Wander Thoughts

Standing beside his winter wheat field on a plot of land scheduled for a new electricity transmission line, John Stacey feels far from optimistic about the future.

"Those huge metal structures are going to split our farm in two," he said to AFP, referring to the development planned across Witham, northeast of London, by the start of the next decade.

As part of a multibillion-pound project endorsed by the UK government, it has created conflict among residents such as farmer Stacey with those looking to modernize Britain's energy infrastructure.

Four pylons that will be built on his land will be managed by National Grid, a privately-run company that oversees the transportation of electricity in England and Wales.

Once operational, they will connect and transport energy from wind farms and solar parks to London.

For Stacey, who is in his sixties, the construction on his property poses a threat not only to the area where he works but also to his residence.

"I had always envisioned spending my retirement on this land and my family continuing to run the farm," he said as seagulls flew overhead above the North Sea.

"The possibility of me living here with pylons and the noise they make is slim," he said, stating that he doesn't see any prospect of the Labour government abandoning their plans.

National Grid has promised to consider the perspectives of those who will be affected in order to "limit the impact" of the pylons.

The country also requires "rewiring" according to National Grid deputy director Tom McGarry, who argued the nation needs this due to the shutdown of coal-fired power plants.

Labour views the power lines as crucial for achieving net zero carbon emissions and enhancing energy security.

Unprecedented scale

The Witham project will run along the route to the Bramford substation, where rows of pylons covering an area of nearly 20 football pitches continuously emit a humming noise.

Homeowners are worried about a new development that is drawing companies to set up grid-connected infrastructure.

A significant solar farm is being built in the vicinity, alongside a substantial warehouse serving as a hub that links to offshore wind turbines.

National Grid plans to invest £35 billion ($44 billion) by 2031 to overhaul its electricity network, making it one of the largest infrastructure projects since the 1960s.

The new production facilities are being located in more secluded regions, requiring the construction of numerous new transmission lines to transport the power back to urban areas.

"Some major investments are also necessary, not just in the United Kingdom, as this is a quite universal trend," he said.

Opposition groups claim that while new connections may be required, alternative schemes such as under-sea and land-based cables, closer to London, have not been adequately examined.

The initiatives are being undertaken "without first consulting the communities," said Rosie Pearson, founder of a local activist group representing the interests of residents in East Anglia.

'Pylon war'

In a small cafe near the village of Ardleigh, located east of London, Pearson met with a group of people who are opposed to the pylon construction, whose concerns included worries about the effect on wildlife diversity and inadequate payment to property owners.

Concerns also exist regarding 50-metre high power line towers obstructing scenic views.

The group formed a circle around a table containing in-depth maps of the projected electric power lines.

"It's the start of a very large construction dispute," said Pearson, who is prepared to litigate in court to demonstrate that there are more affordable alternatives available.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who took office in July, has vowed to circumvent obstacles he perceives as impeding major new infrastructure projects and overhaul Britain's restrictive planning regulations.

To ensure Britain's clean energy future, upgrading infrastructure at an affordable cost is essential.

"The installation of underground cables is more expensive, and the expense will ultimately be reflected in your electricity bill," they added.

The implementation of manufacturing capabilities within spacecraft is progressing with advancements in three-dimensional printing technology for use in weightless environments.

Dr. Gilles Bailet, from the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, has been granted a patent for a system that allows for construction during a space flight.

He hopes this technology - which has been tested on a zero-gravity research plane - could make space exploration more sustainable and decrease space debris.

Dr Bailet stated his invention, utilizing granular materials, could facilitate plans to production in space unique equipment not feasible on Earth.

"As space launch costs continue to decline, space is becoming increasingly crowded, and this trend is unsustainable," Dr Bailet stated.

Our vision is to enable the production of items directly in space through 3D printing, thereby paving the way for material recycling in space and establishing a comprehensive circular economy.

The International Space Station (ISS) was launched with its first 3D printer in 2014, and since then, research on producing items in space has been ongoing in both ground-based labs and onboard the ISS.

Dr. Bailet's prototype 3D printer employs a granulated material, differing from the filaments commonly utilized on Earth.

Despite the challenges posed by weightlessness and the vacuum in space, materials can be retrieved from a feedstock tank and rapidly delivered to the printer's nozzle, beating other methods in this regard.

The experiment was conducted in November as part of the 85th European Space Agency parabolic flight campaign with Novespace in Bordeaux, France.

The team successfully tested their device on three flights, achieving over 90 brief moments of weightlessness during intense ascents and rapid descents, reminiscent of a rollercoaster ride.

"It was truly breathtaking seeing the technology functioning flawlessly as planned," he said, referring to the tests on the aircraft that simulates weightlessness, garnering 22 seconds of microgravity every time it surges over a peak.

We are now confident that our technology can function properly in space, allowing us to complete the first space demonstration as part of our technological advancement goals.

Dr. Bailet and his colleagues are also investigating ways to integrate electronics into materials during the printing process.

"Currently, everything that is sent into Earth's orbit is built on the ground and launched into space through rocket propulsion," Dr Bailet stated.

They have narrowly restricted mass and volumes and can cause self-destruction during launch when mechanical limits are exceeded, resulting in the loss of valuable cargo.

He added that products made on Earth are "less robust in the vacuum of space," and 3D printing has been successfully done only in the pressurized modules of the ISS so far.

While Dr. Bailet's project is currently working on building components to complement spacecraft, such as radiators and antennae, it is expected that equipment could eventually be manufactured on space.

These could include solar reflectors to generate carbon-free power for transmission back to Earth, upgraded communication antennae, or research stations that can produce purer and more effective medicines.

"Crystals grown in space are often larger and more organized than those created here on Earth, making space-based chemical factories potentially capable of producing new or enhanced drugs that can be sent back to the planet's surface," he noted.

Dr. Bailet and his team are currently seeking funding to assist with the initial demonstration of their technology in space.