Real life Iron Man, Elon Musk has been featured a lot in the news recently for launching one of the world’s most powerful rockets, Falcon Heavy. SpaceX’ latest rocket blasted off its first test flight carrying a red Tesla roadster along with it. If you have not been able to follow the news or the launch of this iconic rocket, here are 10 facts to bring you up to speed.
1. On February 6, 2018, SpaceX launched it’s Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, into an orbit that stretches into the asteroid belt.
2. Elon Musk was not sure if the launch would be a success. The launch of the rocket was delayed by three hours citing high winds.
3. After a successful launch, two of Falcon’s rocket cores successfully touched down back on Earth after takeoff. However, the middle core of SpaceX’s huge rocket missed the drone ship where it was supposed to land. Relighting one of the three engines necessary to land, the center core landed in the Atlantic Ocean.
A graphic showing the path of the Falcon Heavy rocket
4. Falcon Heavy is considered to be the most powerful rocket ever created, since the Shuttle System and second only to the Saturn V rockets, which carried men to the moon during the Apollo era.
5. The Tesla Roadster has the message “Don’t panic!” stamped on the dashboard and David Bowie playing on the speakers. The $100,000 car will cruise through high energy radiation belts, Van Allen belts, that circuit Earth towards deep space.
6. The Tesla cruised through space for a good six hours which was also live streamed by SpaceX. The car was then pushed out towards its elliptical orbit around Mars, once the upper stage’s systems survived being bombarded with all the radiation, firing and pushing the car forward for one last time.
Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt. pic.twitter.com/bKhRN73WHF
7. Experts along with Elon Musk are still unclear about what will happen to the car. Planetary scientists have been asking about the details regarding the car’s exact orbit to calculate the Tesla’s odds of collision and how long it will actually last in deep space.
8. The successful launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket along with its capabilities of putting objects into deep space and landing back on Earth demonstrates the possibility of creating low production cost rockets and ability to reuse them in the future.
9. The success of this launch makes it easier for governments and businesses to lift massive projects into space or set off deep space missions, marking a major step toward cheaper, more frequent spaceflight programs.
10. Falcon Heavy’s capabilities of putting objects into deep space also opens up avenues for space companies, like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries to send their spacecrafts into the asteroid belt. Currently, both the space companies are working on technologies to mine water from asteroids in the near future.
Watch the Elon Musk’s dummy astronaut orbiting Earth in a Tesla in this time lapse video.
Tinder has introduced Tinder U, a new feature tailored for university and college students in India. This in-app experience simplifies connections by letting students match with peers from their own campus or nearby colleges. Verified users can personalize their profiles with details like graduation year, major, and campus activities to find matches based on shared interests.
Key features include:
Simplified Connections: Users can express interest with ‘Like’ or ‘Super Like,’ eliminating awkward DMs.
Local Matches: Prioritizes connections within the university and nearby colleges.
Safe Environment: Only verified students can join, ensuring authenticity.
To access Tinder U, students must verify their college email address (e.g., ending in .edu.in or .ac.in). Once enrolled, they unlock a customized dating experience, including an exclusive app icon for iOS users. This feature aims to foster genuine connections and enhance campus social life, making it easier to meet study partners, friends, or romantic interests
Uber Technologies is reportedly in early discussions to acquire BluSmart Mobility, a Gurugram-based electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing startup. The potential deal comes as BluSmart’s parent company, Gensol Engineering, faces financial challenges and explores exiting the capital-intensive EV business.
BluSmart’s Unique Model
Founded in 2019, BluSmart operates an all-electric fleet of over 5,000 vehicles across cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Unlike competitors such as Uber and Ola, BluSmart directly owns its fleet and manages its charging infrastructure. While this model promotes sustainability and premium services, it has led to high operational costs.
Strategic Fit for Uber
Acquiring BluSmart could help Uber expand its EV footprint in India, complementing its “Uber Green” initiative and plans to deploy 25,000 Tata EVs. BluSmart’s fleet and charging network would provide a strategic edge as Uber competes with rivals like Ola and Rapido in the growing EV market.
Financial Pressures on BluSmart
Despite raising over $109 million in funding, BluSmart has struggled with profitability due to high capital expenditures and delays in government EV subsidies. Gensol Engineering’s liquidity issues have further fueled speculation about a potential sale.
Denial of Acquisition Talks
BluSmart has denied any ongoing discussions with Uber, calling such reports speculative. However, industry experts believe the acquisition could reshape India’s EV ride-hailing sector if finalized.
Conclusion
While no deal has been confirmed, Uber’s interest in BluSmart underscores the growing competition in India’s EV mobility space. If successful, this acquisition could strengthen Uber’s sustainability goals while addressing BluSmart’s financial challenges.
Investment tech unicorn Groww, India’s largest stock broking platform, is reportedly in early discussions to acquire Fisdom, a Bengaluru-based wealthtech startup backed by PayU. The deal could value Fisdom between $140 million and $160 million and aligns with Groww’s strategy to diversify its offerings ahead of its anticipated IPO later this year.
About Groww and Fisdom
Groww, founded in 2016, is known for simplifying financial services and is India’s leading distributor of mutual fund SIPs. The company aims to expand beyond trading and mutual fund distribution as it prepares for an IPO that could value it between $6 billion and $8 billion.
Fisdom, established in 2015, offers financial services such as mutual fund investments, insurance, tax filing, and private wealth management. It powers banks and distributors for selling mutual funds and recently launched portfolio management services for high-net-worth individuals (HNIs).
Strategic Implications
The acquisition would allow Groww to leverage Fisdom’s distribution technology and private wealth management expertise. This move could complement Groww’s new wealth platform, “W by Groww,” and help diversify its revenue streams amid regulatory changes impacting derivative trading.
Conclusion
If finalized, the acquisition would strengthen Groww’s position in the wealth management sector while providing Fisdom with growth capital to expand its operations. Regulatory approvals could take up to six months to complete the deal.