The Innovation Report
50 Years Ago: Viking 1 Lands On Mars
It has been half a century since NASA landed on Mars with the Viking 1 lander. Viking 1, one of a pair of Viking spacecraft, landed on Mars on July 20, 1976. Launched on August 20, 1975, Viking 1 arrived in orbit around Mars on June 19, 1976. The Viking program is,...
Apple Maps To Help Power Autonomous Driving In Ford’s 2027 EV
The integration leverages Apple's new MapKit for Automotive SDK, allowing Ford to embed Apple Maps directly into the vehicle's displays while maintaining the ability to customize the experience to match Ford's design language. Drivers will get turn-by-turn...
UK: Two More Years For Nuclear Power Stations
Two nuclear power stations will continue to generate electricity for two more years than previously announced. In the latest of multiple extensions, operator EDF said Hartlepool Power Station and Heysham 1 in Lancashire would run until March 2030, two years longer...
SpaceX Launches Satellite Repair Drone With 10-Foot Robotic Arms To Earth Orbit
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this week. SpaceX the launch MRV-MEV, because it's sending up a Mission Robotic Vehicle and three Mission Extension Pods (MEPs). These spacecraft will be operated by SpaceLogistics, a...
Model Highlights Patterns In How Humans Move Across Different Locations
Every day, billions of people travel from their homes to work, schools, health care facilities, restaurants, public venues and other destinations. The complex patterns that shape how people move between these different locations are broadly referred to as "human...
Smart Mobility Today: 20 July 2026
There are some things you have to do that are just a "job" -- something to get through and not necessarily enjoy. The Astemo Engineering Careers Tour does not fall into that category at all. When we visit a university and start talking to engineering students about...
New Process Turns Mixed Plastic Waste Directly Into Hydrogen Fuel
A team co-led by researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Ewha Womans University in South Korea has demonstrated a new chemical approach that converts a mixture of the three most common plastics directly into high-purity hydrogen fuel at temperatures...
Robots Are Hitting The Streets Of Hoboken, NJ., To Improve Accessibility For Pedestrians
Robots that look like "WALL-E" are starting to roam around Hoboken, New Jersey, as the city aims to improve accessibility for pedestrians. Hoboken officials announced residents will see Daxbot robots traveling along sidewalks starting Monday. They will be...
SpaceX Launches Starship, The World’s Largest Rocket
Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas on the 57th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Apollo 11 moon mission. This will be Starship's 13th flight overall and its second mission of...
Virginia Tech Researchers Use AI to Gauge Manufacturing Water Needs
As technology advances, demand for natural resources like water and minerals that power semiconductors and data processing centers is growing, too. According to a 2025 report from the World Economic Forum, semiconductors and data centers now consume 1.5 trillion...
