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HBO's new Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, features more knights than you can shake a lance at.

The House of the Dragon sequel takes place at a tournament (or "tourney") in The Reach's Ashford Meadow, where only knights are allowed to enter "the lists" — spaces for publicly demonstrating their combat and jousting skills. But what of Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey), who is constantly scorned as a "hedge knight" rather than a "true knight."

What exactly is a hedge knight, and why does it matter?

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' review: 'Game of Thrones' prequel is a surprising comfort watch

Firstly, knights. Westerosi knights are like real knights from medieval history, a well-armed warrior class who serve a lord or monarch and are bound by a chivalric code to protect the realm and defend the innocent. Kings, princes, and lords can also be knights. They're skilled at horseback combat and the brutal art of jousting, and they bear a coat of arms on their banners and shields to show off their lineage — all the great houses of Westeros have knights. And they usually have a squire to attend them, because that armor's not going to polish itself.

As Master of Games Plummer (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) explains in episode 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, "Any knight can make a knight." Jaime Lannister also famously says this line in the Game of Thrones series when knighting Brienne of Tarth. This means anyone can undergo "the accolade" — bending the knee, having a sword touched on either shoulder, and being dubbed a "Ser" — as long as it's done by another knight or a monarch. But you absolutely need witnesses. This is tricky for Dunk, as he explains in episode 1. His master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), knighted him with his longsword before he died, but unfortunately, the only witnesses were a thorn tree and a robin, so he needs a knight or lord to vouch for him to enter the tourney.

Featured Video For You Sorry to break it to you, the dragons in 'House of the Dragon' are actually wyverns

Knights also need money. As Plummer explains to Dunk, you need ample cash for armor, horses, training, and men to help you with all of that. Like a modern equestrian, it's not a cheap life. Plus, in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (and also in history), if you lose in the tourney to another knight, they get all your gear, which you must pay a ransom to get back.

But what's a hedge knight? Dunk is a full-time camper. Credit: Steffan Hill / HBO

Essentially, hedge knights are the same as true knights, except they don't serve a lord, master, or great house — very much like the masterless samurai known as ronin. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas including The Hedge Knight, in which Martin describes Dunk like this:

"The only life he knew was the life of a hedge knight, riding from keep to keep, taking service with this lord and that lord, fighting in their battles and eating in their halls until the war was done, then moving on. There were tourneys from time to time as well, though less often, and he knew that some hedge knights turned robber during lean winters, though the old man never had."

Both Ser Dunk and his master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, are hedge knights — and Dunk gives us tiny scraps of his master's history serving various lords in battle, but not permanently. "Ser Arlan always said a hedge knight was the truest kind of knight," Dunk remarks to his horse in episode 1, constantly keeping sight of the sacred oath of all knights: serving the realm and protecting the weak and innocent.

However, hedge knights have a bad rep, seen by most people of Westeros as less important, less formidable knights, first described by Red (Rowan Robinson) in episode 1 as "like a knight but sadder."

"Got to sleep in the hedges 'cause no lord'll have it," she continues, referring to the fact that "true knights" who serve the great houses and palaces of Westeros live among the aristocracy or on their own awarded lands. Dunk sleeps under the stars camping each night, while the likes of Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) has a whole luxe pavilion set-up and lands to return to.

If Dunk manages to be victorious at the tourney, could he land himself a sweet position in the house of Baratheon or the like? Or once a hedge knight, always a hedge knight?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO, with new episodes dropping Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is only one episode in, but there have already been some nods to the wider Game of Thrones universe.

Aside from the many moments of comedy, though, there was also a scene early on in the episode that may have contained an intriguing clue — even if we're not quite sure why it's significant yet.

So what happened, and why might it be relevant? Let's unpack.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' review: 'Game of Thrones' prequel is a surprising comfort watch What happens in the inn with the drunk man and the coin?

Early on in the episode, Dunc (Peter Claffey) stops at an inn for dinner while en route to the Ashford tourney. The only other guest is a long-haired man (Henry Ashton) who appears to be passed out at a nearby table.

Dunc gets on with ordering his food, but partway through his conversation with the innkeeper, the man interrupts.

