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Tag: launching

  • SpaceX makes history after launching rocket from Florida and landing booster in Bahamas

    SpaceX makes history after launching rocket from Florida and landing booster in Bahamas

    SpaceX has pulled off a historic feat, after launching a rocket into space from the coast of Florida and landing the rocket booster in another country.

    Tuesday’s mission marked the first time a Falcon 9 landed on a droneship off the coast of the Bahamas.

    Nearly eight minutes after blasting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Falcon 9’s first stage booster landed on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship stationed off the coast of the Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean.

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    SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship off the coast of the Bahamas (Handout)

    “This is the first time that a rocket has taken off from one country, gone to space and landed in another country!” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X.

    The commercial space company said being able to land in the Bahamas allows Falcon 9 to maximize its performance by launching into a southeast trajectory from the Florida Space Coast.

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    SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship off the coast of the Bahamas

    SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship off the coast of the Bahamas (Handout)

    For instance, launching toward the southeast allows SpaceX to put additional satellites into orbit, while also allowing the rockets to launch human spaceflight missions like Fram2, a polar-orbit human spaceflight mission to explore Earth.

    SpaceX also said landing off the coast of the Bahamas provides greater winter weather for recovery options, which will allow the Falcon booster to continue to provide “rapid and reliable service” for the company’s customers.

    SPACEX LAUNCHES MISSION TO SPACE STATION THAT WILL BRING BACK STRANDED NASA ASTRONAUTS NEXT YEAR

    SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship off the coast of the Bahamas

    SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship off the coast of the Bahamas (Handout)

    The Falcon 9 booster used in Tuesday’s mission was previously used to launch eight astronauts to the space station, critical cargo and supplies to the orbital lab, and send over 200 Starlink satellites into orbit, among other things.

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    In fact, on Tuesday, the booster helped deliver another 23 Starlink satellites into orbit before making its return to terrestrial Earth.

    Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

    Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.

  • Trump launching US sovereign wealth fund: What to know

    Trump launching US sovereign wealth fund: What to know

    Michael Lee Strategy founder Michael Lee explains President Donald Trumps executive order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund on Varney & Co.

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing his administration to set up a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) for the United States, which the White House says “will help maximize the stewardship of our national wealth.”

    The EO directs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to present a plan within 90 days for the creation of the fund.

    So what is a sovereign wealth fund, and how does it work?

    President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    Sovereign wealth funds are investment vehicles owned by countries. Most act as an investment account, or as a development tool, or a combination of the two. They are designed to be a nest egg, allowing current money to be deployed in a way that benefits future generations.

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    Unlike pension funds where people withdraw money for their own spending needs, SWFs are supposed to invest for the collective good of a nation.

    That could mean things like funding construction of an airport or school. But SWFs also often put money into financial products and buying stakes in companies, which can provide financial benefits well into the future and fund government budgets or social programs.

    Trump TikTok

    Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok an additional 90 days to comply with a law requiring it to divest from China-based owner ByteDance or shut down U.S. operations. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

    Trump has suggested the U.S. could take a 50% stake in TikTok, for instance, which would be held in America’s forthcoming SWF.

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    There are over 90 such funds across the world, managing over $8 trillion in assets, according to the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. The United Kingdom recently announced its own plans to pursue forming an SWF.

    In the U.S., 23 states maintain their own funds that control in total $332 billion in assets, according to the White House.

    Atlas Tool Works President Zach Mottl praises President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy on ‘Making Money.’

    Typically, some or all of a country’s budget surplus is passed to the SWF, which can then use it for new investments.

    However, the U.S. has consistently run budget deficits in recent years.

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    Many funds have been set up by countries with strong commodities export industries, and proceeds from oil, natural gas, metals and minerals sales by state-owned companies are often behind SWFs. Around 60% of funds are funded by revenue from natural resources, according to the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds.

    Reuters contributed to this report.