SpaceX’s 400-Foot Starship Rocket Launches Into the Air, Then Into Pieces

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its Starship and Super Heavy booster rocket for the first time Thursday. The 400-foot-tall structure soared into the air before going kaboom around the 4-minute mark. While the explosion was unplanned, SpaceX considers the launch a success.

The launch was part of ongoing testing to fine-tune the design for Starship. SpaceX plans to use it to launch larger second-generation Starlink satellites and transport NASA astronauts to the moon. Starship is designed to be a fully-reusable rocket that can carry larger and heavier loads than Falcon rockets.

The rocket’s Super Heavy booster and Starship were designed to separate in the air. The booster would land in the Gulf of Mexico and the Starship would land near Hawaii after circling most of the way around the globe. But things didn’t go as planned, leading to what SpaceX calls a “Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly.” In other words, it blew up.

Rapid Rundown

• 🚀 SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during the inaugural launch but was considered a success for testing progress.

• 💪 Designed to carry heavy loads, it'll transport humans to the moon with reusability as a focus.

Biden Puts End to American Dream of Owning a Piece of China's Tech Scene

Looks like Biden is getting ready to limit tech investments in China. In other words, he's not going to let the US invest in China's cool techs toys like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. No fair! I was looking forward to buying some Chinese quantum computing stocks to fund my retirement.

The order would cover all sorts of investments, including venture capital and private equity deals. It would also put a kibosh on some tech transfers and joint ventures. The Biden administration is planning to drop this bombshell right around the time of the Group of Seven summit in Japan next month. So, if you're planning to invest in Chinese tech, do it now, or forever hold your peace.

The US has been keeping a close eye on China's tech scene for a while now. American investors have been pouring money into Chinese startups, especially those focused on AI. But this is all coming to an end as geopolitical tensions continue to simmer between the two nations.

Rapid Rundown

• 💸 Biden's executive order will limit US investments in China's tech scene.

• 🤖 Areas of restriction include semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing.

Volkswagen's First Gigafactory Outside Europe: Canada, Eh?

The Great White North just landed a deal to provide over C$13 billion in government subsidies to fund Volkswagen's first electric vehicle battery gigafactory outside of Europe. And where did they decide to build it? None other than St. Thomas, a mere Loony's throw away from Detroit, America's Motor City. That's right, VW passed up on Oklahoma to get a taste of Canadian-made Fahrvergnügen.

The gigafactory will be about 1,000 hockey rinks big, or for our American friends, roughly the size of 350 football fields. Canada's hoping this move will create thousands of new jobs and give them a leg up in the Green Revolution economy. But let's not forget, these subsidies are only here for as long as the US keeps theirs. As industry minister François-Philippe Champagne put it, "What's the cost of inaction?" Some officials are concerned that Canada is putting too much pressure on itself to keep up with the US, but hey, at least they're trying.

Rapid Rundown

• 🚀 Canada secures Volkswagen's first EV battery gigafactory outside Europe with $13B in subsidies.

• 👀 Canada competes with the US in the Green Revolution economy, but subsidies are only valid as long as IRA remains active.

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