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

Private FLIP moon rover replaces NASA's cancelled VIPER on 2025 lunar south pole mission
By Mike Wall published
Astrolab's FLIP moon rover has replaced NASA's VIPER vehicle on the first-ever mission of Astrobotic's Griffin lunar lander, which is scheduled to launch in late 2025.

German company Atmos launching 1st cargo-return capsule on upcoming SpaceX mission
By Mike Wall published
Atmos Space Cargo will fly its first Phoenix cargo-return capsule on SpaceX's Bandwagon 3 rideshare mission, which is scheduled to launch this spring.

SpaceX launches 2 Maxar Earth-observing satellites to orbit (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched two Earth-imaging satellites today (Feb. 4), further building out Maxar Technologies' sharp-eyed WorldView Legion constellation.

VIPER back from the dead? NASA asks US companies to partner on ice-hunting moon rover
By Mike Wall published
NASA is asking U.S. companies for proposals to move forward with the ice-hunting VIPER moon rover, a $450 million project the agency canceled last summer.

Blue Origin mimics moon gravity on 1st-of-its-kind New Shepard research rocket launch (video)
By Mike Wall published
Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company Blue Origin simulated lunar gravity conditions today (Feb. 4) during the 29th launch of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle.

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites from Florida on 15th launch of 2025 (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 21 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Tuesday morning (Feb. 4).

Blue Origin to launch New Shepard moon-gravity mission on Feb. 4 after glitch
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin is targeting Feb. 4 for the 29th launch of its New Shepard suborbital rocket, which was postponed from Jan. 28 due to weather and technical issues.

Rocket Lab to launch 5 'Internet of Things' satellites Feb. 8 after delay due to orbital traffic
By Mike Wall last updated
Rocket Lab will launch five "Internet of Things" satellites for the French company Kinéis on Saturday (Feb. 8) after a delay due to orbital traffic.

Japan launches navigation satellite on nation's 1st mission of 2025 (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
A Japanese H3 rocket launched the Michibiki 6 navigation satellite early Sunday morning (Feb. 2), the nation's first liftoff of 2025.

Trump asks Elon Musk to return 2 Starliner astronauts from the ISS for NASA — but they already have a SpaceX ride home
By Mike Wall last updated
President Trump just asked Elon Musk to retrieve two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station. But the duo are already slated to come home with SpaceX this spring.

Earth-observing company Planet signs $230 million deal for fleet of new Pelican satellites
By Mike Wall published
The Earth-observation company Planet just inked its largest deal to date, a $230 million contract to deliver a fleet of its new Pelican satellites.

India launches navigation satellite into orbit on nation's 1st mission of 2025
By Mike Wall last updated
India launched the NVS-02 regional navigation satellite to orbit this evening (Jan. 28), the 100th liftoff from the nation's Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander snaps its 1st photos of the moon (images)
By Mike Wall published
The moon has come into view for Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost spacecraft, which is scheduled to land on Earth's nearest neighbor a month or so from now.

Blue Origin scrubs landmark New Shepard moon-gravity launch due to weather, rocket glitch
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin scrubbed the planned 29th launch of its New Shepard suborbital rocket today (Jan. 28) due to uncooperative weather and a vehicle issue.

Boom Supersonic to break sound barrier during historic test flight today: Watch live
By Mike Wall published
Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator craft will break the sound barrier for the first time during a Jan. 28 test flight, and you can watch the action live.

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida (photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 21 more of its Starlink internet satellites today (Jan. 27) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Blue Origin to simulate moon gravity on Jan. 28 New Shepard suborbital launch
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin will launch the 29th mission of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on Jan. 28, on an uncrewed research flight that will simulate lunar gravity conditions.

SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites on 11th Falcon 9 rocket of 2025 (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 23 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California's central coast today in the company's 11th Falcon 9 rocket flight of 2025 (Jan. 24).

NASA honors fallen astronauts with 'Day of Remembrance' ceremony
By Mike Wall published
NASA honored its fallen space explorers during ceremonies at multiple sites on Thursday (Jan. 23).

400 rocket landings! SpaceX notches reuse milestone
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX made some history during a Jan. 21 Starlink satellite launch from California, landing an orbital-class rocket for the 400th time.

Bill Nelson steps down as NASA chief as Trump begins 2nd term
By Mike Wall published
Bill Nelson has stepped down as NASA administrator, ending a half-century of public service. Janet Petro is now the agency's interim chief.

SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites from California (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 27 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California's central coast on Tuesday (Jan. 21).

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites to orbit on 1st flight since Starship explosion (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 21 of its Starlink internet satellites early Jan. 21, five days after a test flight of the company's Starship megarocket ended in an explosion.
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