International
NASA Moon rocket launch delayed again, this time by storm
| By AFP |
NASA again rescheduled its long-delayed uncrewed mission to the Moon on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Nicole churned toward the east coast of Florida, officials said.
A launch attempt, which had been scheduled for November 14, will now take place on November 16, Jim Free, a senior official at the US space agency, said on Twitter.
It is the third delay of the highly-anticipated launch in as many months.
“Our people are the most important aspect of our mission,” wrote Free, who is NASA’s Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development. “Adjusting our target launch date for #Artemis I prioritizes employee safety and allows our team to tend to the needs of their families and homes.”
The Atlantic Ocean storm was expected to develop into a hurricane Wednesday near the Bahamas, before making landfall in Florida either later that evening or early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
A hurricane warning has been issued near the Kennedy Space Center, where the rocket — NASA’s most powerful ever — is to blast off.
With Nicole gaining strength, “NASA… has decided to re-target a launch for the Artemis I mission for Wednesday, Nov. 16, pending safe conditions for employees to return to work, as well as inspections after the storm has passed,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday evening.
NASA added that a launch occurring during a two-hour window that opens at 1:04 am EST (0604 GMT) on November 16 would result in a splashdown on Friday, Dec. 11.
A back-up launch date has been set for November 19.
NASA said it would leave the giant SLS rocket on the launch pad, where it had been placed several days before.
After two launch attempts were scrubbed this summer because of technical problems, the rocket had to be returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building to protect it from Hurricane Ian.
Last week, the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket was rolled back out on a giant platform known as the crawler-transporter designed to minimize vibrations.
Earlier Tuesday, Nicole was packing sustained winds near 65 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) with higher gusts and was expected to strengthen even further, according to the NHC.
Some experts have voiced concern that the rocket, which is estimated to cost several billion dollars, could be damaged by debris from the hurricane if it remains exposed.
“As far as staying at the pad, we want to see peak winds less than 74.1 knots, and that’s kind of the key requirement that we’re tracking,” said chief rocket engineer John Blevins.
The SLS rocket is designed to withstand 85 mile-per-hour (74.4-knot) winds at the 60-foot level with structural margin, NASA said. It is designed to also withstand heavy rains at the launch pad and the spacecraft hatches have been secured to prevent water intrusion.
The uncrewed mission, dubbed Artemis 1, will bring the United States a step closer to returning astronauts to the Moon five decades after humans last walked on the lunar surface.
The goal of Artemis 1, named after the twin sister of Apollo, is to test the SLS rocket and Orion crew capsule that sits on top.
Mannequins are standing in for astronauts on the mission and will record acceleration, vibration, and radiation levels.
International
Texas Floods: Death toll rises to 68, dozens still missing
The death toll from the devastating floods in central-south Texas rose to 68 on Sunday, according to local authorities, as hundreds of emergency personnel and volunteers continue intensive search efforts.
Larry Leitha Jr., sheriff of Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit areas, confirmed that 59 of the victims were found in that county alone — 38 adults and 21 minors.
“We will continue the search until we find everyone,” Leitha told reporters Sunday morning, adding that the death toll is expected to rise.
Authorities in neighboring counties have also reported 9 additional deaths:
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3 in Burnet County
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1 in Kendall County
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1 in Tom Green County
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4 in Travis County
Leitha also reported that 11 children and teenagers from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp near the town of Hunt, remain missing.
In Kerr County, over 400 rescue workers from 20 different federal and state agencies are involved in the ongoing search and rescue operations.
Local officials have avoided giving a precise number of missing persons, as many visitors were camping in the area for Fourth of July celebrations and may not be accounted for.
More than 850 people have been safely evacuated, and eight were injured. Authorities reported over 160 air rescues.
Dalton Rice, city manager of Kerrville, noted that these are the worst floods the region has seen since 1987, when 10 teenagers died.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott requested a federal disaster declaration from the Trump administration and declared Sunday a national day of prayer.
According to the National Weather Service, more than 12 inches (30 cm) of rainfall were recorded in just 12 hours on Friday, causing the Guadalupe River near Hunt to rise to 32.5 feet (9.9 meters) — its second-highest level on record.
International
Salvadoran Day USA 2025 canceled amid fears of immigration raids
The Salvadoran Day USA 2025 celebration, originally scheduled for Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, has been officially canceled due to security concerns related to ongoing immigration raids targeting the Latino community in the United States.
The Salvadoran Communities Unit in the United States (UNICOMDES) made the announcement through an official statement on its social media platforms, expressing deep regret over the decision.
“With great sadness, we announce the cancellation of the Salvadoran Day USA Festival 2025,” the organization stated.
According to UNICOMDES, the cancellation came after a thorough assessment of the current immigration climateand extensive consultations with immigration experts, local and Salvadoran authorities, media outlets, sponsors, and community members.
“Holding the festival would be irresponsible, as it is an open-air event where it is impossible to fully control who enters,” the statement added.
UNICOMDES also confirmed that the refund process for all funds collected for the event has already begun. The festival typically attracts thousands of Salvadorans across various cities in the U.S.
International
Mexico’s president blasts ‘Inhumane’ U.S. migration law
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Friday that any Mexican detained in the United States should be “immediately” returned to Mexico. Her remarks come in the wake of the opening of a new migrant detention center in Florida earlier this week.
Speaking during her daily press conference, known as La Mañanera del Pueblo, Sheinbaum emphasized that so far, no Mexican national has been held in the facility, which has already sparked controversy and has been nicknamed “the Alcatraz of the Alligators.”
She also criticized the new fiscal law signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, passed by Congress just a day earlier. The law, which Trump dubbed the “great and beautiful tax reform,” includes significant tax cuts and sweeping reductions in public policies, reallocating billions toward national security and defense—including $170 billion to enhance border security, deportations, and the expansion of detention centers.
“We do not agree with a punitive approach to migration. Migration must be addressed through its structural causes, with cooperation for development,” Sheinbaum asserted.
The Mexican president labeled the Trump administration’s view of migrants as criminals as “inhumane,” and warned that such policies ultimately harm the U.S. economy. She pointed to the mass deportation of agricultural workers as an example of how these actions are already backfiring.
“These are hardworking people—people of good will—who contribute more to the U.S. economy than they do to Mexico’s,” Sheinbaum said, announcing that her government will strengthen support programs to ensure that affected migrants can return home safely and reintegrate into the workforce.
Texas Floods: Death toll rises to 68, dozens still missing
Salvadoran Day USA 2025 canceled amid fears of immigration raids
Mexico’s president blasts ‘Inhumane’ U.S. migration law
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