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).
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
