DTN 098: The First Private Supersonic Aircraft

Plus: An American 'Iron Dome', DeepSeek in the Pentagon, UAE tests cloud seeding, stem cells repair hearts, OpenAI for nuclear weapons research, and more.

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HAUS: The Deep Tech Agency
January 31, 2025

For the first time, a privately developed aircraft has flown faster than sound

“High above a barren California desert on Tuesday, a privately developed aircraft broke the sound barrier for the first time when Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator reached Mach 1.122.

Piloted by a former US Navy aviator, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, the XB-1 vehicle broke the supersonic barrier on three separate occasions before safely landing back at Mojave Air & Space Port, where it had taken off half an hour earlier. It marked a triumphant moment for Boom, which was founded a decade ago to commercialize supersonic air travel.

‘A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars,’ said Boom Supersonic's founder and chief executive, Blake Scholl, in a statement.”

This blood vessel was grown in a lab with real human cells. (Image: Humacyte)

The FDA has approved a bioengineered blood vessel created by Humacyte to treat patients with traumatic injuries, particularly those facing amputation due to damaged blood vessels. This lab-grown vessel, made from human cells, integrates with the patient's body, offering a safer alternative to synthetic grafts, which are prone to infection and failure. Early tests have shown promising results, with the engineered vessel proving more effective in maintaining blood flow and reducing the need for amputation compared to synthetic options. (via WIRED)

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