Ray Blanco:

When Is the Artemis Rocket Launch? What We Know After 2nd Fueling Test

Could the Artemis II lunar mission be back on track? Things are looking up for NASA after the agency conducted a second key fueling test for the rocket that will launch four astronauts on a trip around the moon.

NASA pulled off a successful launch-day simulation for Artemis II without encountering the hydrogen leaks that plagued the first such demonstration, known as a wet dress rehearsal, earlier this month. During the fueling test and practice countdown, which came to an end overnight Friday, Feb. 20, NASA reported only minor issues throughout the day and noted that any hydrogen leaks in the towering Space Launch System rocket "remained under allowable limits."

That's good news as the U.S. space agency looks to launch a high-stakes human spaceflight around the moon as early as March 6.

The second mission under NASA's multibillion-dollar lunar campaign, Artemis II will be the first human lunar spaceflight in more than half a century. The venture, which will send three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day trip around the moon, is meant to set the stage for a lunar landing during the follow-up Artemis III mission.

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Greg Guenthner:

How Crypto and U.S. Stocks Reacted to the Supreme Court’s Trump Tariff Ban

U.S. financial markets and cryptocurrencies moved higher after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs today, removing a major source of economic uncertainty.

The court ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose broad tariffs without approval from Congress. The decision limits the president’s ability to reshape trade policy unilaterally and restores Congress as the primary authority over tariffs.

Markets reacted quickly. The S&P 500 rose about 0.40%, while the Nasdaq gained roughly 0.70%, signaling renewed investor confidence. Technology stocks led gains, reflecting improved expectations for economic growth and stability.

Meanwhile, the global crypto market cap climbed to about $2.38 trillion, with Bitcoin trading near $67,000 after recent volatility.

The market reaction reflects a key shift: reduced trade uncertainty. The ruling limits presidential authority and reinforces Congress’s constitutional control over tariffs. This could slow future trade actions but also reduce sudden policy shocks that destabilize markets.

For crypto markets, stability in global trade and economic policy is generally positive. While geopolitical risks remain, the Supreme Court’s decision removes one major macro threat. In the near term, that shift appears to be supporting the broader digital asset market.

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James Altucher:

Meta’s Metaverse Leaves Virtual Reality

Meta has announced a major update for its immersive virtual world, Horizon Worlds, on Thursday that will see it leave the metaverse behind. The tech giant said it’s shifting focus for Horizon Worlds to be “almost exclusively mobile” and that it’s “explicitly separating” its Quest VR platform from the virtual world.

Meta’s Reality Labs division for VR and smart glasses development has lost nearly $80 billion since 2020. The update to Horizon Worlds, and other recent moves, signals that Meta is significantly rethinking its VR ambitions.

Last month, the company reportedly laid off roughly 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division – about 10% of the unit’s staff – and shut down several VR game studios. Additionally, it was reported that the VR fitness app Supernatural, which Meta acquired in 2023, will no longer produce new content and will move into “maintenance mode.”

Horizon Worlds originally launched in 2021 as a VR platform and later rolled out to the web and mobile. Meta said Thursday that to “truly change the game and tap into a much larger market, we’re going all-in on mobile.”

By going mobile-first, Horizon Worlds is positioning itself to compete with popular platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.

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