✈️ Solid fuel for Mach 2 flight

Happy Friday! It's Abhimanyu again, and I want to thank you for bearing with us as we work out the kinks with its new newsletter system – and for your feedback to help us improve. It'll only get better, promise!

I'm still trying to wrap my head around David's story about a solid-fueled ramjet that GE Aerospace is testing, as it enables an F-14 Starfighter to hit Mach 2.2, which is like 1,688 mph. Pretty sure that qualifies as rocket science.

As petrolheads, Utkarsh and I are always chomping at the bit to cover the latest in motorcycles, and he beat me to the punch yesterday with Honda's news about its gorgeous, classically styled CB500 Super Four. No biggie – I got to spend some time learning about how mining trucks could soon ditch their enormously expensive and wasteful rubber tires.

Dive into all that and the rest – and reply to this email if you've got feedback on our newsletter, or tips on more stuff we should cover!

– Abhimanyu Ghoshal

MilitaryTechnology

GE Aerospace flies hypersonic engine with no moving parts

by David Szondy

What has zero moving parts, yet can blast an aerial vehicle to velocities beyond Mach 5? The answer is the recently flight-tested Atmospheric Test of Launched Airbreathing System (ATLAS) powered by a new solid-fueled ramjet built by GE Aerospace.

View Article

Become a newsletter sponsor

Today’s highlights

MotorcyclesTransport

Surprise, surprise: Honda has quietly revealed the CB500 Super Four

by Utkarsh Sood

Honda has sent motorcycle enthusiasts into a state of frenzy by revealing the CB500 Super Four retro standard and CBR500R Four sportbike at this year's CIMAMotor show in Chongqing, China. Both models are scheduled to launch in early 2026.

View Article

AutomotiveTransport

Durable steel wheels could replace rubber tires on mining vehicles

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

For nearly a decade, a Phoenix, Arizona-based outfit has been working on a smart replacement for the giant rubber tires that go on heavy mining vehicles. After rigorous testing, GACW's steel wheels are rolling towards a commercial launch this year.

View Article

Special promotion for New Atlas readers

Office 2021 + Windows 11 Pro = productivity unlocked for $55

Upgrade your PC with two Microsoft essentials in one bundle: Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro—lifetime licenses, a one-time $54.97 payment, and productivity forever.

27 oral microbes drive 250% rise in pancreatic cancer risk

For the first time, scientists have identified 27 bacteria and fungi in our mouth that contribute to pancreatic cancer. Collectively, carrying all of these “bad” microbes increases cancer risk by 250% – 3.5 times higher than in the general population.

View Article