We have liftoff!
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday afternoon, ending years of anticipation and a couple hours of last-minute delays.
John Timmer, science editor at Ars Technica, explains why this historic launch is such “an amazing achievement.”
“Traditionally, these huge launch vehicles have been the domain of governments,” Timmer told Cheddar, referring to the U.S. and Russian space programs.
This marks the first time a private company has ever developed a rocket like this.
The launch puts the Elon Musk-led company ahead of Blue Origin, run by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Timmer says that company plans its own high-power rocket launch but is still a few years away.
And Roscosmos, the Russian space program, also tried to launch a rocket with many small engines but “failed spectacularly,” a stark contrast to the Falcon Heavy, which was propelled by 27 engines.
“SpaceX, between current computer control systems and their careful manufacturing, has apparently solved the problem necessary to send something into orbit with that many engines,” Timmer said.
The Falcon Heavy launched from Kennedy Space Center at 3:45 pm ET on Tuesday. Musk added some showmanship to the event, by including his own Tesla roadster as the payload. By the end of the day the roadster was on a trajectory that is planned to put it in a long elliptical orbit around Mars.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/despite-doubts-falcon-heavy-has-a-successful-launch).
A stark disagreement over regulating AI in Republicans’ tax cut and spending bill is the latest tension among conservatives about whether to let states continue to put guardrails on emerging technologies or minimize such interference.
Mark Hamrick of Bankrate discusses the jobs market, AI's growing impact on employment, and how markets are reacting to today’s surprising payroll data.
Amanda Chu of POLITICO reveals how lawmakers are betting millions on pharma stocks even as Trump threatens tariffs and demands steep drug price cuts. Watch!
Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, previews soaring summer 2025 travel: record international flights, cheaper fares for Europe & Asia, plus booking hacks.
NerdWallet Senior Economist Liz Renter shares what she's tracking in economic data, with a focus on U.S. household debt and rising credit card balances. Watch!
At some 940-pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.
