You've seen IE on your feed. You've only seen part of it. The IE App has every story, every video (even the ones that never make it to social) and a new engineering puzzle every day. Out now on iPhone and Android. ⏩ iOS: apple.co/4wSW6LY ⏩ Android: playgoogle.s.gy/Sfwv1G

An electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically has received a first-of-its-kind FAA authorization. bit.ly/3VPlhCj

Australian researchers said that non-recyclable landfill waste could help produce low-carbon cement, slashing the industry's emissions. bit.ly/4yEjY6K

Industry consultancy Novaspace projects that defense-owned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites will surge from 485 launched in the decade through 2025 to 2,306 in the 2026-2035 period, a more than fourfold increase. The growth is driven by lessons from Ukraine, where space-based intelligence proved critical, and a brief US halt of data sharing in March 2025 that pushed governments to seek assured independent access. Global space defense budgets are forecast to reach $121 billion in 2028, up from $74 billion in 2026 and $53 billion in 2022, with at least 55 countries now maintaining space defense budgets. The total number of operational satellites in orbit could jump fivefold to between 50,000 and 100,000 by 2036, driving $61 billion in spending on space situational awareness over the same period. 📷 Getty Images

A new robotaxi drive unit unveiled on 3 September 2026 is said to be 18% smaller and 25% lighter than rival units, and its maker claims the motor uses no rare earth metals at all. We break down how an electric motor works, why almost every EV relies on rare earth magnets that China dominates, and the engineering that could let a motor deliver strong torque without them.

Eight nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 6 gigawatts are likely to be installed in the US. bit.ly/4jAfUAI

Elon Musk claims his chip factory project Terafab, a joint venture between SpaceX and Tesla in Austin, Texas, will produce its first test chip by May or June 2027 and reach full production by late 2028. “Real production would be late ‘28, which is lightning fast by fab standards,” Musk said. The project will cost at least tens of billions through early 2028 and potentially over $100 billion long term, though SpaceX and Tesla have yet to agree on how to split costs. Terafab chips will support both terrestrial and space-based use cases, including Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots, which Musk said will begin customer deliveries in 2027 to industrial companies. On the same earnings call, Musk said Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxis will be available for purchase by end of 2026, with a Dallas launch planned for November. 📷 Getty Images

Besides its counter-drone role, the platform has also already been deployed with UK armed forces to deliver tactical logistics. bit.ly/4igOrSk

A warhead upgrade for the Tomahawk Block Vb is intended to improve its ability to damage fortified structures, using JMEWS to penetrate protective barriers before detonation.

Russia’s Yolka is designed to intercept drones by collision rather than explosives. Its reported $500 price could offer a lower-cost defense option, but its effectiveness in combat remains unverified.

Four robotic drones could help NASA map landing sites and resources near the lunar south pole by 2028. bit.ly/4BjQKwp

Florida Polytechnic University's police department in Lakeland has unveiled Astro, a single-seat Jetson ONE electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, with a software-limited top speed of 63 mph. The university says it is the first US law enforcement agency to add an eVTOL, with plans for campus patrols, missing-person searches and storm response. Astro still needs FAA approval before it can fly official police missions.

Tesla's humanoid robot ambitions are moving onto the factory floor. bit.ly/4dQvDI9

A $194 million contract will fund fire-control development and testing as the U.S. Navy prepares Virginia-class submarines to carry the planned SLCM-N nuclear cruise missile.

Quantum error correction remains a major hurdle to scaling reliable quantum computers. bit.ly/4z3aPpp

Claude Duet can help manage Shopify stores, prepare financial forecasts, and organize business workflows without keeping a device running. bit.ly/4i7O9gl

A camera the size of a car, cooled to -100°C, packed with 189 CCD sensors, and shipped by Boeing 747 to a mountain in Chile. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s LSST Camera is now imaging 20 billion galaxies, 17 billion stars, and everything moving between them. bit.ly/4iareRL

SpaceX plans to attempt simultaneous catches of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage on its 15th test flight, currently targeting November. Elon Musk said success is “more likely than not” but the company has hardware ready if attempts fail. The FAA is expected to license the flight with return-to-launch-site and tower catch for both stages. Looking further ahead, SpaceX plans to refly a Starship upper stage early next year, complete a long-delayed Starship-to-Starship refueling test in early 2027, and reach weekly launch cadence in the first half of 2027, scaling to twice weekly in the second half. Rapid reusability is the key to that cadence, with Musk describing a long-term vision of launching, landing, and reflying Starship like a commercial aircraft with no refurbishment between flights.

Elon Musk said Tuesday he supports a merger between SpaceX and Tesla, calling it a good idea given the two companies’ converging focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, chip design, and connectivity. Both companies have formed special committees of independent directors to evaluate the terms, with Musk recusing himself as a conflicted party. No agreement has been reached. SpaceX currently holds a market valuation of approximately $2 trillion and Tesla $1.5 trillion. A merger would significantly increase Musk’s voting control, as he holds over 82% of voting power at SpaceX but only around 20% at Tesla. Any deal would require approval from 50% of all Tesla shareholders and is expected to face scrutiny from US regulators. SpaceX acquired Musk’s AI firm xAI in February and went public in June with the largest IPO on record.

Pollen Robotics, the French robotics company owned by Hugging Face, has opened pre-orders for Microduck, a $399 robot duck that stands 25 cm tall and weighs under 800 g. Its walking, skating and fall-recovery skills were trained with reinforcement learning in the MuJoCo simulator, and the software and full training stack are open source, so owners can teach it new moves.