"I dreamed of you," he says, pulling out a knife. "Stay the f*** away from me. You hear?"

He puts a single coin on the table, staggers to his feet, then stumbles up the stairs.

"Never you mind that one, ser," says the innkeeper, pocketing the coin. "I'll see about your food."

But we can tell from the way both she and Dunc stare at the coin that it must be significant.

Featured Video For You Sorry to break it to you, the dragons in 'House of the Dragon' are actually wyverns What's the significance of the coin?

The coin the man drops on the table contains a sigil that will be familiar to anyone who's seen Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon: a three-headed dragon.

This is the sigil of House Targaryen, meant to represent the three dragons ridden by Aegon the Conqueror, Rhaenys, and Visenya when they took control of Westeros. We don't yet know the identity of the man in the inn, but the fact he has this coin suggests he's either a) a Targaryen himself, or b) he's recently been in close contact with a Targaryen.

The Targaryens are, of course, still the ruling family in Westeros at the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps this won't be the last we see of the man in the inn.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has so far been a refreshingly amusing return to Westeros, but there was one scene that particularly tickled us in episode 1.

We're talking, of course, about the phlegm scene — a moment in the meeting between Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Master of Games Plummer (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) that's so prolonged it's instantly hilarious.

SEE ALSO: When in Westerosi history does 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' take place?

The scene takes place as Dunk is attempting to sign himself up for the Ashford tourney. He enters a room where the Master of Games, Plummer, sits eating at a desk while he works. Dunk attempts to explain who he is and how he came to be a knight, describing the moment when the man he squired for, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), knighted him shortly before his death.

"When he was dying, he called for his longsword and bade me kneel," says Dunk. "Charged me to be a good knight, to defend the weak and the innocent, serve the realm with all my might — and I swore that I would."

"I thought it would be good if the spit had three clear beats."

In any other context, this would be a passionate, even poignant, speech, but what happens next undercuts it in the best possible way: Plummer clears his sinuses of a truly horrendous-sounding wad of phlegm, revs up, and spits it into a nearby cup, much to Dunk's stunned disgust.

"I thought it would be good if the spit had three clear beats: the hawking back through the nose, so he really got a nice bit of intense leverage into catching the phlegm, then a bit of a fermenting of it in the back of the throat, and then finally a nice, sharp, clean finish and expulsion," Vaughan-Lawlor told Mashable. "It gets a few more outings later in the series."

Vaughan-Lawlor went on to explain that Plummer hawking up phlegm is indeed in the episode's script. "Ira Parker, our showrunner and writer of the episode, gave the character this wonderful little character detail as a kind of manifestation of his stress or a habit that is trying to control stress, a tic he is not even really aware of," he said. "What I love about the scene is that for all his stress, he has enough [empathy] to see that Dunk has something that reminds him a little bit of his younger self: a man of lowly birth, fighting in a very tough world to make something of himself, and that’s why he tries to help him…"

Like all the shows in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones universe, the attention to detail in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is already shining through — in both the main characters and the smaller ones.

"What is so stunning about even the peripheral characters in the Game of Thrones world is that the writers give them so much detail for an actor to work with," said Vaughan-Lawlor. "It’s all the small little character detail all built up together that give the characters their vividness."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO, with new episodes dropping Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

To be known as "The Tall" you'd have to be pretty tall, but how tall, exactly, are we talking?

This may not be your biggest question after watching A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but we're willing to bet it's crossed your mind.

The show includes multiple mentions of everyone's favourite hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), being of large stature. But how tall is the character in George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg books, and how does the actor playing him measure up?

SEE ALSO: 'Knight of the Seven Kingdoms': 5 things we learned at the New York Comic Con panel How tall is Ser Duncan the Tall?

Despite there already being numerous jokes and references to Dunk's impressive height — "The Seven above gave you tallness!" says Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) at one point, after commenting on Dunk slouching, "So be tall!" — we don't know exactly what that impressive height is. Ser Duncan towers over pretty much all the other characters he meets, but how tall is he? Are we talking the Hound's height? The Mountain's? Taller?

