Cold Weather Delays NASA Moon Launch At Least Two Days

Authored by T.J. Muscaro via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Humanity’s return to the Moon’s orbit will have to wait at least another two days.

NASA’s Space Launch System Moon rocket prepares for launch ahead of Artemis II at Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Jan. 30, 2026 (T.J. Muscaro/The Epoch Times).

NASA said on Jan. 30 that the earliest launch date for the Artemis II mission—the first crewed mission to fly around the Moon in more than 50 years—was pushed back from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 due to the unusually cold weather disrupting critical pre-launch operations.

“Managers have assessed hardware capabilities against the projected forecast, given the rare arctic outbreak affecting the state, and decided to change the timeline,” the space agency said in a press release.

“Teams and preparations at the launch pad remain ready for the wet dress rehearsal.

“However, adjusting the timeline for the test will position NASA for success during the rehearsal, as the expected weather this weekend would violate launch conditions.”

Before the behemoth Moon rocket called the Space Launch System can be cleared for launch, it needs to undergo a “wet dress rehearsal,” which is a run-through of launch day operations.

They include fully loading and unloading the rocket, powering up, powering down, and recycling critical systems.

It is at this time that any lingering problems with the spacecraft, such as fuel leaks, reveal themselves, as was the case for Artemis I.

Artemis II’s wet dress rehearsal was scheduled for Jan. 31.

However, mission managers decided the day before that it would be too cold and they are now targeting Feb. 2, with the simulated launch window beginning at 9 p.m. (ET).

While the space agency rules out a launch on the first two days of the February window—Feb. 6 and Feb. 7—a finalized launch date won’t be announced until after teams have reviewed the outcomes of the wet dress rehearsal.

According to NASA’s weather criteria for the Space Launch System, fueling cannot be initiated if the 24-hour average temperature at key points of the rocket is below 41.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

The National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Florida, warned of an extreme cold and freeze watch for Cape Canaveral, and several other counties across Central Florida for Jan. 31 through Feb. 1.

Temperatures could drop as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with a cold wind chill possibly hitting as low as seven degrees Fahrenheit.

Strong gusts reaching 45 mph were also possible for the morning of Jan. 31, which would also violate launch conditions.

Now, NASA plans to keep the Moon rocket and Orion crew capsule out on Launch Complex 39B in the meantime, as engineers take precautions to maintain the vehicle through the cold.

Those include keeping the Orion capsule powered up and configuring purges to ensure proper environmental conditions for certain elements of the boosters and spacecraft are maintained.

Meanwhile, the Artemis II crew remains in their pre-flight quarantine in Houston.

Mission managers were still assessing when the crew would arrive at Kennedy Space Center ahead of the launch.

Tyler Durden Fri, 01/30/2026 - 20:05

Watch: Jennings Destroys Dems For Refusing To Condemn DA's Vow To "Hunt Down Nazi" ICE Agents

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

CNN contributor Scott Jennings unloaded on Democrats during a heated panel discussion, exposing their failure to denounce Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s inflammatory threats against federal ICE agents enforcing immigration laws.

Jennings highlighted how such rhetoric from left-wing officials undermines law enforcement and fuels division, especially as the Trump administration ramps up deportations of criminal illegal immigrants.

“Yeah, this is highly inappropriate. No prosecutor in America should be doing that, let alone yelling at and about law enforcement officers,” Jennings urged.

? BREAKING: Scott Jennings just DROPPED THE MIC on every Democrat in America

"The fact that Democrats cannot, in unison, condemn a loony tunes prosecutor for vowing to 'HUNT DOWN' ICE agents like 'Nazis' is beyond chilling!"

"Yeah, this is highly inappropriate. No prosecutor… pic.twitter.com/cRoDA6PibL

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 29, 2026

He laid out the core issue plainly: “Look, this debate, a lot of words and a lot of talking around it. We have existing federal immigration law. We have law enforcement agencies, duly sworn officers that have been ordered by the president to go out and enforce those laws. That’s really all the debate is about here.”

Jennings pointed to successful enforcement elsewhere: “And in most jurisdictions, these laws are being enforced quite amicably. There are no incidents. Transfers are happening.”

“People are being deported that have a reason to be deported. It’s just in this specific jurisdiction, people have decided that federal immigration law shouldn’t apply!” he added.

He then escalated his critique to the broader pattern among Democrats: “And now you have sort of radical Democrats around the country ramping this up even further by claiming that they’re going to ‘hunt down’ federal law enforcement officers as though they were Nazis.”

Jennings called out Rep. Eric Swalwell specifically: “You have Eric Swalwell in California promising a reign of terror if he becomes governor against anybody who’s ever worked for ICE!”

“I mean, this kind of division and this kind of threat against people who basically signed up to enforce the law and do public service, it’s outrageous. And any Democrat ought to be able to sit here and say this is way over the line!” Jennings concluded.

