giant

Jeff Bezos’ giant rocket is ready and NASA is making eyes at it

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For once, Elon Musk’s Starship is not the protagonist. In the midst of a heated public debate about Who will take astronauts to the Moon first?Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, is about to launch the first New Glenn rocket mission for NASA, with an unexpected lunar spin. Ready to take off. Now that Starbase platform 1 is undergoing renovationsall eyes are on the LC-36 platform at Cape Canaveral. The giant rocket that attracts attention this time is the imposing New Glenn from Blue Origin, another beast 98 meters high and seven meters in diameter, ready for its first order. After successfully completing a 38-second static burn with its seven BE-4 engines, Jeff Bezos’ megarocket has the green light for its first assignment: NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars. When? In the absence of confirmation from Blue Origin, the United States Federal Aviation Administration aim for a first try on November 7 between 19:51 and 21:50 UTC, with another two-hour backup window on November 8 starting at 19:49. It is not a minor release. ESCAPADE is NASA’s first multi-craft mission to Mars orbit. The New Glenn will launch the twin Blue and Gold probes, built by Rocket Lab to study the magnetosphere of the red planet. Second landing attempt. For Blue Origin, the secondary mission is almost as important as the main one: recovering the rocket propellant for the first time. In your January inaugural flightthe New Glenn managed to reach orbit, but failed in its first propulsive landing attempt, SpaceX’s specialty. Now the first stage of the rocket, 65 meters high, will have a second chance to land in the Atlantic Ocean. To do this, Blue Origin will once again deploy the autonomous barge “Jacklyn”, named in honor of Jeff Bezos’ mother. Getting it is key to the company’s lunar plansin more literal ways than we thought. From Mars to the Moon. According to Ars TechnicaBlue Origin has ambitious plans for this same rocket. If the New Glenn manages to land successfully after launching the ESCAPADE mission, Jeff Bezos’ company hopes to quickly refit it for a third flight. And what does that third flight consist of? Nothing less than the launch of the first Blue Moon Mk-1 lunar cargo module. The same one that Blue Origin is trying to adapt against the clock to replace the SpaceX Starship in the first manned lunar landings of NASA’s Artemis missions. NASA waits for no one. In the midst of a self-imposed race to reach the Moon before China does in 2030, NASA (or more specifically, NASA’s internal administrator, Sean Duffy) has reopened the Human Landing System contract for the private sector to make simpler proposals than Starship HLS to take astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon. Although it is actually simpler, the Blue Origin architecture It would not be without problems, including cryogenic refueling in orbit, an extremely complex choreography of ships that, to this day, neither SpaceX nor Blue Origin have demonstrated on the required scale. Image | Blue Origin In Xataka | We already know why Jeff Bezos invests so much money in space: he believes that in 20 years millions of people will live there

