• Network Rail launches resilience taskforce following heatwave

    The review will consider four key areas, each led by an independent expert in their field. Three of these areas will be focused on gathering insights from other countries and making comparisons with international rail networks that are more used to dealing with extreme heat and fluctuations in temperature. Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “The weather we’ve experienced this week has put a huge amount of pressure on our infrastructure, our staff and our passengers, and with extreme weather events becoming more frequent as our climate continues to change, we’ve got to pull out all the stops to make our railway as resilient as possible. “That’s why I’ve decided to commission this taskforce, spearheaded by leading global experts, whose considerable experience in their fields…

  • Taxpayer on the line for £2.7bn of unusable PPE, MPs warn

    The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was found to have a stockpile of almost 4 billion items that are not needed, many of which will be burned, which has raised environmental concerns . The Department remains in dispute with many suppliers it entered into contract with over the quality of the PPE provided, but it accepts that some surplus stock will end up being incinerated. In its report published today, the PAC found there was little sign of the government taking action against potentially fraudulent suppliers despite DHSC’s estimate that as much as 5 per cent of PPE expenditure may have involved fraud. Following the start of the pandemic, some £3.5bn of Covid contracts were awarded without tender to companies with links to the Conservative Party. Last year, Labour accused…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Robot arm to help retrieve Martian samples

    The robot, known as the Sample Transfer Arm (STA), is part of a wider joint endeavour between Nasa and ESA called the Mars Sample Return mission, already under way. As of late, Nasa’s rover has drilled eight of an eventual 38 samples of Martian rock and soil. ESA is currently developing another small rover to retrieve these samples and place them in an ascent vehicle that will carry them into orbit for retrieval and shipping back to Earth via the ESA Earth Return Orbiter. But ESA’s small rover, the Sample Fetch Rover, needs a sensitive and articulated robotic arm with which to grasp, collect, and transfer the Mars samples once on Mars. This is where the STA comes in. Image credit: Leonardo/Maxon/GMV/ OHB Italia/ SAB Aerospace s.r.o “Handling the precious martian…

  • Albanian government services suffer ‘massive' cyber attack

    Albanians were unable to use scores of government services on Monday as a cyber attack caused the main servers of the National Agency for Information Society to go down only  a few months after shifting most public sector services to an online portal. “Albania is under a massive cybernetic attack that has never happened before. This criminal cyber-attack was synchronised… from outside Albania,” the Council of Ministers said in a press release. The "wide and complex" attack began on Friday and targeted government infrastructure and other public online services and rendered them functionless, the government added.  ️ Confirmed: #Albania 's National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) network has been temporarily shut down to counter a major cyberattack; real-time network data show…

  • Chip democratisation leads to open-source choices

    Some 30 years ago the gate array was flying high, enthusiastically supported by vendors such as LSI Logic and VLSI Technology, but at the same time at increasing risk of becoming an endangered species. A decade later it was practically over. Structured gate arrays persisted for a while but unless you could afford the mask costs for a standard-cell ASIC, you were no longer in the business of buying custom chips. The FPGA was now your main option. At the leading edge the economics have certainly not improved for anyone who cannot command high volumes or operating margins. Design costs have spiralled up as well for chips at these advanced nodes, though primarily in verification, validation, and software development. The idea of democratising design with these trends in the background seems counter…

  • Scotland weapons hub will develop high-energy anti-drone lasers

    The defence and intelligence technology firm Raytheon UK has revealed its plans to build an "advanced laser integration centre” in Livingston, some 15 miles from Edinburgh. The centre will focus on the testing, fielding and maintenance of defensive high-energy laser (HEL) weapons, that will counter the threat posed by drones, which has been highlighted by the use of this technology during combat in Ukraine.  The firm’s president of electronic warfare systems, Annabel Flores, told the BBC that “demand is spiking for cost-effective lasers” able to defeat “asymmetric” threats from drones, rockets and mortars. Last year, Britain’s armed forces began trials using laser weapons designed by the company, which were small enough to be installed on UK Wolfhound land vehicles. The invasion of…

