Jan. 31, 2026: NASA's Pivotal SLS Test Kicks Off Artemis Era Amid Astrobiology Breakthroughs and Orbital Warnings
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA conducted the final major test of its Space Launch System rocket on Jan. 31, 2026, at Kennedy Space Center, marking a key step toward the Artemis 2 mission that will send four astronauts on a lunar flyby. The test, which evaluates the rocket's systems for reliability before the crewed launch, precedes what NASA officials call the farthest human travel from Earth since the Apollo era.
The static-fire test simulates launch stresses by firing the rocket's engines in place. Artemis 2, delayed from an initial 2025 target, aims to orbit the moon without landing for about 10 days, building on the uncrewed Artemis 1 success in 2022. The mission will test Orion spacecraft systems in deep space and surpass Apollo 13's distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth, according to NASA. Success will validate hardware for Artemis 3's planned lunar south pole landing to establish a sustained human presence.
On the same day, scientists announced the first detection of a 13-atom ring-shaped molecule containing sulfur in interstellar space. Researchers used laboratory measurements and data from telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to confirm the find, linking simple interstellar chemistry to complex organics in comets and meteorites. "For the first time, a complex, ring-shaped molecule containing 13 atoms — including sulfur — has been detected in interstellar space," Universe Today reported. "This represents a major step toward explaining the cosmic origins of the chemistry of life."
Experts warned of growing risks in low-Earth orbit from satellite crowding and solar storms in a Jan. 28, 2026, analysis cited by ScienceDaily. With more than 10,000 active satellites, per Federal Communications Commission data, spacecraft perform dozens of evasive maneuvers annually to avoid collisions, burning fuel and shortening lifespans. A major solar storm could disable navigation systems and trigger Kessler syndrome — a debris cascade — within 2.8 days, potentially endangering the International Space Station and constellations like Starlink.
China's InterstellOr company announced on Jan. 31, 2026, that it had secured its first celebrity passenger for suborbital flights, a milestone for the country's private space sector, according to Space.com. The flights reach altitudes above 80 kilometers, offering brief weightlessness, and align with China's broader commercial space efforts, including lunar sample returns. The unnamed passenger boosts the firm's global profile, following similar ventures by U.S. companies like SpaceX.
The date also marked the 65th anniversary of Ham the chimpanzee's flight on Jan. 31, 1961, as the first hominid in space. Ham's 16-minute suborbital mission aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket reached 157 miles in altitude and tested life support systems under forces up to 14.7 g, informing Alan Shepard's flight months later. NASA commemorated the event amid Artemis preparations, highlighting progress from early animal tests to crewed deep-space exploration.
Skywatchers observed the Snow Moon, the full moon peaking around Feb. 1, 2026, with Jupiter visible nearby to the east. The event offers prime naked-eye viewing despite urban light pollution, with binoculars enhancing details of lunar craters and Jupiter's moons, according to astronomy guides. Apps provide location-specific timings.
In related developments, researchers released simulations on Jan. 19, 2026, advancing dark matter studies. Models of self-interacting dark matter suggest potential halo collapses, better explaining galaxy structures than cold dark matter theories, per ScienceDaily. Earlier work on Jan. 8, 2026, described dark matter as cosmology's "biggest mystery," with ongoing research incorporating James Webb Space Telescope data.
Outlets like Space.com provided live coverage of the SLS test, urging followers to "watch NASA's last major test of SLS before the launch of Artemis 2 and a crew of astronauts around the moon." Consensus among high-credibility sources emphasizes Artemis progress as the dominant event, while orbital warnings call for international regulations on satellite deployments. No major contradictions appear, though molecule detection details await NASA confirmation.
These events signal acceleration in crewed exploration and astrobiology, with Artemis potentially informing Mars missions by the 2030s.
