Mike Wall has been writing for Space.com since 2010. His book about the search for alien life, “Out There,” was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Ed Dwight, America’s First Black Astronaut Candidate, Flies to Space on Blue Origin Rocket
The 90-year-old finally realized his dreams of spaceflight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, which also carried five other crew members on a short suborbital voyage
Boeing’s Starliner Is Set for Its First Crewed Spaceflight
Starliner’s first crewed launch will mark just the sixth time ever that NASA astronauts have flown in a brand-new spacecraft
Second Private U.S. Lander Launches to the Moon
Odysseus, a lunar lander built by the aerospace company Intuitive Machines, launched atop a SpaceX rocket on a mission to the moon's south pole
Mars Mission’s Budget Problems Force NASA Layoffs
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is eliminating nearly 600 workers due to funding shortfalls for the space agency's Mars Sample Return mission
Sun Unleashes Most Powerful Solar Flare Since 2017
The flare may have been accompanied by a plasma eruption now headed toward Earth
SpaceX Starship’s Second Flight Was an Explosive Milestone
SpaceX’s Starship—the most powerful rocket ever built—experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” in its otherwise successful second full-scale launch, triggering a federal investigation into what went wrong
NASA Reveals Sneak Peek of Historic Asteroid Sample
OSIRIS-REx’s treasure trove from asteroid Bennu includes material rich in water and carbon
Earendel, the Most Distant Known Star, Reveals Its Secrets to JWST
A new view of a record-shattering distant star shows it to be twice as hot as our sun and likely accompanied by a stellar companion
Europe Successfully Launches JUICE Mission to Study Jupiter’s Icy Moons
The ambitious Jupiter moon mission JUICE has begun its long journey to the Jovian system
Recent Gamma-Ray Burst May Be the Brightest Ever Seen
The “absolutely monstrous” cosmic blast is estimated to be a one-in-10,000-year event
NASA’s Artemis I Mission Aces Lunar Flyby
The Orion spacecraft passed just 130 kilometers above the lunar surface during a mission-critical engine burn
Space Station Experiment Maps Earth’s Methane ‘Super Emitters’
NASA’s EMIT instrument has found more than 50 methane super emitters in its first few months of operation—and that’s not even its main job
NASA’s Next Launch Attempt for Artemis I Will Occur on September 3
Technical glitches and questionable weather forecasts continue to delay liftoff for NASA’s landmark lunar mission
NASA’s Tiny CAPSTONE CubeSat Launches on Pioneering Moon Mission
The spacecraft will arrive in lunar orbit in mid-November to help prepare for a future moon-orbiting outpost
Old Russian Rocket Motor Explodes in Orbit, Creating More Space Debris
Ground stations are currently tracking 16 fragments associated with the event, which occurred on April 15
Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Soars on 22nd Red Planet Flight
The aircraft’s sorties are helping NASA’s Perseverance rover scout a path into an ancient Martian river delta
Possible Third Planet Spotted around Proxima Centauri, Our Sun’s Nearest Neighbor Star
Proxima d might be only a quarter the mass of Earth, potentially making it one of the smallest worlds yet discovered beyond our solar system
NASA Plans a Fiery End for the International Space Station by 2031
The space agency has announced the timing of the ISS’s demise as part of a long-planned transition to private orbital outposts
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Chokes on Mars Pebbles while Collecting a Rock Sample
The rover’s latest sample collection—an effort to gather material for eventual return to Earth—is off to a rocky start
NASA Unveils Ice-Hunting VIPER Rover’s Lunar Landing Site
The space agency’s first-ever robotic moon rover will touch down in late 2023 just west of Nobile, a crater near the lunar south pole
Jeff Bezos Launches into Space on Blue Origin’s First Astronaut Flight
The billionaire and three others take a suborbital trip onboard the craft New Shepard
Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin Are Finally Flying to Space
After nearly twenty years pursuing a lifelong dream of spaceflight, the world’s wealthiest person is at last ready for lift off
China Launches Astronauts to New Space Station
The nation’s first crewed liftoff in nearly five years is the third of 11 planned launches to complete the station’s construction
Ganymede Looks Glorious in New Images from NASA’s Juno Mission
The spacecraft captured the first close-up views of the solar system’s largest moon in more than 20 years