  • Heat-related deaths could triple without action on homes, scientists warn

    Temperatures in the UK reached an historic high of 40°C today - a record that is expected to soon be surpassed. Without a major overhaul of the country's infrastructure, these extreme conditions could lead to soaring numbers of heat-related deaths.   Much of England and Wales are currently under a ‘red’ extreme heat warning, with daily record-breaking high temperatures causing disruption on transport networks and posing a serious risk to the health of the population. With the possibility of this heat becoming a ‘new normal’ for large parts of the country, government climate change advisors have highlighted the need to address the problem of overheating in UK homes - or face deadly consequences.  The UK has little regulation to prevent overheating in new buildings, despite the fact that…

  • High Court rules Net Zero Strategy breaches UK’s climate obligations

    The legal challenge was brought by environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth, Good Law Project and private individual Jo Wheatley. In its judgment, the court found that the Net Zero Strategy, which sets out plans to decarbonise the economy, doesn’t meet the government’s obligations under the Climate Change Act to produce detailed climate policies that show how the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets will be met. It also found that parliament and the public were effectively kept in the dark about a shortfall in meeting a key target to cut emissions. The ruling states that Greg Hands, the minister for business, energy and industrial strategy, who was responsible for signing off the Net Zero Strategy, didn’t have the legally required information on how carbon budgets would…

  • Exercise plan for astronauts developed to minimise muscular atrophy

    Among the many functions performed by skeletal muscles, maintaining posture is one essential facet that allows us to move against the force of gravity. But when these muscles do not experience gravity for extended periods of time, such as during space travel - an effect known as 'gravitational unloading' - they can start to atrophy leading to changes to their structure and properties. Gravitational unloading causes deterioration of motor control, and walking difficulty has been observed in crews after spaceflight, even those who have exercised regularly during missions on the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts aboard the ISS are required to use treadmills, bicycle ergometers and resistance training equipment to counter the effect of reduced gravity on the neuromuscular system…

  • Why diverse recruitment is the key to closing the cyber-security skills gap

    Against today’s socio-political landscape, the cyber threat faced by businesses is evolving every day. However, positive strides are being made to mitigate this. ClubCISO’s ninth annual Information Security Maturity Report found that 46 per cent of chief information security officers have extended their influence in their respective organisations since the pandemic, and 75 per cent report either positive or no material change in the attitudes to security from increased remote working. To be able to compound this, it is important that businesses have the resources they need. A recent report by McKinsey found that there were an estimated 3.12 million unfilled cyber-security jobs in 2021. In order to maintain and further the positive progress made so far, businesses must look at sourcing talent…

  • Top scientists protest ‘reckless’ opening of Cumbria coal mine

    In an open letter to the Prime Minister and all MPs, the scientific community has condemned the proposed project to open a new coal mine in Cumbria, hoping that the current political upheaval in Westminster might sway the government to change its decision.  “To open a new coal mine in the face of the climate crisis sends out the worst possible message to the rest of the world,” the letter reads.   In January 2021, the government   decided not to intervene   over a decision to allow the construction of the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years, for use in steel production. However, following strong backlash from environmental campaigners, a   public enquiry into the £165m West Cumbria Mining plan was opened later that year. The final decision on whether to approve the opening of the mine…

  • Effectiveness of carbon capture facilities routinely overestimated, say researchers

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a worldwide initiative to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere by capturing the greenhouse gas at its source and storing it underground. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said that CCS is key to reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by mid-century to mitigate climate change. The researchers compared estimations of stored carbon with official reports, and found that the reports lead to overestimates of actual carbon stored by 19-30 per cent. They calculated 197 million tonnes of carbon were captured and stored between 1996 and 2020, but a lack of consistent reporting frameworks means the current rates of carbon capture are overestimated. The report suggests this disempowers climate mitigation strategies…

