Tesla’s 48-volt tech giveaway, Rolls-Royce’s lunar micro-reactor, NASA’s latest cryobot plans for icy moons

?? You're reading The Vital Component, a breakdown of the week's engineering news delivered to your inbox. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. Let's dive in.

This week’s headlines feature Tesla’s technology gift, nuclear fission for the Moon, and a cryobot search for alien life.

Tesla shocked rivals by openly sharing details of its advanced 48-volt vehicle platform, potentially accelerating industry-wide adoption. Rolls Royce aims nuclear fission to power sustained operations even on the Moon's permanently-shaded poles. And NASA moves ahead with plans to penetrate the icy crusts of distant moons, actively hunting for signs of extraterrestrial biology.

Also making headlines: Researchers created self-replicating DNA nanobots powered by UV light. Watch a robot transform from dog to humanoid before your eyes. And 3D-printed concrete gets stronger and smarter with graphene oxide.

Plus, why a massive red star will briefly vanish on Monday night, how ancient stars produce mysterious heavy elements, and Elon Musk’s promise of a $25,000 EV revolution.

It’s been another week of abundant innovation and expanding possibility. Keep reading for the most interesting stories from the past seven days.

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MUST KNOW

? Tesla shocks the world by sharing its 48-volt technology — for free

Tesla provided a guide to its 48-volt vehicle system to all major automaker CEOs. It includes the proprietary technology that powers Cybertruck’s advanced maneuverability and enables faster charging, better performance, and greater efficiency than conventional 12-volt platforms.?

While some critics worry that Tesla is empowering rivals, its surprising generosity may accelerate industry-wide EV adoption. Find out how Tesla’s unexpected move could shape the electric future. Learn more

Rolls-Royce portable micro-reactor for lunar outposts

UK engineering firm Rolls-Royce has revealed plans for a compact nuclear fission reactor to provide continuous electricity for lunar bases. The 10-foot-long (3 meters) rocket-transportable concept model would support sustained lunar surface operations, even at the permanently-shaded lunar poles. Continue reading to see a mock-up of the reactor and learn more about the proposed timeline and potential impact of Rolls-Royce’s technology. Learn more

NASA unveils nuclear-powered cryobot mission concept to hunt alien life

NASA is moving forward with plans for a cryobot mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus in the 2030s. The nuclear-powered cylindrical probe would use a thermal drill and water jetting to penetrate the moons' thick icy crusts and directly sample subsurface oceans, seeking signs of alien life with a diverse sensor suite.?

A recent NASA workshop with 40 experts focused on key subsystems. While significant technical obstacles exist, researchers concluded the cryobot approach remains the most feasible way with current technology to actively search other worlds for extraterrestrial biology. Learn more about what promises to be a gripping mission. ?

WEEK'S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS?

INNOVATION ?

• New DNA nanobots can replicate themselves using UV light An international collaboration developed a new DNA-based nanobot that can self-replicate indefinitely under the right conditions.
• Watch this wheeled robot dog transform into a humanoid and dump boxes Swiss-Mile's ANYmal robot is being trained to perform practical tasks by manipulating its wheeled legs and arms.
• Graphene oxide makes 3D printed concrete stronger, smarter, study finds The material has the potential to make 3D-printed concrete more cost-effective and sustainable, according to a new study.

SCIENCE ?

• Watch Betelgeuse vanish in a rare asteroid eclipse on Monday night The massive red supergiant star in the Orion constellation will momentarily vanish from sight on Monday night
• CO? induces irreversible climate shifts on Earth, alarming experts The results show that the last time the CO? levels were as high as today was 14 million years ago during the Miocene epoch.
• Experts find ancient stars might produce elements over atomic mass 260 A new research found evidence that ancient stars may have had the unusual capacity to generate atomic masses greater than 260.?

TRANSPORTATION ?

• Elon Musk bets a $25,000 EV ‘revolution’ with Tesla Model 2 production Elon Musk has offered a few intriguing details about this highly anticipated vehicle, hinting at the advanced stage of development and production process.
• Meet ‘world’s first’ hydrogen-run monster truck with 1,000 horsepower The Jurassic Attack Monster truck was developed by Team Throttle Monsters with the Hydrogen-ICE powertrain supplied by Arrington Hydrogen.
• Europe’s carmakers secure just 16% of critical metals for EV batteries Critical findings are released in a Transport and Energy report, revealing challenges in Europe's electric vehicle (EV) supply chain.

JOB ALERT

In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: jobs.interestingengineering.com

• Sr. Software Test Engineer I ?at 23andMe, Sunnyvale (US) $128,000 - $192,000 a year
• Senior Network Architect Engineer #TS999 ?at CRL Technologies, Lexington Park (US)
• Beginning Software Engineer (Back End) at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Annapolis Junction (US)
• DevOps Engineer ?at Accenture Federal Services, Reston (US)

"They weren’t joking. We received the document today, dated December 5. Thanks, @ElonMusk. Great for the industry!"

Jim Farley, CEO at Ford

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Where to find the AI jobs that pay up to $450K per year? Global workers fret over AI’s earning impact while job postings doubled, offering 78 percent higher salaries, widening the tech pay gap by 36 percent.
• 11 of the most iconic space images of all time From the solar eclipse that helped prove Einstein’s theory to the first image of an “Earthrise”, these are some of the most important moments in history. Lists of best space images could go on forever, but here are just a few.
• Where does all our used coffee go? The world generates around 18 million tonnes of spent coffee grounds (SGCs) every year — and it's not safe to just simply toss them as organic waste in landfills.
• Astronauts aboard ISS find lost tomato after 8 months of space odyssey NASA astronaut Frank Rubio misplaced the tiny tomato after a harvest in March 2023.

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