In Oregon there is a forest with a tattoo that appears every fall: a giant emoji

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Imagine that you are walking down a road and, out of nowhere, the mountain begins to smile at you. Stop imagining it because that is precisely what happens on Highway 18 in Oregon. Between two towns, those who drive along that road in the autumn season, find a gigantic emoji made up of hundreds of trees. And more than a nod to drivers, it is a demonstration that, when we want, we can reforest sustainably. A tattoo in the forest. The pattern has been repeating itself for a few years. When the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, a huge smiling emoji appears on the side of Mt. This is neither a curiosity nor a coincidence: it is something premeditated and measured to the millimeter by David Hampton and Dennis Creel. David is co-owner of a logging company called Hampton Lumber and Dennis, its forestry manager. In 2011when the company was preparing to reforest an area of ​​the forestthey wondered if they could have a little fun and create something that would bring joy to anyone passing by on the highway. After a meticulous planningthey started planting conifers, but not just any conifers. The science behind reforestation. The process was complex. The team that was going to carry out the plantation drew a circle of about 90 meters in diameter using a rope and, starting from the center, triangulated the positions of the eyes and mouth. They spent a week taking measurements and, when they finished, they began to plant. The chosen trees They are two species of conifers: the Pseudotsuga menziesii and the Larix occidentaliyes. Conifers are evergreen, which means they do not lose their leaves in autumn, but Larix occidentalis It has a peculiarity: they lose all their needles during the fall. When the weather changes, the chlorophyll responsible for giving that green color breaks down, so the leaves retract and golden pigments are revealed. There is a reason behind this pattern: by losing its needles, this species reduces the weight load on its branches, which allows them to withstand winter snowfall better and, in addition, they are also more aerodynamic. In short, they are more resistant to structural damage and, in spring, when it absorbs nutrients, the leaves turn green and the emoji disappears until the following fall. Message. Reforestation is not planting trees without rhyme or reason. Although in some areas fields are being replanted with suitable trees, in many others non-endemic or non-endemic species are being planted. They will not withstand extreme conditions like those caused by climate change. Beyond the positive message to drivers, Hampton Lumber created this as reminder that forest areas that are “harvested” can grow back strong and regenerate in a healthy and sustainable way. During the growth of conifers, the forest is free access for visitors who engage in outdoor activities, and their intention is for the emoji to be an example of sustainable growth and… artistic expression? Emoji for a while. Currently, the company plant a million trees a year, but no area is as iconic as that segment between Willamina and Grand Ronde on Highway 18. The estimate of the company is that the smiling face will be visible for another 30 or 50 years. It will be the point at which the trees in that area reach maturity and are processed. Now, they also comment that, as time goes by, the emoji will lose “definition.” The leaves of conifers can lose some of their vitality over the years and strange things can happen to that friendly smiling face in the bush. Image | Tedder In Xataaka | China is carrying out the most ambitious reforestation project in the world: a “wall” of 4,500 kilometers of trees

a giant 17 meter nail drill

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After years of comings and goings, on January 15, 2025, they began some works that are both expected and necessary in Madrid: the burial of the A5. It is one of the arteries of the city, an urban highway on which 80,000 vehicles circulate daily and which, after being completed in 1968, separated the residents of the neighborhoods of Aluche, Las Águilas and Lucero from those of Batán and Casa de Campo. The works will not be simple or quick, but there is a trick: the ‘cut and cover’ technique. This technique is nothing revolutionary. It is one of the oldest and most used methods for tunnel construction superficial. When a tunnel has to be excavated to a certain depth or that passes through complex elements, the ‘boring machines’ or tunnel boring machinesbut when it is not necessary, this false tunnel is simply made. In essence, the ‘cut and cover’ technique consists of excavating a trench from the surface, building the new road inside it and, later, covering it with fill material. And there are two variants: From bottom to top: The trench is excavated with the necessary support from the ground and the tunnel is built inside. Once the structure is completed, the trench is backfilled and the surface is restored. From top to bottom: First, the lateral retaining walls and the crowning beams are built at ground level. Subsequently, the roof is excavated and prefabricated beams are installed. Thus, the surface is reinstalled early to restore traffic as soon as possible while the excavation work and construction of the permanent roof are completed. In the video above, a piloting machine in action. Basically, like a giant “drill”. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and are used depending on the terrain and conditions, but for tunnels at depths of about ten meters, these ‘cut and cover’ methods They are more economical and practical than tunnels drilled with deep tunneling methods. The ‘cut and cover’ of the A5 and Castellana in Madrid As we say, the technique was designed to hinder daily traffic as little as possible, and even more so on such essential and busy roads, but the reality is that on the A5, the works have converted one of the entrances to the capital into a ‘Mario Kart’. Through a series of detours, a succession of tight curves have been created at very slow speeds that have provoked that the Madrid City Council collects multiple complaints. Such is the commotion that a guide to avoid getting lost with this burial of the A5but in any case, both the highway and part of Castellana have a few months of noise and excavators ahead of them. In the case of the A5, 3.2 kilometers of the highway are being buried using the construction technique of concrete containment screens to then install the covering slabs. There are 600 people who work daily on the site along with a hundred machines such as the striking ‘pilots’. These machines are specialized in the construction of “piles”, which are nothing more than buried columns that can be built in the ground by injecting concrete into a metal reinforcement or that can be prefabricated. On the route of the “new” A5, there will be more than 6,000 piles of reinforced concrete. But the highway is not the only area of ​​the city in which this technique is being implemented. In the Parque Castellana project, a tunnel of about 675 meters long is also being built that will have 2,041 piles. In the end, and as we mentioned, it is not a new technique (in fact, it was used to build the Paris metro in 1900), but of the possible options for creating tunnels, it is one of the least disruptive to traffic in cities. Although those who are suffering from the works on Parque Castellana and the A5 will surely see it with different eyes. Images | Xofc, Madrid Diary In Xataka | 20 years later, Europe faces one of the greatest engineering milestones in its history: the longest railway tunnel in the world