Fortunately, we have George R.R. Martin's books as a reference point. In the Dunk and Egg series, Ser Duncan is measured as being an inch shy of seven feet. So, canonically at least, the character is 6'11'' tall.

How tall is Peter Claffey, the actor who plays him?

There aren't many actors out there — or people in general — who are 6'11'', so it's perhaps unsurprising that the onscreen Dunk isn't quite as lofty.

Former rugby union player-turned-actor Peter Claffey is a large man, though, with his height listed as 1.95 meters, or around 6'5''.

In other words, he's about six inches shorter than the Dunk Martin envisioned in his books. But when you're still towering over almost every other person around you, maybe it doesn't matter all that much.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO, with new episodes dropping Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

Part of Industry's brilliance is its capacity for reinvention. In Seasons 3 and 4, HBO's finance thriller shook up its own formula: Widening its scope, experimenting with form, and even getting rid of Pierpoint and Co. entirely. But even with these shakeups in mind, nothing could have prepared me for the haunting ghost story at the center of Season 4, episode 2, "The Commander and the Grey Lady."

The episode centers on Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington), who was mostly absent from Season 4's jam-packed premiere. Following a losing bid to become a member of parliament, Henry has fallen into a stew of depression, apathy, and misuse of drugs. His pain comes to a head during his 40th birthday party, a lavish costumed affair thrown by his wife, Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela).

SEE ALSO: 'Industry' Season 4 review: HBO's criminally underrated drama thrills in most ambitious season yet

This birthday comes with a heap of emotional baggage for Henry. As the episode unfolds, we learn that Henry's father died by suicide on his 40th birthday, and that Henry watched it happen. Haunted by that memory and feeling himself creeping toward a similar end, Henry breaks down at his birthday dinner.

Only the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Jack Farthing) seems to bring Henry any peace. He swans in and whisks Henry away to a local pub. Soon, though, the pieces fall into place. The stranger is actually Henry's father, appearing both as a ghostly vision and a reminder of Henry's most formative trauma.

The episode marks Industry's foray into the supernatural, a surprise that Harington found affecting.

"There's something really, deeply, emotionally moving about the idea of meeting your parent at the same age that you are," Harington told Mashable in a Zoom interview.

SEE ALSO: 'Industry' Season 4 tackles age verification and OnlyFans — and it's just getting started

He likened it to Andrew Haigh's 2023 film, All of Us Strangers, in which Andrew Scott's Adam encounters the spirits of his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell), who passed away when he was a child. Now around their age, he's able to share parts of his life he never got the chance to reveal to them, including coming out.

"I was in floods," Harington said of watching the film. "I don't easily cry, and I was in floods all the way through that movie."

"The Commander and the Grey Lady" occupies a similar space, where a child reconnects with their long-dead parent. Here, though, the effect is less melancholic in the vein of All of Us Strangers, and more foreboding. Henry's father shows him the self-inflicted gunshot wound that killed him, then hints that Henry will be joining him "very soon." It's the purest version of the dread that has fueled Henry all episode: that he may end up just like his father.

He almost does. Following his encounter with his father, Henry prepares to die by carbon monoxide poisoning in his estate's garage. However, at the last moment, he leaves the garage and returns to Yasmin, newly invigorated at having outlived his father and overcome this burden that's been weighing on him.

"He's had all this suicidal ideation, and then he makes it past it," Harington said. "It's this real moment in his life."

In any other show, you could imagine an episode of this scale, with as a big a swing as a full-on ghost story, being a late-season installment. Maybe even a finale! But for Industry Season 4, it's just part of the beginning.

"That episode, functionally, within Industry, is very important," Harington said. "Because for us to make it through the season and to get on board with Henry, we need to understand him right from the get-go. We need to empathize with him. We need to feel for him, and that has a very important purpose for the season's start, that we delve right into him in a very intense way so we can understand him."

Ultimately, the entire episode closes one chapter of Henry's life — one where he's burdened by the memory of his father — and opens a new one. However, given that this chapter will involve working with company Tender, which is coming under scrutiny from Harper Stern (Myha'la) and journalist Jim Dycker (Charlie Heaton), it's highly likely that Henry's about to hit a new rough patch very, very soon.

