Expert Voices: Op Ed & Insights

Artist's Concept of Surface of Jupiter Moon Europa
This artist's concept shows a simulated view from the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. Europa's potentially rough, icy surface, tinged with reddish areas that scientists hope to learn more about, can be seen in the foreground. The giant planet Jupiter looms over the horizon. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

SPACE.com invites experts in space exploration, science & technology to provide insightful commentary and informed perspective on news, current events, innovations, big ideas and ongoing research. Expert Voices includes Op-Ed analysis and opinion as well as interesting observations from the field and space exploration efforts around the world.

Related Topics: Expert Voices - Don Lincoln, Expert Voices - Leroy Chiao, Expert Voices - Paul Sutter, Expert Voices - Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Expert Voices - The Kavli Foundation 

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Latest about expert voices

graphic illustration showing what flat-earther's believe our planet looks like, a flat disk.

How to debate a flat-Earther: Proven scientific arguments and strategies

By Paul Sutter last updated

Some people around the world believe our planet is flat. Here's the (surprising) truth about debating them.

Earth
A simulated view from the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter's four Galilean moons.

Exoplanetary parade: What would the night sky look like on alien worlds? (op-ed)

By Darryl Seligman published

Most of the planets are aligned in our night sky right now, providing a treat for skywatchers. Are such "planetary parades" visible from other worlds?

Stargazing
people in spacesuits on the surface of mars surrounded by metal buildings

Growing up and going out: Beyond the cradle (op-ed)

By Rick Tumlinson published

Humanity is reaching the threshold of adulthood. It is time to grow up and go out — beyond the cradle and into the cosmos.

Human Spaceflight
After NASA’s Orion spacecraft was recovered at the conclusion of the Artemis 1 test flight and transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, its heat shield was removed from the crew module inside the Operations and Checkout Building and rotated for inspection.

NASA's Orion crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis 1 − an aerospace expert weighs in (op-ed)

By Marcos Fernandez Tous published

Issues with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield on Artemis 1 have delayed the next mission, Artemis 2. So what happened?

Artemis
SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk at a NASA prelaunch briefing in 2020.

SpaceX's Elon Musk endorsed Donald Trump for president. Here's what it could mean for US space policy (op-ed)

By Svetla Ben-Itzhak published

Space Exploration
people in spacesuits on the surface of mars surrounded by metal buildings

The values of family in space (op-ed)

By Rick Tumlinson published

The frontier culture of space will enhance and revitalize the concept of family, even as it has seemed to fade in the societies that are launching this new era.

Human Spaceflight
photo showing earth against the blackness of space

Why we're one step closer to understanding how Earth got its oceans (op-ed)

By Darryl Seligman published

Earth may have gotten some of its water from 'dark comets,' and the forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory could uncover key clues about these mysterious cosmic bodies.

Earth
Two people in spacesuits walk the surface of a rust colored planet. The astronaut in the foreground looks at something far away, in wonder. The astronaut to the right and slight behind leans on a rock formation and holds a hammer. A many-wheeled rover is parked behind them and in the distance, some habitat modules.

This time, we take it from no one: Why opening the High Frontier of space can be different (op-ed)

By Rick Tumlinson published

The coming settlement of the High Frontier doesn’t have to be a repeat of the violent conquests and colonization of history. We will not take space from anyone, and we can give it to everyone.

Human Spaceflight
an illustration of a Chinese moon base

Are we prepared for Chinese preeminence on the moon and Mars? (op-ed)

By Chris Carberry, Joe Cassady published

The U.S. could lose its decades-old leadership in space exploration and technology to China.

The moon
artist's illustration of a pancake-shaped comet in deep space outgassing a whitish cloud of hydrogen

Could the solar system be teeming with interstellar objects? We'll soon find out (op-ed)

By Darryl Seligman published

With JWST and other telescopes, we now have the tools to tell the difference between an intelligent visitor and an interstellar 'dark comet' like 'Oumuamua. Let's not get fooled.

Solar System
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