Science has found the secret of the giant tomato, but it may be at the cost of destroying its good flavor

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Imagine being able to take a small, bitter, wild eggplant and with a single genetic tweak, turn it into a very different variety, much larger and ready for the market. This, it seems something out of a science fiction movieit may be a reality that is getting closer, as one pointed out published study in the magazine Nature who deciphered the genetic “instruction manual” of the entire eggplant family and also the tomato. The problem. We are currently living in a time in which the climate is changing radically. with increases in temperatures or reduction in rainfall that reach our fields. This forces us to have a ‘plan B’ in the bedroom that allows us to continue having crops efficiently and to be able to feed an entire population despite there being a climate decline. And genetics in this case is preparing for it with different changes. The agriculture of the genetically modified foods is starting to gain strength. The fact of modifying the seed of a fruit so that it comes out with significant improvements, such as being juicier, larger or more efficient, is the future of agri-food engineering. And all to be able to respond to an increasingly growing demand for food, but with a space suitable for it that is smaller. A commitment to flavor. But these genetic alterations raise many questions. The goal right now is to have fat tomatoes or eggplants that are also very elongated but without thinking about anything else. If we eat a tomato on many occasions what we want is for it to be juicy and good. But genetic modification may overlooks these types of essential components to be more ‘productive’ and nutritious. But the objective in this case of the investigation that is currently being carried out is on size. And if one tomato ‘from the future’ can be equivalent to three ‘current’ ones, the truth is that we will have taken a very important step. And this is already being seen. The investigation. An international team of scientists has created the first “pangenome“of the genus Solanum. This is not only the tomato and eggplant family, but also the potato and dozens of other crops consumed locally around the world, and which opens the door to a great evolution in the field of food and the agri-food industry. The objective. For the researchers, the objective was quite clear from the first moment: to know why a gene that produces a desirable trait, such as having a larger fruit in a tomato, does not work when tried to apply it to an eggplant. The answer in this case is quite clear: genetic redundancy. The obstacle. In this case, scientists saw that the main obstacle to this genetic modification not being applied was in gene duplications, known as paralogues. In order to understand this concept we can imagine the light in a room that would be our phenotype and that in order to turn it off we need to press two switches that control it. These switches are what we know as paralogs, and in order to turn off the light it would be necessary to deactivate both. This is what happens in many species, which have created ‘backup copies’ of their switches so that turning off just one would do absolutely nothing and would not materialize in their phenotype, such as their size. That is why this team analyzed 22 species of Solanum and discovered that, although the overall structure of chromosomes is similar, thousands of key genes have undergone different variations throughout their evolution. The brake gene. Scientists have long known that a gene called CLAVATA3 (CLV3) is the master regulator of fruit size in tomatoes. Its function is, basically, to act as a brake. It tells stem cells at the plant’s growing points (the meristems) when to stop dividing. Thus, when this gene is mutated or ‘off’ the brake is released and the plate produces more cells, resulting in larger flowers with more seed compartments and also a much larger fruit. And here is the key to how a tomato will end up being domesticated. The problem is that the tomato has an additional “handbrake”, which is a paralogous gene called CLE9. In this way, even if we alter CLV3, it will not have its full effect, since it will have this extra switch that must also be altered. CRISPR. It is a genetic ‘editing weapon’ that will allow us to achieve the effect we want and cut the brake on CLV3 so that the fruits can evolve. The scientists ran the tests on the African eggplant, a species that lost its CLE9 handbrake a long time ago, but has a functional copy of CLV3. When scientists used CRISPR to deactivate that only functional copy, the result was massive and uncontrolled growth, demonstrating that that gene was the only brake he had left. In another experiment, we used S.prinophyllum that did not have CLE9, but did have two units of CLV3 (CLV3a and CLV3b). In this case, when the researchers edited a single copy, the brake was weakened and the plant produced fruits with more lobes and therefore slightly larger fruits. But when they removed the two brakes, uncontrolled growth was seen again. The surprise find. While research was being carried out along these lines, experts saw something they did not expect: a completely different gene on chromosome 2 called SaetSCPL25-like acted as the main size “switch” in the African eggplant. Something that responded to a small natural mutation of this gene that was associated with the additional locules per fruit. To check this, they did the experiment in reverse. They took this new gene and they cracked it with CRISPR on a standard tomato. The result in this case is that fruits were produced with more locules, that is, they were much larger. In this way, the researchers had found a second genetic path to increase the size of the fruit in addition to breaking its brakes. … Read more

