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The Downlink • Jan 23, 2026
Comebacks, curveballs, and countdowns
Space Snapshot
In one of the last major steps leading up to the launch of Artemis II, NASA rolled out the mission’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft to a launchpad at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will send four astronauts around the Moon and back, marking the first time humans have left low-Earth orbit since 1972. The next step will be to conduct a “wet dress rehearsal”: filling the rocket with propellant and running through a countdown drill. If all goes well, Artemis II could launch as soon as February. Image credit: NASA / Keegan Barber
Fact Worth Sharing
NASA’s crawler-transporter 2, which rolled Artemis II’s launch vehicle out to the pad, holds the Guinness World Record for heaviest self-powered land vehicle. It weighs as much as roughly 600 semi-trucks and gets a whopping 3 meters per liter (42 feet per gallon) in gas mileage.
Mission Briefings
Two troubled space missions have returned safely to Earth. China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, which was damaged by space debris, successfully returned from the Tiangong space station after astronauts repaired its viewport window (the capsule was not deemed safe enough to carry anyone on the trip back). At the same time, NASA’s Crew-11 mission touched down after the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station. All four astronauts appeared healthy as they exited the spacecraft. Image credit: NASA / Robert Markowitz
China released detailed plans for twin missions to the outer Solar System. The probes would travel to opposite ends of our cosmic neighborhood, studying how the heliosphere — a bubble carved out by plasma from the Sun — shields us from interstellar radiation. The missions would launch in 2032 and 2033 and, potentially, each would fly by an outer planet on its way. Though the project is not yet formally approved, the new publications suggest it may soon be.
ESA’s Ariel has been delayed, but Comet Interceptor got a flight upgrade. The two missions were slated to launch together in 2029, with Ariel studying exoplanet atmospheres and Comet Interceptor aiming to be the first-ever spacecraft to visit a long-period comet. Ariel now does not appear ready to go until at least 2031, so Comet Interceptor is getting a new ride that may launch as early as 2028. The mission will also carry more propellant, increasing its odds of finding a suitable comet to explore.
From The Planetary Society
NASA says the MAVEN spacecraft is “very likely” unrecoverable. The Mars orbiter has been on an extended mission over nearly a decade, exploring how Mars loses its atmosphere to space. Contact with MAVEN was lost in December, and the probe no longer appears to be in its planned orbit or rotating as expected. Our update on the mission explains what’s at stake and how NASA has been trying to save the mission. Image credit: NASA / GSFC
Catch up on a curiously alien book club conversation. In this month’s book club event, Mat Kaplan talks “The Little Book of Aliens” with Adam Frank, an author, science communicator, and astrophysicist at the University of Rochester. Topics range from the origin of life to UFOs and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
What did it take to save NASA science? In this week’s Planetary Radio, hear from our very own Jack Kiraly, director of government relations, and Ari Koeppel, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow and space policy intern, about how the fight over NASA’s 2026 budget was won. After sharing what the victory means for the future of space exploration, they also look ahead to what comes next as the 2027 budget process gets started.
Who is America’s Favorite Teacher? One outstanding teacher will be named through online competitions offered by Colossal, with proceeds benefitting The Planetary Society. Last year's competition raised nearly $3.2 million in support of our mission. The winner will receive a cash prize, a feature in Reader’s Digest, a trip to Hawaii, and a school assembly with our very own Planetary Society CEO, Bill Nye! Registration is now open, so if you're a teacher, consider joining the competition!
What's Up
In the early evening, look for yellowish Saturn in the west and Jupiter in the east. Jupiter crosses the sky over the course of the night, setting in the west around sunrise. Learn more about what to look for in January’s night skies.
Join now and save space missions
If you are not one already, become a member TODAY and help shape the future of space science and exploration by fueling mission-critical advocacy efforts. Here’s just one example: The Planetary Society led efforts in Washington to Save NASA Science in 2026. Thanks to the support of our members, we were able to prevent an extinction-level budget cut to planetary exploration this year. This means more missions, more science, and exploration in our Solar System.
Will you join us and protect the future of exploration?
Wow of the Week
This close-up of part of the Helix Nebula, taken by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, unveils the intricate beauty seeded by a star toward the end of its life. The material shown here was originally part of a star (not pictured) that has violently thrown off its outer layers into space. Then, the gas and dust was carved into filaments by powerful radiation and charged particles. Background galaxies are visible behind the nebula, in blue. There are also several stars pictured, distinguishable by how the telescope's optics leaves them with six-pointed spikes of light. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Send us your artwork!
We love to feature space artwork in the Downlink. If you create any kind of space-related art, we invite you to send it to us by replying to any Downlink email or writing to [email protected]. Please let us know in your email if you’re a Planetary Society member!