NASA Delays Artemis II Moon Launch, Cites Testing Issues
NASA announced Tuesday that the Artemis II moon launch, initially targeted for February, is now being delayed to March at the earliest due to issues encountered during a wet dress rehearsal countdown. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the decision to postpone the launch window was made following the conclusion of the rehearsal, which was called off early Tuesday due to an out-of-limits hydrogen leak.
The wet dress rehearsal, designed to identify potential problems before flight, encountered a variety of challenges, ultimately leading to its early termination. "We fully anticipated encountering challenges," Isaacman said in a post on X, emphasizing the importance of such tests in surfacing issues before launch and setting up launch dates.
In other news from the space agency, NASA announced Monday that its Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) has begun its two-year mission to map the heliosphere, the protective bubble around the solar system created by the sun. According to NASA, IMAP will use scientific instruments to chart the boundaries of the heliosphere and study the high-energy particles from the sun, magnetic fields between planets, and dust from collapsed stars. "The spacecraft studies the Sun's activity and how the heliosphere's boundary interacts with the local galactic neighborhood beyond," NASA said. The mission aims to provide insights into the sun's activity and its interaction with the galactic environment.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a massive funding package aimed at ending the partial government shutdown that began over the weekend. The five-bill package includes funding for the departments of Defense, State, and Treasury, among others. It also includes a two-week extension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been a focal point of contention due to Democratic demands for reforms to immigration enforcement agencies. House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a crucial procedural vote Tuesday morning, where he can only afford to lose one Republican vote if all members are present.
In other developments, President Trump stated Monday that his administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University. This announcement followed a New York Times report indicating that Harvard had won some concessions in ongoing negotiations to settle its dispute with the government. "We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He quoted the Times as saying that Harvard relies on federal funding for its financial model and that the administration has repeatedly attempted to cut off research grants.
Finally, Lindsey Vonn confirmed Tuesday that she plans to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, despite suffering an ACL injury last week. Vonn, 41, stated in a press briefing that she had ruptured her ACL but remains committed to competing. "I had a feeling it was bad, but I held out hope until I saw the MRI in front of me," Vonn said. "But I haven't cried. I haven't deviated from my plan... I'm not letting this slip through my fingers. I'm gonna do it. End of story." Vonn is scheduled to compete in the women's downhill on February 8.
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