A giant wave is sweeping across the Milky Way. Scientists currently don’t know why.

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Our galaxy, Milky Wayis far from a quiet place. It spins, it wobbles and, as a new study just revealed, it also undulates. New ESA data have discovered a colossal wave, baptized as “the great wave” that propagates through the galactic disk in a very similar way to the waves that we have in a pond when we throw a stone. The study. This phenomenon, which has been identified by the team led by Eloisa Poggio of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Italy, is a “corrugation “large-scale vertical” that is superimposed on the already known deformation that our galaxy constantly suffers. In essence, we are facing a wave that causes entire stripes of stars to move “up” and “down.” Great proportions. It is nothing like the waves that we see on our beaches, of course, since we are talking about something on a galactic level. In this case, astronomers know since the 50’s that the disk of the Milky Way it’s not flatbut rather it is deformed (or “warped”) at its edges. Now this study adds an additional structure that no one knew was there. Thanks to Gaia’s incredibly precise measurements, which map the 3D position and 3D motion of stars, the team was able to analyze two populations of young stars: giant stars and classical Cepheids. These maps revealed a gigantic wave that is now coming to light. The figures. In order to understand the magnitude of this phenomenon, we can take into account the following parameters of this phenomenon: Height: the movement of the stars is about 150-200 parsecs, which is up to 650 light years above and below the galactic plane. Length: The structure spans at least 10,000 light years and possibly up to 20,000. Location: affects a vast section of the outer disk, in regions located tens of thousands of light years from the galactic center. The test. The most fascinating thing about the discovery is not just the shape of the wave, but the evidence that it is moving. “What makes this even more compelling is our ability, thanks to Gaia, to also measure the motions of stars within the galactic disk,” explains Poggio. To understand it, the team used a perfect analogue: the wave of a stadium. If we were to freeze the wave that is made in the stands of a stadium, we would see some people standing (the crest), others who have just sat down (the back part) and others who are about to get up (the front part). Something similar happens in the galaxy. The astronomers discovered that the stars with the highest vertical position (the crest) were not the same as the stars with the highest vertical velocity. The maximum speed point was displaced, with a 90º approach phase difference. This phase difference is irrefutable proof that it is a propagating wave. And not only that: the stars inside the corrugation also show a systematic radial motion of 10-15 km/s outward. The conclusion is clear: it is a wave that travels from the interior of the galaxy to its furthest reaches. There is a mystery. Researchers have measured the wave, but don’t know what caused it. The main hypothesis is that the Milky Way suffered an encounter or collision with a smaller dwarf galaxy, but it is not 100% certain. Previous simulations have shown that interaction with a satellite galaxy, such as Sagittarius, can excite exactly these types of vertical waves and corrugations in the galactic disk. This “big wave” is much larger and located much further away than the famous Radcliffe wavea filament of gas about 9,000 light years long located near our Sun. Although both are undulations, scientists believe that they are two different characteristics, although they do not rule out that they may be related in some way. Since the young stars studied (giants and Cepheids) were born from galactic gas, the team suspects that the wave not only carries the stars, but also the gas itself from the disk. The stars would have simply inherited the motion of the gas from which they formed, preserving a “memory” of the wave. Now the investigation must continue. Astronomers are looking forward to Gaia’s fourth data release, which will provide even more precise measurements and help create detailed maps to perhaps finally reveal the origin of our galaxy’s undulating heart. Images | Dns Dgn In Xataka | When stars formed has always been one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. And we are closer to solving it