  • UK's ‘next-generation’ combat air demonstrator to reach the skies in 2035

    By 2035, a new flying combat air demonstrator is expected to take off.  Designed by the  Ministry of Defence, alongside a team from BAE Systems, the demonstrator is expected to play a critical role in proving the technology and design principles needed to deliver the UK’s Future Combat Air System, according to the Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace.  "The design and development of the demonstrator aircraft represent an important milestone, showcasing the success and talent of our engineers, programmers and software developers," Wallace said. "This programme will go on to attract opportunities for many more great minds and talent from across the UK." The flagship project is part of a suite of novel technologies designed to demonstrate and test the next-generation combat air skills…

  • Europe’s largest floating solar panel facility built on top of hydro-electric dam

    Construction work on the facility started seven months ago, and it will occupy around 4 hectares, equivalent to around 0.016 per cent of the total area of the Alqueva reservoir on which it is built. The new platform has an installed power of 5 MW and the capacity to produce around 7.5 GWh per year, which means that it can supply more than 30 per cent of households in the south Portugal region. The hybrid project will also include hydroelectric energy generated from the Alqueva dam, which the floating solar panels sit on top of. Plans are afoot to install a battery system with a nominal power of 1 MW and a storage capacity of around 2MWh. All these technologies will be using one single connection point to the existing grid. Image credit: edp EDP, the energy firm…

  • Industries disrupted as UK reaches record-breaking temperatures

    The UK has declared a national emergency as a result of record-breaking high temperatures, resulting in disruptions to travel, school and health services.   The country's capital is set to be one of the hottest places in the world on Monday, with temperatures soaring above those of Western Sahara and the Caribbean, and expected to beat the 38.7ºC (101.7ºF) seen in Cambridge in 2019, the highest temperature recorded to date in the UK.  The rise in temperatures has led transportation providers to reduce railway and Tube services and slow down trains' running speeds amid fears of rails buckling in the heat. The public has been advised to only travel if necessary on Monday and Tuesday. Network Rail has confirmed it will restrict train speeds on key routes in Scotland between 1pm and 8pm on…

  • UK’s ‘biggest space cluster’ could boost burgeoning domestic industry

    It is hoped the cluster, named Space South Central, will boost the UK’s space industry through investment in new technologies, research, satellite applications and mission capabilities. The grouping is formed from more than 120 academic institutions, private companies and public sector organisations. Its announcement comes less than a week after Skyrora opened the UK’s largest rocket-building facility to date. Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: “This network will not only provide new routes of access and support for established space organisations in the region, but it will help create more opportunities for groups and individuals inspired by STEM to find their way into a rewarding space career. “Space South Central exemplifies the vision set out in the National Space Strategy…

  • UK to build world's largest automated drone superhighway

    The UK is set to become home to the world's largest automated drone superhighway within the next two years. The government has recently announced the 164-mile Skyway project that will connect the airspace above cities including Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry, and Rugby by mid-2024, at a cost of over £12m.  Skyway is part of a £273m funding package for the aerospace sector which will be revealed by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday and is expected to "help the sector seize on the enormous opportunities for growth that exist as the world transitions to cleaner forms of flight", according to the politician. A total of £105.5m of the government's funding will be specifically for projects relating to "integrated aviation…

  • Why more IoT isn’t the answer to supply chain disruption

    Research suggests that businesses with optimal supply chains can halve their inventory holdings, reduce their supply chain costs by 15 per cent and triple the speed of their cash-to-cash cycle. Yet global supply chain disruption is still costing the average large business £150 million a year. The much-hyped Internet of Things (IoT) has not proved to be the answer to the problem. More than 10 billion IoT devices around the world are constantly adding data to already overflowing data stores. Global supply chain disruption persists because it is not caused by a lack of data – which is why more IoT is not the solution. The real answer lies in creating effective connections between numerous stakeholders performing a range of functions, across multiple enterprise platforms and in different jurisdictions…

