Tariq Malik

Tariq Malik

Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com based out of our New York City office and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee.

Hailing from Stockton, California (where he attended the same high school as NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez), Tariq studied print journalism and astronomy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1999 along with a minor in astronomy. He then served as a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra and Fullerton in Orange County for the Our Times sections. 

In 2000, Tariq became the city reporter for the Huntington Beach Independent, a weekly publication of the Los Angeles Times, covering local politics and events, crime, business and environmental issues. He left the Los Angeles Times in 2001 to study science journalism at New York University, where he earned a master's degree in 2002 from NYU's Science and Environmental Reporting Program (now the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program) under the direction of space reporter William Burrows.

Tariq first joined Space.com as an intern in September 2001 while also serving as a research assistant for nutrition writer Gary Taubes and writing freelance projects, where his work appeared in The Scientist and Laboratory Equipment Magazine. He became a full-time reporter covering spaceflight in 2004, with this first launch being NASA's STS-114 Return to Flight mission in July 2005.

Tariq is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. When not writing about space, you can find Tariq watching the latest Star Trek TV series, sci-fi movies and reading about hippos, his favorite animal. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.

Latest articles by Tariq Malik

A giant silver rocket booster tests its engines on the launch pad

SpaceX test fires giant Starship booster  — and spaceship  —  for 3rd test flight (video)

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX closed out 2023 with a fiery double test of its next Starship megarocket booster and spacecraft on Friday (Sept. 29).

Launches & Spacecraft
Four Expedition 70 astronauts send holiday wishes to Earth for Christmas 2023.

Astronauts in space beam holiday wishes to Earth for Christmas (video)

By Tariq Malik published

Astronauts on the International Space Station are sending holiday cheer to Earth with a festive video just in time for Christmas.

International Space Station
A Russian spacecraft with the Earth behind.

Cosmonauts dock Russian Progress cargo ship to ISS on remote control after autopilot glitch

By Tariq Malik published

Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station took manual control of an incoming Progress 86 cargo ship on Sunday, Dec. 3, due to an autopilot issue.

International Space Station
paramount plus deals for black friday

Black Friday streaming deal last chance! save 67% on 3 months of Paramount Plus

By Tariq Malik last updated

Deals Get your first 3 months of Paramount Plus for just $1.99/month, this Black Friday streaming deal is still live so beam up all the Trek you want!

Deals
Hulu streaming deal with cyber monday badge

Hurry! This Cyber Monday streaming deal IS the deal you've been looking for

By Tariq Malik last updated

Deals Binge awesome sci-fi with this Cyber Monday streaming deal on Hulu. Slash the normal $7.99 base price for the streaming service by 87% — hurry though, the offer ends Nov. 28!

Deals
Peacock logo on orange background with cyber monday badge

Peacock Cyber Monday deal: $1.99 a month for a full year of SYFY and more

By Tariq Malik last updated

Deals Save big on Peacock with 67% off the streaming service and watch sci-fi shows like Resident Alien and Quantum Leap this Black Friday.

Deals
max streaming service cyber monday 2023

Ends today: Max Cyber Monday deal for $2.99 — 6 months of streaming at 70% off

By Tariq Malik published

Deals You can binge From Earth To The Moon on the Max streaming service at just $2.99 a month for 6 months this Black Friday.

Deals
Lego Avengers Tower

This huge Lego Marvels Avengers Tower comes with free gifts for Black Friday

By Tariq Malik published

Deals The arrival of Black Friday marks the launch of Lego's huge Marvel Avengers Tower set, and if you grab it this weekend, you'll score some free gifts for your brick buy.

Deals
A Lego version of the Marvel Avengers Tower from the movies and comic books

Lego extends early Black Friday deals for for Insiders ahead of epic Marvel Avengers Tower set launch

By Tariq Malik last updated

Deals Lego has raised the bar for Black Friday deals with a ton of offers Lego Insiders rolling out with one of the biggest Lego sets I've ever seen: the Marvel Avengers Tower.

Deals
SpaceX's Starship rocket launches from Starbase during its second test flight in Boca Chica, Texas, on November 18, 2023.

SpaceX's 2nd Starship launch test looks amazing in these stunning photos and videos

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX's second Starship test flight on Nov. 18 may have met an explosive end, but photos of the launch were absolutely amazing.

Launches & Spacecraft
A sleek SpaceX Starship on its booster and launch pad.

What time is SpaceX's 2nd Starship and Super Heavy launch today (Nov. 18)?

By Tariq Malik last updated

SpaceX has a two-hour window to launch the Starship SN25 spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket on Nov. 18, starting at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT).