a giant plane made of wood

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On November 2, 1947, thousands of people gathered near the port of Long Beach, California, without knowing that they were going to witness something that was not in their plans. In front of them, a huge plane built almost entirely made of wood He was preparing to move on the water. It was larger than any aircraft that had existed until then. Its creator, businessman and filmmaker Howard Hughes, decided to take charge. That day, for a few brief seconds, the H-4 Hercules —popularized as “Spruce Goose”— managed to take off and prove that it could fly. Five years before that unexpected flight, the world was at war and German submarines were sinking hundreds of Allied ships in the Atlantic. The United States needed a safe way to transport troops and supplies without relying on sea routes, and magnate Henry Kaiser thought he had the answer: a gigantic transport plane capable of crossing the ocean. Since he had no experience in aviation, he went to Hughes, who accepted the challenge of building it under a condition that would complicate everything: the government prohibited the use of strategic materials such as aluminum or steel. When aluminum was lacking and ambition was left over: the birth of the H-4 Hercules The agreement between Kaiser and Hughes was signed in 1942, in the middle of the war, with the idea of ​​manufacturing three units of the new aircraft. They called it HK-1, after the initials of their last names. However, the initial enthusiasm soon collided with reality: the size of the device, the complexity of the design and material limitations caused the project to be delayed more than expected. Kaiser, accustomed to meeting deadlines in the naval industry, grew impatient and abandoned the program in 1944. Hughes decided to go ahead alone and renamed the aircraft the H-4 Hercules. Deprived of metals such as aluminum, Hughes turned to an unusual material in aviation: wood. But not just any wood. He opted for a system innovative called Duramoldwhich consisted of laminating thin layers of birch and gluing them with synthetic resins until forming a structure that was as rigid as it was light. This process, developed a few years before, allowed the parts to be molded with great precision and reduced the total weight of the fuselage. The result was a gray and smooth surface that, at first glance, barely allowed one to guess that this colossus was made of wood. The result of Hughes’ experiments was a monumental flying boat. The H-4 Hercules had a tall wing that extended almost 98 meters from tip to tip and eight enormous28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney enginescapable of propelling the ship with surprising smoothness. Two floats were installed on the outside of the wings to give it balance when sailing. The entire fuselage was built with the Duramold methodwhich provided a smooth surface, without rivets. It was a strange combination of strength, elegance and enormous size. The H-4 Hercules measured almost 66 meters long and more than 79 meters in wingspan, figures that made it the largest aircraft ever built at its time. Its height, more than 24 meters, was equivalent to an eight-story building. Empty, it weighed about 136 tons, and fully loaded it could reach 180. With a cruising speed of about 240 kilometers per hour, it was designed to transport up to 400 soldiers or the equivalent in war material. Despite its size, Hughes was confident that the design would allow it to take off smoothly from the water. The morning of November 2, 1947 dawned calm in Long Beach. The H-4 Hercules was to carry out simple displacement tests, with Hughes at the controls and a small group of technicians and journalists on board. What happened next was not on the flight plan. Halfway through the trip, the pilot increased the power and the seaplane, of more than 130 tons, rose a few meters above the water. It remained in the air for half a minute and traveled about 800 meters before descending gently. It was his first and last flight. The H-4 Hercules cost about 23 million dollars at the time, the equivalent of more than 278 million today. Its development had spread so far that, by the time it flew, the war had ended two years ago. Many considered it a waste of public money and the press dubbed it “Spruce Goose,” a label Hughes detested. For years he defended his project against critics and kept the aircraft in perfect condition, with a full-time team in charge of keeping it ready to fly. For more than three decades, the H-4 Hercules remained hidden in a climate-controlled hangar under the direct supervision of Howard Hughes. After his death in 1976, his company, Summa Corporation, donated the plane to the Aero Club of Southern California. In 1983, heThe aircraft was again shown to the public: The Wrather company moved it to a huge dome-shaped hangar next to the Queen Mary ship, also in Long Beach. For the first time since 1947, the “Spruce Goose” was again seen by thousands of curious visitors. In 1992, the Oregon-based Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum submitted the winning proposal to give the H-4 Hercules a new permanent home. The plane was disassembled piece by piece and transported by barge from Long Beach to Portland, following the Pacific coast and then the Columbia and Willamette rivers. After several months of waiting for the water level, in February 1993 the sections arrived in McMinnville, where temporary hangars were erected to begin restoration. In 2001, the “Spruce Goose” was again shown to the public, fully assembled. More than seven decades after its only flight, the H-4 Hercules remains a benchmark in aeronautical engineering. To this day it maintains three historical titles: it is the largest seaplane, the largest wooden plane and the largest propeller plane ever built. Its technical influence can be seen in numerous subsequent developments, and its history continues to inspire engineers and enthusiasts. What was born … Read more

