January 8, 2026 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Europe’s Orion service module for Artemis-4 mission arrives at Kennedy tests and integration
This is for the second SLS/Orion manned landing, likely to happen no earlier than 2030. I would not be surprised if Starship does a commercial landing beforehand.
- The Philippine Coast Guard recovers Chinese rocket debris found floating in its territorial waters on January 1, 2026
Likely from the Long March 7A that launched on December 30, 2025.
- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov says it will use Proton and Soyuz rockets based in Baikonur to launch the first modules of its new space station
In other words, neither its new Angara rocket nor its Vostochny spaceport are capable of doing the job yet, and Russia doesn’t have the resources to get either up to speed quickly. Both have been in development for almost a quarter century.
- China says its Wangyu moon space suits will do electrical , structural , thermal control environment testing in 2026
They predict the suits to be ready for use by 2028. Whether they will be ready to launch a manned mission to the Moon by that date is less certain.
- On this day in 1610 Galileo first observed the four largest moons of Jupiter, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
They are now called the Galilean satellites, and are joined by at least 95 more Jupiter moons.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Europe’s Orion service module for Artemis-4 mission arrives at Kennedy tests and integration
This is for the second SLS/Orion manned landing, likely to happen no earlier than 2030. I would not be surprised if Starship does a commercial landing beforehand.
- The Philippine Coast Guard recovers Chinese rocket debris found floating in its territorial waters on January 1, 2026
Likely from the Long March 7A that launched on December 30, 2025.
- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov says it will use Proton and Soyuz rockets based in Baikonur to launch the first modules of its new space station
In other words, neither its new Angara rocket nor its Vostochny spaceport are capable of doing the job yet, and Russia doesn’t have the resources to get either up to speed quickly. Both have been in development for almost a quarter century.
- China says its Wangyu moon space suits will do electrical , structural , thermal control environment testing in 2026
They predict the suits to be ready for use by 2028. Whether they will be ready to launch a manned mission to the Moon by that date is less certain.
- On this day in 1610 Galileo first observed the four largest moons of Jupiter, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
They are now called the Galilean satellites, and are joined by at least 95 more Jupiter moons.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News


Thanks to the ongoing lassitude of the U.S. Senate, it appears that Greg Autry will not be NASA”s chief financial officer.
“It has been my greatest honor to have been nominated by President @realDonaldTrump on two occasions (2020,2025) to serve as the Chief Financial Officer at NASA. On both occasions my nomination expired at year end, without a Senate vote. I have decided not to pursue confirmation again and have requested that I not be renominated. My very best wishes to our great space agency, Administrator Jared Isaacman @NASAAdmin and all the amazing people who work for NASA, most specifically the talented team in the Office of the CFO. Godspeed.”
https://x.com/GregWAutry/status/2009340777164349933
This stinks. It is the second time this has happened to Autry! But I can’t blame him for giving up on this.