CBS News
NASA delays space station crew rotation flight, makes way for SpaceX Starlink launch
Taking advantage of a weather delay for NASA’s next space station flight, SpaceX fired off another 23 Starlink internet satellites Thursday in a hazy leap day launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was the California rocket builder’s 19th flight so far this year.
Earlier in the day, NASA called off plans for the 12:04 a.m. EST Friday launch of three astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the nearby Kennedy Space Center.
It’s the first of two planned crew rotation flights by NASA and the Russian space agency to replace five of the lab’s seven long-duration crew members.
But the NASA launch was delayed because of high winds and rough seas along the Atlantic Ocean trajectory where the crew could be forced to splash down in an abort. Liftoff is now targeted for Saturday at 11:16 p.m. local time, weather permitting.
SpaceX took advantage of the slip to squeeze in the Starlink launch while still preserving the 48-hour spacing between flights required by NASA to allow time for data analysis to make sure any issues that might crop up in the first flight are identified before the second.
The Starlink flight, the 12th so far this year, got underway at 10:30 a.m. local time, with liftoff from pad 40 at the Space Force station. One hour and five minutes later, the stack of 23 Starlink internet satellites was released, boosting the total number launched to date to 5,919.
Below are mission details at a glance:
Mission: Starlink 6-40
Payload: 23 Starlink internet satellites
Launch site: Launch complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch date/time: 02/29/24, 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 UTC)
Total Falcon 9 launches to date: 304
Total Falcon Heavy launches to date: 9
Total Super Heavy/Starship launches to date: 2
Falcon 9/Heavy launches this year: 19 (19 F9s, 0 FHs)
Successful Falcon 9/Heavy launches in a row: 294
Starlink launches to date: 144 (135 dedicated flights, 9 mixed payloads)
Starlink launches this year: 12
Starlink satellites launched to date: 5,919
Starlinks presumed to be working: 5,442 (not counting the latest flight)
Starlinks launched so far this year: 269
Payloads launched to orbit this year: 281
Starlink 6-40 booster: 1076, 11th flight
Successful droneship landings to date: 216
Successful booster landings overall: 278
Successful booster landings in a row: 204
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in
for more features.
CBS News
Tupperware files for bankruptcy amid slumping sales
Tupperware and some of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the once-iconic food container maker said in a statement late Tuesday.
The company has suffered from dwindling sales following a surprise surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, when legions of people stuck at home tried their hands at cooking, which increased demand for Tupperware’s colorful plastic containers with flexible airtight seals.
A post-pandemic rise in costs of raw materials and shipping, along with higher wages, also hurt Tupperware’s bottom line.
Last year, it warned of “substantial doubt” about its ability to keep operating in light of its poor financial position.
“Over the last several years, the Company’s financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment,” president and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement announcing the bankruptcy filing.
“As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward,” Goldman said.
The company said it would seek court approval for a sale process for the business to protect its brand and “further advance Tupperware’s transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company.”
The Orlando, Florida-based firm said it would also seek approval to continue operating during the bankruptcy proceedings and would continue to pay its employees and suppliers.
“We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process,” Goldman said.
The firm’s shares were trading at $0.5099 Monday, well down from $2.55 in December last year.
Tupperware said it had implemented a strategic plan to modernize its operations and drive efficiencies to ignite growth following the appointment of a new management team last year.
“The Company has made significant progress and intends to continue this important transformation work.”
In its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Tupperware listed assets of between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion.
The filing also said it had between 50,000 and 100,000 creditors.
Tupperware lost popularity with consumers in recent years and an initiative to gain distribution through big-box chain Target failed to reverse its fortunes.
The company’s roots date to 1946, when chemist Earl Tupper “had a spark of inspiration while creating molds at a plastics factory shortly after the Great Depression,” according to Tupperware’s website.
“If he could design an airtight seal for plastic storage containers, like those on a paint can, he could help war-weary families save money on costly food waste.”
Over time, Tupper’s containers became popular that many people referred to any plastic food container as Tupperware. And people even threw “Tupperware parties” in their homes to sell the containers to friends and neighbors.
CBS News
9/17: CBS Evening News – CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
JD Vance echoes Trump, blames Democrats for apparent assassination attempt
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.