China is taking a giant step in its quest for technological self-sufficiency: its own EDA software

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A company called Qiyunfang just done a unique presentation at the Bay Area Semiconductor Expo held in Shenzhen, China. In it he has presented two EDA platforms. And with them it has opened the door to something in which the Asian giant totally depended on the US: designing your own chips. What is EDA. Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software is the fundamental tool and the gateway to be able to design chips and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Historically, this segment has always been dominated by American companies: Synopsys, Cadence and Mentor Graphics / Siemens EDA were the absolute references. They “translate” the ideas of the engineers who design the chips, and convert them into functional plans that manufacturers such as TSMC or SMIC can manufacture. Who is Qiyunfang. This company, founded in 2023, is not just any one: it is SiCarrier subsidiarywhich in turn collaborates with Huawei Technologies. As if that were not enough, SiCarrier is a semiconductor manufacturer that has financial support from the Shenzhen government. The US had China tied. In May of this year, China began to block the export of its rare earths, and the United States responded with a blockade that was equally harmful to China: the aforementioned American companies They could no longer sell their services and their EDA software to its Chinese partners. It was one of the most effective ways to “strangle” the Chinese semiconductor industry: if you can’t design the chip, it doesn’t matter if you have factories to produce it. SMIC, for example, it’s been 20 years using Synopsys EDA design suites. With the veto he was left unable to use them. China once again opts for self-sufficiency. The solutions presented by Qiyunfang theoretically allow for domestic solutions for EDA software for both schematic designs (conceptual design) and PCB (physical design of the board). Not only that: these platforms run on a completely Chinese software stack—operating system, database, middleware. Qiyunfang is not a product, it is a break with dependency in two of the crucial stages of chip design. The key is technological independence. If these platforms comply, China will have a solution immune to sanctions, also integrated into the Chinese national technological ecosystem. The trade and technology war that the country maintains with the United States has encouraged both parties to seek precisely to avoid dependence among themselves and also with other countries. It’s the “I’ll stew it, I’ll eat it” taken to the maximum extreme. The other challenge: advanced chips. Even having its own EDA software, China still has a colossal challenge with advanced chips that use 3 and 5 nm photolithography and that take advantage of UVE technologies. They continue working on these types of systems, but until they have them, Qiyunfang’s software platforms are a fantastic option for developing more “mature” but equally important chips such as those for the automotive sector or industrial applications. China continues to move key chips. This news confirms the trajectory that Xi Jingping established with its famous “Made in China 2025” plan. It seeks to conquer the key technologies of the future: AI, robotics, automotive and of course the manufacturing of semiconductors without external dependencies are little by little a reality in the Asian giant, and this new milestone of this Chinese company seems to demonstrate it. In Xataka | Before the tariffs, China bought most of its beef from the US. After the tariffs another country has won

