maker Nvidia, based in California, is creating the UK's fastest AI supercomputer for drug discoveries and treatments particularly for Covid-19. The supercomputer is called Cambridge 1. It will go on line by the end of 2020 as the world's 29th most powerful AI supercomputer and the most powerful in the UK.  The participants in the UK health care AI supercomputer effort are impressive.  They include GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), AstraZeneca, King's College, 2 London Hospitals and Oxford Nanopore.   Other Components to This Health Care Discovery Effort GSK and Nvidia have also build a London based AI lab for vaccine and treatment discovery. And Nvidia has proposed a $40 billion purchase of Cambridge UK based Arm, one of the UK's most successful tech companies specializing in semiconductor chip and softwa

  CEO Elon Musk's Roadster Approaches Mars                                                                           Source:  SpaceX and Tesla "Starman" Behind the Wheel, Inside a Rocket SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk's red, $100,000 Tesla Roadster had made its closest approach to Mars.  The Roadster driver "Starman", which is a mannequin in a spacesuit, are part of a payload inside the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Colonizing Mars One of entrepreneur Elon Musk's major goals is to colonize Mars and make all of us an interplanetary civilization. SpaceX says the Falcon Heavy rocket vehicle with the Roadster inside made their first close approach to Mars and was within 5 million miles of the planet.   Harvard Astronomer Tracking Harvard astronomer Jonathan Dowell is tracking the journey.  He says the SpaceX spacecraft is in an elliptical orbit around the Sun.  The vehicle is 37 million miles from Earth and has travelled 1.3 billion miles sin

  Reopens to the Public in Phoenix After COVID                                                       Source:  Waymo Robo Taxis Hitting the Road Waymo's autonomous, robo taxi ride hailing service is open to the public in Phoenix.  The company has put years of autonomous driving research on the line to operate Waymo as a revenue producing business.  Waymo has a serious tech pedigree.  It is a business unit of Google's parent company Alphabet. Driving Plans With No Human Attendants Today, Waymo driverless minivans with no human attendants on board resumed operations for members of Waymo One service in Phoenix. In the spring, operations were suspended because of the COVID pandemic.  Now, within a few weeks, there will be open access for anyone who downloads the smartphone app and wants to hail a Waymo ride within a 50 square mile radius of Phoenix.  Next step will be to offer the service within a 100 square mile area of Phoenix.  The company has hopes of expanding operations beyond