Mike Wall
Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. 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. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.
Latest articles by Mike Wall
Starship is ready for its 5th test flight, SpaceX says (photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX's latest Starship megarocket is ready to fly, the company announced on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 8).
NASA shuts down NEOWISE asteroid hunter after almost 15 years in space
By Mike Wall published
NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft turned off its transmitter for good on Aug. 8, wrapping up its prolific asteroid-hunting career.
Chinese rocket breaks apart after megaconstellation launch, creating cloud of space junk
By Mike Wall published
A Chinese Long March 6A rocket broke apart shortly after launching 18 internet satellites on Aug. 7, creating a cloud of at least 300 pieces of trackable debris.
SpaceX targeting Aug. 26 for historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX is now targeting Aug. 26 for the launch of Polaris Dawn, a crewed flight to Earth orbit that will feature the first-ever private spacewalk.
China launches 1st batch of satellites for planned 14,000-strong megaconstellation (video)
By Mike Wall published
A Long March 6A rocket launched 18 internet satellites Tuesday morning (Aug. 6), kicking off construction of a Chinese constellation that could eventually host 14,000 spacecraft.
Watch SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket generate sonic boom during landing (video)
By Mike Wall published
A SpaceX video shows a Falcon 9 first stage's post-launch return to Earth in great detail, even capturing the sonic boom generated during the descent.
SpaceX's Crew-9 astronaut launch delayed to Sept. 24 due to Boeing Starliner issues
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX's Crew-9 astronaut launch to the ISS has been delayed five weeks to Sept. 24, to allow more time to work out issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule.
Private Cygnus freighter arrives at the ISS with 4 tons of supplies (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
Northrop Grumman's robotic Cygnus freighter reached the ISS early Tuesday morning (Aug. 6), carrying about 4 tons of supplies to the orbiting lab.
SpaceX launches private Cygnus cargo craft to ISS (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched Northrop Grumman's robotic Cygnus freighter toward the International Space Station today (Aug. 4), on the company's second liftoff of the day.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (video, photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink satellites to orbit early Sunday (Aug. 4), continuing a busy stretch for the company.
Rocket Lab launches private Earth-observing radar satellite to orbit (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
Rocket Lab successfully launched a sharp-eyed Earth-observing radar satellite for the Japanese company Synspective today (Aug. 2).
NASA reveals astronauts flying on SpaceX's Crew-10 mission to the ISS
By Mike Wall published
NASA revealed on Thursday (Aug. 1) the four astronauts who will launch on SpaceX's Crew-10 mission to the ISS early next year.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 23 more of its Starlink satellites to orbit early Friday (Aug. 2), continuing the company's bounceback from a July 11 failure.
Atlas V rocket launches its final national security mission for US military (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
United Launch Alliance's venerable Atlas V rocket flew its final national security mission early Tuesday (July 30).
SpaceX fires up Starship spacecraft ahead of 5th test flight (photos, video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX ignited the engines on its Starship spacecraft on Friday afternoon (July 26) to prep for an upcoming test flight, which may be just a few weeks away.
SpaceX rockets successfully launch back-to-back Starlink missions hours apart in return to flight (photos, videos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched two Starlink satellite missions less than five hours apart in the early hours of Sunday morning (July 28).
SpaceX bounces back from Falcon 9 failure with successful Starlink launch (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 23 of its Starlink broadband satellites early Saturday morning (July 27), on the company's first mission since a July 11 failure.
NASA astronauts hold their own Summer Olympics in space (video)
By Mike Wall published
NASA astronauts held their own mini-Olympics on the International Space Station to mark the start of the Summer Games here on Earth.
SpaceX's historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission delayed until mid-August
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX is now eyeing mid- to late August for the launch of the Polaris Dawn astronaut mission, which will feature the first-ever private spacewalk.
SpaceX finds cause of Falcon 9 failure, eyes return to flight as soon as July 27
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX has fixed the problem that caused its Falcon 9 rocket to fail during a July 11 launch, according to the company, which is eyeing a July 27 return to flight.
Where and when to see the northern lights in 2024
By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated
Find out where and when to see the northern lights (aurora borealis) throughout Europe and North America in our helpful guide.
SpaceX rocket failure highlights need for multiple launch options: 'Falcon 9 is not invulnerable'
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 is one of the most reliable and prolific rockets ever flown. But it's not invulnerable, as we saw earlier this month.
Florida startup Star Catcher snags $12 million to help develop 1st off-Earth energy grid
By Mike Wall published
Star Catcher Industries just snagged $12.25 million to develop its planned constellation of power-beaming satellites, which will service other orbiting spacecraft.
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