The Spanish rail giant escapes millionaire contracts, including the Barcelona Metro. The reason: his link with Israel

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Basque Caf’s rail manufacturer is in a committed situation after Its inclusion in the United Nations list which points to companies with operations in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. This circumstance could close the doors of important public contracts, such as The Millionaire Barcelona Metro Contest. In the blacklist. Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has a tender open to acquire 39 new trains worth 321 million euros. The specifications includes a clause that prohibits the participation of companies that appear in the Registry of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR). CAF, current TMB provider, now appears in that list for its participation in The tram of Jerusalem thisa project awarded in 2019 with the Israeli construction company Shapir. The CAF position. The company based in Beasain defends the legality of your contract and denies any violation of human rights. As communicated to the National Securities Market Commission, it has reports from independent experts that support its position and ensures that the project “generates positive impacts on the population” by also providing service to the Arab community with a “inclusive and non -discriminatory” hiring policy. The Alstom turn. The French multinational Alstom, which has a factory in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, appealed in August before the Catalan Court of Public Sector Contracts against this restrictive clause. However, the recent update of the UN list has retired to Alstom from the registrationwhich now allows you to present to the contest. This exit makes CAF the main affected, since the resolution of the resource will determine whether or not to participate in the tender, whose term remains open until December. More Spanish companies indicated. CAF It is not the only company Spanish in the Black List of the UN, which includes about 160 signatures. Florentino Pérez’s construction company, its SEMI subsidiary and the Ineco public company, under the Ministry of Transportation, also include. CAF is charged with equipment and materials that “facilitate” Israeli settlements, in addition to providing support services and using natural resources, which makes it the Spanish with the greatest reproach by the international organism. A political and social debate. Inclusion in this list does not imply direct sanctions, but yes it has practical consequences. The United Nations urges States to adopt “appropriate measures” to prevent human rights abuse, and administrations such as the Barcelona City Council have incorporated this exclusion in their responsible hiring policies. The debate has also reached the Basque political terrain, where part of the CAF staff starred in concentrations demanding the cessation of the contract with Israel, while the lehendakari Imanol Pradales He has asked that you have “care with the accusations” and has urged the company to make “an ethical reflection”. Implications. Beyond the Barcelona contest, appearing in this registry can affect the reputation of companies, rating rating agencies and access to other public tenders if similar clauses appear in the tender. Public hiring represented 11.55% of Spanish GDP in 2023which turns these vetoes into a relevant economic issue for the companies indicated. Cover image | TMB In Xataka | The longest bus in the world is called Daf Super Citytrain: more than 30 meters long and capacity for 350 people

A Spanish giant is about to make history going out in the United States: Travelperk