The outburst came in response to Krasner’s recent vows during a City Hall event in Philadelphia, where he joined city councilmembers to unveil the “ICE OUT” legislation package. 

The bills aim to bar ICE agents from city-owned property, restrict agency cooperation and data sharing, and limit access to public facilities like libraries, shelters, and health centers without a judicial warrant.

Krasner labeled ICE agents as “a small bunch of wannabe Nazis” and threatened, “If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities. We will find you. We will achieve justice.”

Backlash has been swift. Pennsylvania State Sen. Jarrett Coleman dismissed the comments as “empty threats,” emphasizing that local officials cannot interfere with federal law enforcement. 

House Minority Leader Jesse Topper called them “not just hypocritical [but] outright laughable,” urging focus on community security instead. 

The White House noted a 1,300% surge in assaults on ICE officers, blaming “dangerous, untrue smears by elected Democrats” and praising agents for “act[ing] heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities.”

This rhetoric from Krasner fits into a larger pattern of incitement from Democrat-led cities against federal immigration enforcement. 

As we highlighted earlier, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson admitted to coordinating with other Democrat mayors, including Minneapolis’ Jacob Frey and Boston’s Michelle Wu, to impede ICE operations. 

Johnson has even established “ICE-Free Zones” prohibiting agents from city properties without warrants and is pushing measures to hold them accountable for alleged misconduct.

Tucker Carlson accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Frey of deliberately fueling chaos to spark a “color revolution” and civil war by refusing to protect citizens and allowing riots. 

Carlson warned that such actions lead to states rejecting federal authority, resulting in “warring nations within the same borders” and “killing at scale.”

These escalating threats from radical Democrats not only endanger federal agents doing their jobs but also erode the rule of law that protects American communities from criminal elements. 

With polls showing a majority of Americans supporting mass deportations, this resistance looks increasingly out of touch and dangerous. 

Enforcing immigration laws isn’t optional—it’s essential to putting America First and restoring order after years of open-border chaos.

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Tyler Durden Fri, 01/30/2026 - 14:17

Tesla Shares Jump 5% After Musk Reportedly Mulls Merging SpaceX, xAI, Tesla Merger

Tesla shares jumped about 5% on Friday after reports suggested that Elon Musk is considering bringing his companies closer together through a possible merger involving SpaceX, Tesla, and artificial intelligence startup xAI. The news helped reverse losses from the previous session, when the stock slid following the company’s earnings report.

According to people familiar with the discussions, SpaceX has been evaluating different ways to combine parts of Musk’s business portfolio ahead of a potential public offering. One option involves a tie-up with Tesla, while another centers on xAI. These talks are still preliminary, and no agreement has been reached, but investors welcomed the possibility of deeper cooperation across the group.

The market reaction was swift. After falling to its lowest level in two months on Thursday, Tesla rebounded strongly in early Friday trading. The rally lifted the company’s valuation back toward $1.65 trillion, signaling renewed confidence in Musk’s long-term strategy despite recent financial pressures.

Much of that optimism reflects the potential overlap between the companies’ ambitions. Musk has repeatedly floated the idea of using SpaceX technology to support large-scale computing in orbit, which could benefit xAI’s push to expand its artificial intelligence systems. Tesla, meanwhile, could contribute through its battery, energy storage, and manufacturing operations, creating a tightly linked ecosystem spanning transportation, robotics, space, and AI.

Financial ties between the firms have already been growing. Tesla recently committed $2 billion to xAI, matching a similar investment made earlier by SpaceX. In a shareholder letter, Tesla said, “As set forth in Master Plan Part IV, Tesla is building products and services that bring AI into the physical world. Meanwhile, xAI is developing leading digital AI products and services, such as its large language model (Grok).”

Musk reinforced that view during the earnings call, arguing that collaboration is central to Tesla’s future. “But if there are things xAI can help accelerate our progress, then why should we not do that?” he said. “And that is the reason why we’ve gone ahead with such an investment. Because this is part of the strategic initiative.” The company has also highlighted links between AI development, its Optimus robots, and autonomous driving systems.

Still, significant uncertainty surrounds any potential deal. People close to the matter say the companies may ultimately decide against merging, and any transaction could complicate SpaceX’s plans for a major stock market debut later this year. That offering, if it moves forward as expected, could be one of the largest in history.

The surge in Tesla’s share price also comes as the company faces near-term challenges. Recent earnings showed weaker profitability, and management has warned that heavy spending is coming as it ramps up investments in autonomy and robotics.

Musk acknowledged the scale of those plans, saying, “This year for Tesla is the first major steps as we increase vehicle autonomy and begin to produce Optimus robots at scale — we’re making very, very big investments.” For now, investors appear to be focused less on short-term risks and more on the possibility that Musk’s interconnected vision could unlock new sources of growth.

Tyler Durden Fri, 01/30/2026 - 14:00