
Andrew Jones
Andrew is a freelance space journalist with a focus on reporting on China's rapidly growing space sector. He began writing for Space.com in 2019 and writes for SpaceNews, IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, Sky & Telescope, New Scientist and others. Andrew first caught the space bug when, as a youngster, he saw Voyager images of other worlds in our solar system for the first time. Away from space, Andrew enjoys trail running in the forests of Finland. You can follow him on Twitter @AJ_FI.
Latest articles by Andrew Jones

Japan's Resilience lunar lander prepares for 1st swing around the moon
By Andrew Jones published
The second lunar lander from Japanese space exploration company ispace is ready for a flyby of the moon as part of its elongated moon landing journey.

Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander leaves Earth orbit to head for the moon
By Andrew Jones published
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander is now headed for the moon after firing its engines to send it out of Earth orbit.

Who is Janet Petro, Trump's pick for acting NASA administrator?
By Andrew Jones published
Janet Petro became the first woman to lead NASA on Jan. 20. Here's what we know about U.S. President Donald Trump's pick for head of the space agency.

Hopping robot will hunt for moon water on China's Chang'e 7 lunar mission in 2026
By Andrew Jones published
China is preparing to launch a pioneering mission to the moon next year to search for definitive evidence of water at the lunar south pole.

Europe signs contract for its 1st moon lander, Argonaut
By Andrew Jones published
The Argonaut moon lander one way the European Space Agency is getting involved in international lunar exploration endeavors.

Newly-launched Indian satellite left stranded by propulsion problem
By Andrew Jones published
An Indian navigation satellite has suffered a problem with its propulsion systems just four days after launch, preventing it from reaching its intended orbit.

Private Athena moon lander arrives in Florida ahead of SpaceX launch on Feb. 26
By Andrew Jones published
Athena, the second lunar lander from Intuitive Machines, is set to launch soon, carrying NASA payloads and Nokia's first-ever moon-based 4G network.

Space mining company AstroForge identifies asteroid target for Odin launch next month
By Andrew Jones published
AstroForge has identified asteroid 2022 OB5 as the destination for its Mission 2 spacecraft, named Odin, which is set to launch next month on a SpaceX rocket.

Japan's Resilience moon lander spots Point Nemo, Earth's remote spacecraft graveyard, from orbit (photo)
By Andrew Jones published
The second lunar lander from Japanese space exploration company ispace snapped a stunning image of the Earth as it prepares for its journey to the moon.

Trump wants US to pursue 'manifest destiny' in space. What could that mean?
By Andrew Jones published
President Donald Trump recently invoked "manifest destiny" to outline a bold vision for America's space program. But what does this historic and controversial term mean when applied to outer space?

Chinese rocket booster falls to Earth, explodes near home (video)
By Andrew Jones published
China successfully launched a classified satellite on Thursday (Jan. 23), but a spent booster from the mission fell shockingly close to a family home.

Chinese commercial Ceres-1 rocket launches 5 weather satellites to orbit (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Chinese company Galactic Energy launched five satellites atop a Ceres-1 four-stage rocket on Jan. 20, 2025.

Chinese astronauts install debris shields on Tiangong space station during 8.5-hour spacewalk (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Two Chinese astronauts completed an 8.5-hour spacewalk on Jan. 20, a sojourn that installed debris shielding outside the Tiangong space station.

Europe plans to launch advanced Mars lander in 2035
By Andrew Jones published
The European Space Agency (ESA) wants to develop key technologies for a Mars surface lander by the mid-2030s.

SMILE! Europe and China move toward 2026 launch of space weather mission
By Andrew Jones published
The European Space Agency is set to launch a joint space science mission with China in early 2026 after a long collaboration.

Finland becomes 53rd country to join the Artemis Accords for moon exploration
By Andrew Jones published
Finland just became the Artemis Accords' 53rd member nation, bolstering NASA's efforts to establish peaceful and cooperative international space exploration.

UK approves 1st vertical rocket launch from Saxavord Spaceport
By Andrew Jones published
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has taken a step towards a first launch by gaining a first-ever license to vertically launch an orbital rocket from mainland Europe.

How President Trump could change NASA
By Andrew Jones published
The new Trump administration could upend NASA's priorities, reshaping the Artemis moon program, climate science funding and the role of commercial space players.

Europe's new Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket set for 2nd launch in February
By Andrew Jones published
Europe is moving towards the second launch of its new Ariane 6 launcher after finding and addressing anomalies following its debut flight.

Trump's space policy won't catch Europe off guard, ESA chief says
By Andrew Jones published
The head of the European Space Agency says that ESA is ready for any changes in NASA's direction that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may make.

What's flying to the moon on ispace's Resilience lunar lander?
By Andrew Jones published
Tokyo-based company ispace's Resilience lunar lander will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Wednesday (Jan. 15). Here's what the spacecraft is carrying.

Blue Ghost moon lander will help NASA see Earth's magnetic field 'breathing' for 1st time
By Andrew Jones published
Firefly Aerospace's soon-to-launch Blue Ghost moon lander will help NASA better understand our home planet, and how it responds to space weather.

China test-fires 5 new rocket engines in a single day. But what are they for? (video)
By Andrew Jones published
China's state-owned main space contractor tested five different rocket engines on one day last week in preparation for future missions and projects.
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