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Photoshoot at the edge of space
These are not Midjourney! Tweet here. YouTube video here.
FAA clears UPS delivery drones for longer-range flights
UPS delivery drones are now allowed to fly longer distance flights beyond the sight of ground operators, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed in a press release on Wednesday. This is the kind of move that opens the door for drone delivery companies like Wing, FedEx, and Zip to deliver packages across a wider area and service more customers.
The news comes just a few days after Walmart announced it’s partnering with Wing to make deliveries in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. So far, Walmart has already made over 10,000 deliveries across seven states via its partners, DroneUp, Flytrex, and Zipline. The new partnership will allow the retailer to deliver to an extra 60,000 homes.
Read more here.
Investors Flock to Battery Recyclers in Hunt for Climate Law Winners
Investors are racing to find the clean-energy startups best positioned to capitalize on last year’s landmark climate law. Many are betting on an industry that is seen as crucial to the U.S. ending its reliance on China for batteries.
Major investors including BlackRock and Goldman Sachs Asset Management are pouring money into battery recycling, the nascent business of producing reusable battery parts for electric vehicles from scrap metal or old batteries. They are anticipating the startups will survive a turbulent market for clean-energy companies and remain in demand once government incentives dry up.
Read more here.
Other deep tech stories
Apple shares fall after reports that China banned iPhone use by government employees (CNBC)
Mercedes and BMW want to take on Tesla. Check out their new electric concept cars (CNBC)
Investors Flock to Battery Recyclers in Hunt for Climate Law Winners (WSJ)
Microsoft Will Use Carbon-Absorbing Rocks to Meet Climate Goals (WSJ)
Schumer, humbled by AI, crafts crash course for Senate (Axios)
Pentagon’s new AI drone initiative seeks ‘game-changing shift’ to global defense (The Hill)
NASA is working with DARPA and Sikorsky to develop autonomous software for self-flying air taxis. (American Institute of Aeronautics)