Launches & Spacecraft
Image shows the contents of the Starfield Constellation Edition game. This includes a digital game download, a black steelbook display case with minimal gray markings, a chunky round Starfield Chronomark watch, a watchcase that is a white, rectangular box with a logo on the front, and a logo Constellation Patch (both logos are round, dark blue with white stars and a yellow, orange, and red strip at the bottom).

I've been a space reporter for 22 years and think Starfield's Constellation Edition is an epic Apollo-era treat (video)

By Tariq Malik published

With its clear NASA-inspired touches and real-world versions of game devices, Starfield's Constellation Edition is a must-have for space gamers.

Space Games & Toys
A silver SpaceX Starship atop its booster on the launch pad at Starbase in South Texas

SpaceX says its 2nd Starship test flight could launch on Nov. 17 (video)

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX says its next Starship launch could occur as early as Nov. 17, pending regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies.

Launches & Spacecraft
the moon blocks the sun in a ring of fire solar eclipse

The annular solar eclipse of 2023 is underway! See the 1st 'ring of fire' photos and video

By Tariq Malik published

The first images of the moon passing between the sun and the Earth in a so-called "ring of fire" solar eclipse visible are coming in and the views are amazing.

Eclipses
The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return to Earth: Live updates

By Tariq Malik last updated

NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission will return pieces of asteroid Bennu to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. Follow the historic landing live here.

Asteroid & Comet Missions
a cone-shaped capsule flies through space just above Earth's atmosphere

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft releases asteroid sample capsule toward Earth in flyby, heads to Apophis

By Tariq Malik published

The first asteroid samples ever collected by NASA are closing in on Earth for a historic landing in Utah today (Sept. 24).

Asteroid & Comet Missions
four astronauts in white and gray spacesuits floating in four different directions with their heads pointed to center

SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-6 Dragon astronauts' return to Earth due to bad weather

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX and NASA say the Crew Dragon capsule carrying four Crew-6 astronauts will now depart the International Space Station no earlier than Sept. 3, a 24-hour delay.

Human Spaceflight
Eleven astronauts in different color uniforms gather on a space station, two float upside down.

SpaceX Crew-7 Dragon capsule docks at space station with international astronaut team (video)

By Tariq Malik last updated

A SpaceX Dragon capsule docked at the International Space Station Sunday (Aug. 27) with a new astronaut crew to begin a half-year mission.

International Space Station
a close up of the body of a spacecraft wrapped in gold foil in space

Russia says its Luna-25 lunar lander has crashed into the moon

By Elizabeth Howell published

Luna-25, which Russia had hoped would land at the south pole of the moon, crashed into the moon on Aug. 19 after an orbital maneuver went wrong.

Missions
People in blue lab coats working on Boeing's blue and white Starliner spacecraft

Boeing delays 1st Starliner astronaut launch for NASA indefinitely over parachute, wiring safety issues

By Tariq Malik published

Boeing is standing down from the first-ever crewed launch of its Starliner capsule for NASA due to safety issues with the spacecraft's parachutes and wiring.

International Space Station
Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity during a free flight in Earth's atmosphere on April 26, 2023.

What time is Virgin Galactic's Unity 25 spaceflight on May 25?

By Tariq Malik published

Virgin Galactic has 9-hour window for its SpaceShipTwo Unity 25 launch to suborbital space on May 25.

Human Spaceflight
a white rocket on a launch pad under a blue sky

What time is the SpaceX Ax-2 private astronaut launch for Axiom Space?

By Tariq Malik last updated

SpaceX is launching the second all-private mission to the International Space Station today (May 21) and if you're hoping to follow it online, you need to know when it actually lifts off.

Satellites
the sun rising behind Axiom Space's SpaceX Dragon capsule

SpaceX rocket 'go' to launch four private astronauts on Ax-2, a mission filled with 1sts, today

By Brett Tingley last updated

Axiom Space is ready to launch its second-ever private mission to the International Space Station.

Launches & Spacecraft
The Axiom Space Ax-2 private astronaut crew smiles in their Dragon capsule

Watch SpaceX's Ax-2 private astronaut mission dock at ISS in this free livestream on May 22

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX's next private spaceflight will launch four astronauts to the International Space Station on Sunday (May 21) and you can watch the mission live online in a series of free webcasts.

Missions
NASA's Christina Hammock Koch, flanked by fellow Artemis 2 astronauts Victor Glover of NASA (left) and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, delivers remarks on May 17, 2023, during a reception at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

'Do what scares you:' 3 tips to succeed from Artemis 2 moon astronaut Christina Koch

By Tariq Malik published

Astronaut Christina Koch is no stranger to hard work, or success. Here are 3 tips the NASA Artemis 2 mission specialists has for kids hoping to walk on Mars one day.

Artemis
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