New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love money.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 19, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Novice

• Green: A lump sum

• Blue: Measurements

• Purple: Fast

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Inexperienced

• Green: 🤑

• Blue: Measured by SI units

• Purple: Words after "Quick"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #953 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Inexperienced: BUDDING, FRESH, NAIVE, NEW

• 🤑: BUNDLE, FORTUNE, MINT, WAD

• Measured by SI units: CURRENT, LENGTH, MASS, TIME

• Words after "Quick": FIX, SAND, SILVER, STUDY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 19, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're not steady.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 19, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 19, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shaking things up

The words are related to shakiness.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe unsteady things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Lets Rock

NYT Strands word list for January 19

• Wobble

• Tremble

• Waver

• Quake

• Sway

• Teeter

• Lets Rock

• Vibrate

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like an even surface.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 19, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 19, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Smooth.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter W.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

WAXEN

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 19, 2026

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

TL;DR: Get a MacBook Air for only $199.97 (reg. $999) while supplies last.

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There’s a reason MacBooks typically come with sky-high price tags — they deliver Apple’s top features in a sleek, highly portable package. Fortunately, now you can get a MacBook Air for only $199.97 (reg. $999) if you act fast.

The MacBook Air is Apple’s lightest-weight laptop, letting you tackle your to-do list from anywhere. This model weighs in at only 2.96 pounds, but don’t be deceived by its sleek frame. It still packs plenty of power — a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM to be exact.

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If you like to store important files on your device, you’ll appreciate the 128GB of storage offered. There’s also an ample 13.3-inch widescreen display equipped with Intel HD Graphics 6000, so you can enjoy your favorite content in vibrant color.

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TL;DR: Streamline your AI workflow with a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan, now just $74.97 (reg. $540).

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There are a lot of different AI models on the market, and they all have their own unique strengths. For those of us who don’t want to stay on top of all of that, there’s 1min.AI. This handy platform consolidates dozens of AI models in one space, so you can see all their answers at once.

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AI is supposed to make life a little easier — but if you’re spending time tab-hopping between models and researching which one is best for which request, it’s not all that helpful. That’s where 1min.AI comes in, offering a single, convenient place to view answers from popular AI models side by side.

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Another week, another round of must-see movies on Amazon Prime Video. This week, yes, we’re going to laugh a little, but we’re also embarking on some wild, heartfelt, and harrowing adventures.

I do a lot of photography and videography, and those files can take up a lot of storage. I used to just store the footage and photos on my laptop’s internal storage, moving it to the NAS only when needed. Now, I just back up the footage to my NAS first and work from there, and that workflow is so much better. Here’s how I automatically back up my SD card to my NAS, and how you can too.

Tired of desktop environments (DEs) that keep “improving” things that already worked perfectly? Does your modern Linux desktop feel like it was designed for someone else’s workflow? Well, MATE preserves the old way of using a computer—and here’s why it’s the best DE for retro enthusiasts.

I recently turned my old Android phone into a media server with a simple setup. It allows me to broadcast any media files saved in my phone’s storage and make them accessible for streaming on any device with a browser.

NASA will soon run a high‑stakes fueling test on its Artemis II rocket, a practice run that must succeed before four astronauts can fly around the moon.

The U.S. space agency inched the 11 million-pound Space Launch System and mobile launcher to a Cape Canaveral, Florida, launchpad on Saturday, Jan. 17. The slow procession of the 322-foot rocket, topped with the Orion spaceship, took 12 hours on the aging crawler-transporter to complete. 

That four-mile trek could mark the first leg of Artemis II, a 10-day journey around the moon and back that will put the spaceship through its paces. The lunar mission will be NASA's first with astronauts —Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Canada's Jeremy Hansen — in 53 years since Apollo 17. 

The so-called "wet dress rehearsal" will load the mega moon rocket with 700,000 gallons of ultra‑cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants and take the countdown all the way to 29 seconds before liftoff. How this test goes will shape the flight timeline and determine whether launch opportunities in February remain in play.

