Axios

The FalconHeavy launch was a success. Both boosters landed (perfectly in sync). The core appeared to run out of igniter on 2/3 engines, and hit the water at 300mph (stay tuned for possible video of the crash). Shrapnel from the crash seems to have damaged the droneship.

• What's next: The final payload will deploy Musk's cherry-red Tesla roadster into a highly elliptical orbit around the sun. As of 7:00 PM, it was making its way through the Van Allen radiation belts, and in just a few hours will begin the final burn towards Mars.
• Why it matters: It's a big step towards affordable, airplane-style space commerce. The FalconHeavy is less expensive than comparable rockets and can carry twice the weight of other rockets.

Note: This story has been updated with additional information about the core booster. More will be added as the payload is deployed into orbit.

FEMA gave a $156 million contract to a single-employee Georgia company (which had five previously-terminated government contracts) to provide 30 million meals for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, according to a report from The New York Times. The company only delivered 50,000 meals and the contract was canceled last October.

Why it matters: Risky contracts awarded in the earliest days after Maria, like Whitefish Energy, indicate that both the federal government and local entities in Puerto Rico simply weren't equipped for the scale of the disaster.

At least two people are dead and 144 more were injured after a powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook the eastern Taiwanese city of Hualien, located about 70 miles south of Taipei, per the AP. Multiple buildings, including a hotel with 30 people trapped inside, collapsed in the quake, per Reuters.

The details: The tremor, which hit at 11:50 p.m. about 12 miles off the island's east coast, is the latest in a string to strike Taiwan in recent days, including a 6.1 earthquake that took place nearby on Sunday.

SpaceX is attempting to launch a new, heavier rocket on Tuesday, with takeoff now scheduled for 3:45 pm ET. You can watch the attempt here.

Why it matters: The Falcon Heavy is designed to carry larger payloads, opening the door to more kinds of missions. "It's either going to be an exciting success or an exciting failure — one big boom," Elon Musk told reporters on Monday. Watch our preview video for more details.

New measurements of several Earth-like planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system — located about 39 light-years away — suggest they are rocky and that some could have atmospheres that would allow life to survive there, ScienceNews reports.

Why it matters: The studies (here and here) will help researchers to set priorities for the James Webb Space Telescope — the Hubble Space Telescope's successor scheduled to launch next year and search for life on planets around other stars.