  • The bigger picture: Medical eVTOL aircraft

    An eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft originally designed to ferry high-net-worth individuals and corporate executives is set to be used to transport organs and medical personnel. Italian design company Manta is reconfiguring its two-seater ANN2 aircraft to work in collaboration with Avionord, a Milan-based company that offers air-ambulance services. Avionord has taken a minority stake in Manta and has agreed to buy up to 15 ANN aircraft. Image credit: Cover Images “The Manta ANN platform is the only eVTOL offering a range of several hundred miles, which is useful for missions to transport organs from one hospital to another, avoiding being dependent on airports and road transport,” said Eugenio Cremascoli, Avionord CEO. “The ANN eVTOLs will…

  • Wiring inspections investigation and more in our August issue

    In today's world that seems to be full of them, it’s not often an issue of E&T leads on a national scandal but that’s what this month’s cover story points to. The IET puts a lot of time and effort into the Wiring Regulations, which should be properly followed. Sadly, our investigation into scant wiring inspections found that the inspection regime is not being properly enforced. We will be following up our exclusive investigation with more coverage online so read our cover story and be sure to sign up for our daily newsletter alerts . Meanwhile, our readers’ debate about the status of engineering and of engineers rumbles on in this month’s letters pages as it has, according to one contributor, for the last half a century. Tim Donaldson writes about ‘moangineers’ who he says need to earn their…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Nasa careful of space rocks damaging James Webb Telescope

    Nasa operators are considering limiting the directions in which the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is pointed, to avoid further collision damage.  Last month, the telescope was unexpectedly hit by a large micrometeoroid, which hit one of the 18 segments of the JWST's main mirror and caused significant damage. The collision forced the team to adjust the damaged mirror to compensate for data distortion, but Nasa warned that it was not possible to completely neutralise the effects of the impact. In order to minimise the risks to the $9bn (£8.4bn) telescope and avoid further head-on collisions, Nasa is reportedly considering not pointing it in some directions where there is a higher presence of space rocks.  James Webb Soace Telescope / Nasa Image credit: Nasa

  • 5G puts VR and robots into future museums

    Visitors to two of Turin’s most popular galleries have had the opportunity to experience how 5G communications technology could be used to bring smart robots and virtual reality into museums. The demonstration, hosted by the Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GAM) and City Museum of Ancient Art (Palazzo Madama) in the Italian city during May, was the result of collaboration between public and private organisations that have been working together for three years to demonstrate the potential of 5G communications technology as part of the EU-funded 5GTours project. The networks set up at the two venues by TIM, using Ericsson technology, comply with the 3GPP standard and guarantee constant high-speed transmission and extremely low latency. In the case of Palazzo Madama, which is…

  • Skyrora opens rocket-building facility in Scotland

    The production of two Skyrora vehicles has already commenced at the site, which will increase up to 16 per year once mass production begins. The firm said its new site boasts “unique capabilities” for space infrastructure in the UK, as certain tests that would typically be outsourced to facilities in other countries can now be conducted domestically. It is capable of conducting full-stage structural and pressure testing and full-stage functional and cold flow testing at the new facility. Conducting these tests domestically saves time and costs, and will allow the maiden testing of the second stage of the Skyrora XL rocket to be performed from UK soil. This includes the assembly of the 70kN engine, which has been built using 3D-printed engine components. The hot fire testing will see the…

  • Polluting water company bosses should face prison, says Environment Agency

    The Environment Agency's annual assessment has found an increase in polluting activities from most of England's water and sewage companies, with performance on pollution falling to its lowest level since 2013.  In light of the "appalling" situation, the regulator has called for the organisations' executives to face prison time if they oversee  serious and repeated pollution incidents, as enforcement action and court fines for breaching environmental laws have proved to be unable to improve environmental performance. In its report , the agency identifies 62 "serious pollution incidents" that occurred last year, up from 44 the year before, in what it describes as the worst performance on pollution seen in years. In its conclusions, t he agency rates four of the country’s nine water companies…

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