Aerospace
The Drone (UAV) Supply Chain in 2026: Components, Bottlenecks, and China's Dominance
DJI holds ~70% of the drone market; China makes 98% of rare earth magnets. A tier-by-tier analysis of UAV supply chain bottlenecks and reshoring.
John D
Strategic Consultant, Director of DataDeep Tech and Author of Detroit Megacity
Space
Who Will Launch ASTS BlueBird Satellites Now? New Glenn Delays, SpaceX, ISRO, and 2026 Cadence Risk
New Glenn’s explosion puts ASTS launch cadence under pressure as SpaceX, ISRO, and other providers become critical backup paths.
Space
Could Blue Origin’s New Glenn Explosion Delay Artemis? LC-36 Damage and NASA’s Moon Base Logistics
How New Glenn’s LC-36 explosion could disrupt Artemis, Blue Moon cargo, rover delivery, and NASA’s Moon Base logistics.
Offgrid
DIY Push Sickle-Bar Mower: Open-Hardware Plans / Recycled Salvage
Open-hardware plans for a push sickle-bar mower: salvage-first BOM, honest physics, and why a ~$120 electric-assist build beats a $4,000 BCS.
Sustainability
Soil Chemistry for Off-Grid Homesteads: pH, Moisture, Crop Selection, and Basic Outdoor Growing
A practical guide to soil pH, moisture testing, crop preferences, and outdoor soil management for off-grid homesteads.
Why Was the New Glenn Explosion So Big? Propellant Load, Fireball Physics, and the 1-Kiloton Question
A technical look at New Glenn’s LC-36 explosion, propellant energy, mushroom-cloud visuals, and why “1 kiloton” remains speculative.
Lunar
Artemis Lunar Base 2026: What the Program Costs, What the Moon Has, and Who Is Winning the Race
Artemis II flew April 2026. The first crewed landing slips to 2028. ISRU is TRL 4. Ice abundance is unconfirmed. China targets 2030.
Offgrid
3D Printing for Off-Grid Homesteads: Practical Repairs, Tools, and Open-Source Libraries for Resilient Communities
How off-grid communities can use 3D printers for repairs, tools, sensor mounts, archives, and open-source local manufacturing.
Philosophy
Solar Energy and the 5% Rule: Why Off-Grid Homes Need Redundant Backup Power
A practical guide to solar overpaneling, backup generators, battery storage, and three-pillar energy redundancy for off-grid homes.
Batteries
Sand Batteries and Thermal Energy Storage: Viability, Economics, and Industrial Decarbonization Outlook
Decision-grade analysis of sand batteries, thermal storage economics, efficiency limits, vendors, and industrial heat use cases.
Computing
AI Bubble or Infrastructure Supercycle? A Strategic Assessment of the AI Capex Boom
Is AI a bubble or infrastructure boom? A strategic breakdown of AI capex, data centers, NVIDIA, cloud, power, and end-users.
Water
How to Build a Self-Contained Wastewater Treatment IBC Tote System: A 150 GPD Design Guide
A hybrid MBBR plus UF train fits a 275-gal IBC footprint, draws 2 kWh/day, and meets NSF/ANSI reuse grade. Aeration energy is the binding constraint.