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Travelperk has hired Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Jefferies, he published The Informationto prepare your IPO in the United States. It would be the most relevant Spanish -to -the -Spanish of recent years and a Wall Street appetite test for European startups. The company of Catalan origin manages trips and corporate expenses for companies. Its last assessment reached 2.7 billion dollars in January 2025, twice a year earlier. The context. Travelperk is not any startup: You have investors behind SoftBank Vision Fund, Capital Sequoia and Blackstone. Its CEO, Avi Meir, has built a company with more than 1,500 employees that has multiplied its income from before the pandemic. He Timing It seems favorable. Business trips have recovered the pulse after the pandemic: the world market reached 1.5 billion dollars in 2024, 6% more than before COVID. Yes, but. The IPO of European technology companies in the US have had disparate results. The US market is demanding, and competition, fierce. Travelperk has to demonstrate that he can grow sustainably in a sector dominated by American giants such as SAP Concur or American Express GBT (in addition newly allied). The company has been preparing the land: in June acquired Amtrav to reinforce your presence in the American market. He also closed the purchase of the Switzerland Yokoy to expand to financial services. Between the lines. The movement responds to a clear strategy: Travelperk identified A 200,000 million market Between the US and Europe, where half of the trips are still without centralized management. Medium -sized companies reserve on their own in Booking or Expedia, losing control and money. The platform promises to solve that chaos with technology and IA. Although the CEO does not fear autonomous agents of AI as Openai Operator, it recognizes that technological competition intensifies, according to an article by CNBC In January. At stake. A successful IPO would send a powerful signal to the Spanish ecosystem, in need of success cases that show that global companies can be created here. Travelperk could become that reference, especially after few Spanish startups have reached assessments of that level in recent years. And now what. The company has not confirmed dates or details of the operation. But hiring three first level investment banks suggests that the process is advanced. The next months will be key to knowing if Travelperk can achieve a virtually unpublished feat. In fact, the question is not so much if Travelperk will go over (it seems clear that), but when and what price. The answer will say a lot about the future of Spanish startups in international markets. In Xataka | Something is changing in Spanish startups: they are increasingly thought of global from the beginning Outstanding image | Travelperk

Australia has decided to make a contribution to the lunar race in the most Australian way possible: with a giant spider

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The new lunar race does not consist only of returning to the moon, but to stay. And for that infrastructure is needed. NASA wants lunar concrete houses for 2040ESA has already found a method to pave roads from the regolitoand China trust that 3D impression accelerates your plans to create a large lunar base. Now an Australian company has put its own bet on the table, one that could not be more Australian: a Robot spider. A giant robot spider that prints houses. His name is Charlotte, and he is a hexapod robot (entomologists will forgive me) that displays his six legs to become a huge 3D printer capable of moving along the land as he built a house. Presented during the 76th International Congress of Astronautics in Sydney, this creation of Australian companies Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology has been Designed for a double purpose: Solve the housing crisis on Earth and, incidentally, prepare to build the first bases on the moon, something that Australia could contribute as a partner of the Artemis program. Build at the speed of 100 masons. Although the most striking of Charlotte is the arthropod inspiration design, its true magic lies in the combination of advanced robotics with a very particular 3D printing system, which can have a key advantage on the moon. Instead of depending on massive porches, such as other 3D construction printers, Charlotte promises to place himself on the walls that he creates and walk with his six legs to move as he adds layers to the building. This gives it an agility and portability that traditional printers do not have. According to its creators, you can build A 200 square meter house in 24 hours, so it will work at the speed of 100 masons. On the moon the whole floor is concrete. On paper, Charlotte meets several of the requirements to manufacture on the moon: it is light, you can fold its legs to occupy much less space in a rocket, and is designed to collect the materials available locally. On Earth, it promises to manufacture houses with sand, earth or crushed brick. On the moon, the plan is to collect soil regolito, compress it in a flexible tank and use the compacted material to form the layers of walls with already tested 3D printing techniques. It is an industrial and automated version of the construction technique with sacks. The regolite, the fine and abrasive dust that covers the lunar surface, is both a problem and a solution. It was a nightmare for Apollo missions, adhering to costumes and equipment, but it is also The fundamental raw material For any lunar construction project. If one day there are people living on the moon, they may do so in houses built in the most Australian way: with a gigantic spider (forgiveness, hexapod) robot. Image | Crest Robotics In Xataka | Forget the “little step for man.” The new moon career is not for glory, it is for the control of its resources

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