The U.S. quietly dropped the picture inside a recent unclassified report. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The photo was taken in 2024, likely during the spaceplane's third orbital mission. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has released the public's best look yet at Shenlong, China's ultra-secret space plane . Details remain scarce on the experimental reusable vehicle, but the unclassified photo offers an unprecedented glimpse of the craft from below, as well as clear views of its unique, rear-facing solar panel arrays.

Transformers are a crucial but nearly invisible part of our grid. The devices help efficiently move power across long distances, but they're complicated and in short supply. And given that their basic design hasn't changed much for about a century, they could use an upgrade. As the world races to meet rising electricity demand from EVs, data centers, and more, researchers and companies are looking to modernize transformers. New, solid-state versions could help relieve some of the supply concerns and make sure the grid can handle the growing pressure. Conventional transformers generally rely on huge amounts of specialized steel alloys and miles of copper wire to do their work of transferring electricity between circuits. Solid-state models, in comparison, combine magnetic components with high-power semiconductors, making them more compact and allowing for more control over the flow of electricity. These devices are still in development, and can't replace all traditional transformers today, especially the largest ones that work at the high voltages necessary for long-distance transmission. But a new generation of transformer technology could be a crucial part of our future grid.

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Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. So-called balcony solar setups are becoming legal across the US. Maria Diaz is a staff writer with a passion for home automation, smart home devices, and tablets. Multiple states are working to legalize backyard solar setups. After Utah, nine other states have legalized it, or are working on bills for plug-in solar.

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A mysterious super PAC that doubles as a pro-solar energy outfit is funding some of the most knives-out attack ads of the midterms season. A mysteriously named political action committee has started running ads reminding voters in Colorado about that time GOP representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado and her date were caught on camera in 2023 getting handsy during a performance of the musical Beetlejuice . That same PAC is producing a spot hitting Anthony Constantino, a Trumpist congressional candidate in upstate New York, because someone used his sticker-printing company to briefly make stickers that read, " Kill the Police ." Attack ads are everywhere in the last month ahead of November's election. But these spots are a little different.

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