"We need to get through wet dress, we need to see what lessons we learn as a result of that, and that will ultimately lay out our path toward launch," Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell‑Thompson said. "With a wet dress that is without significant issues, if everything goes to plan, then certainly there are opportunities within February that could be achievable." 

SEE ALSO: NASA says Artemis II can fly without its big, broken deep space antenna NASA's mega moon rocket emerges from its massive warehouse at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky When is the wet dress rehearsal?  The 322-foot rocket, taller than the Statue of Liberty, rolls past the firing room on its way to the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignan

During the test, teams will fill the rocket and rehearse every major step of launch‑day fueling. Controllers will run through all countdown procedures, including the final "terminal count," then stop on purpose at T‑29 seconds. NASA is targeting Feb. 2 for the crucial exercise, though that could change, depending on preparations. 

"We'll review the data,"  said Blackwell‑Thompson, "then we'll set up for our launch attempt." 

The results will determine whether NASA will hit its soonest launch window, which opens Feb. 6.

NASA's crawler-transporter carries the 11-million-pound rocket stack and mobile launcher to the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani

Artemis II builds on lessons from the uncrewed maiden voyage in 2022, which needed several tries to complete fueling. Engineers adjusted how they load liquid oxygen after seeing temperature issues and modified hardware after hydrogen leaks were discovered in the connection between the ground systems and the rocket. They also changed and cryogenically tested a key valve that caused trouble during the final uncrewed countdown.

Since Artemis I, the Kennedy Space Center has revised procedures and upgraded hardware as part of the Artemis II plan.

The mega moon rocket traverses 4 miles to get to the launchpad for a wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Ben Smegelsky From left, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman take questions from reporters as the mega moon rocket rolls behind them to the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Kim Shiflett When will Artemis II launch? After 12 hours of crawling, the rocket reaches launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, after 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 17, 2026. Credit: NASA / Brandon Hancock

Once the wet dress rehearsal ends, engineers will pore over the performance of the rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the ground systems. Only if the data looks clean will the mission managers move on to setting a specific launch date. 

NASA officials have rejected any characterization that the team has "launch fever" or that preparations have been rushed.

"I've got one job, and it's a safe return of Reid and Victor and Christina and Jeremy. I consider that a duty and a trust," said John Honeycutt, chairperson of the mission management team. "We're going to fly when we're ready."

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Contact sensors, often known as door or window sensors, use magnets to sense open or closed states. You can use this information and the changing of these states to do all sorts of neat things in your smart home.

TL;DR: Watch the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There is quite simply no tournament like the Africa Cup of Nations. It's an electric combination of heated rivalries, colorful fans, and flair that is sometimes lacking from elite competitions. We know that the eyes of the footballing world are already fixed on the 2026 World Cup, but this incredible tournament should whet the appetite of fans before the main event next summer.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi, Sadio Mane, Bryan Mbuemo, and Victor Osimhen have been battling it out in Morocco. After weeks of fantastic competition, the trophy is up for grabs. Hosts Morocco are facing off against Senegal in the final. It's going to be fascinating to watch these talented sides battle it out in front of a passionate home support.

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If you're interested in watching the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is the Africa Cup of Nations?

The Africa Cup of Nations (or AFCON) is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. 24 teams are drawn into six groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams advance to the knockout rounds.

The defending champion is Ivory Coast. Egypt is the most successful nation in the tournament's history, winning seven times and securing three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

When is the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations?

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is the 35th edition of the competition. This year's event takes place from Dec. 21 to Jan. 18 in Morocco.

How to watch the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can stream the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free by following these simple steps:

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch AFCON without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

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The HTPC or Home Theater Personal Computer was an idea before its time. Something only well-heeled and tech-savvy tinkering media geeks could even achieve, and then, more often than not, the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Yet, we have the HTPC to thank for our myriad modern media options. So let's look back at the HTPC and give it the respect it deserves.

If you have a big house, or if you just have thick walls, a mesh network is a really good way to make your network reach every corner of your home. But you'd be surprised by how many people mess up the installation.