Germany\'s Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology unveiled a compact, lightweight electric motor prototype delivering close to 1,000 horsepower, setting a marker in the race to electrify aviation. The 94-kg unit achieves a power density of 8 kW per kg with a small structure about the size of a 12.5-kg gas cylinder. It uses 4x3-phase hairpin windings, direct oil-spray cooling and thin NO15 steel sheets, and includes a four-section redundant safety design for aviation use.

Energy supply risks in the Middle East following the U.S.-Iran war are raising uncertainty over securing electricity for land-based data centres, prompting interest in orbital data centres as an alternative AI infrastructure. Power demand from data centres is projected to surge by 2030, while costs and regulatory constraints complicate expansion on the ground. Falling launch costs and new solar and cooling technologies are seen as improving feasibility, alongside moves by Nvidia, Google and others.