A rocket failure, a cybercab rollout, and a major air travel breakdown all landed on Elon Musk's plate at once, and it's bad news for flyers while Tesla keeps pushing ahead with new products anyway.

• SpaceX's Starship booster exploded after a failed landing attempt in Texas, scattering debris that forced a halt to West Coast flights.
• Separately, the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop, something that hasn't happened since 9/11, after an aging telecom system tied to air traffic control broke down, delaying or canceling over 13,000 flights.
• Backup options got overwhelmed too, with Amtrak reporting system errors and high call volumes as travelers tried to find another way to move.
• Despite the rocket failure, Tesla is already offering its new Cybercab, priced around $30,000, to select buyers, and demo units are showing up overseas, including in South Korea.
• Separately, NASA pressed ahead with moon base plans built on competing contracts with private space companies, while Secretary of State Rubio downplayed the threat from North Korea even as tensions remain real in the region.

Outlook: Expect more scrutiny of Musk's government ties and infrastructure contracts as officials investigate what caused the outage, with no quick fix expected for the FAA's aging telecom systems.