
Robert Z. Pearlman
Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018.In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History. In 2023, the National Space Club Florida Committee recognized Pearlman with the Kolcum News and Communications Award for excellence in telling the space story along the Space Coast and throughout the world.
Latest articles by Robert Z. Pearlman

Auction offers Neil Armstrong's reply to NASA engineer's Apollo 11 mission patch ideas
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Neil Armstrong was appreciative, but it was too late. The Apollo 11 crew had a design for the first moon landing. Armstrong's note and the patch idea that inspired it are now up for auction.

What brand of golf ball did Alan Shepard hit off the moon? The world may never know
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Carlos Villagomez owns a golf ball that he believes was flown to the moon. If indeed it was, he may also hold the answer to a bit of trivia that otherwise may be forever lost to time.

The Fantastic Four meets Saturn V: 'First Steps' trailer launched at rocket center
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Disney's Marvel Studios launched its first look at "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" by broadcasting from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Alabama.

Trump administration removes Apollo moon rock from White House Oval Office
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Whether President Donald Trump still supports returning astronauts to the lunar surface remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the moon no longer has a place in his White House.

Astronaut's mission 'back to Earth' lands on colorful spacesuit patch
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Astronaut Nicole Stott, who has made it her mission to promote the healing power of art and the need to protect our planet, has inspired a new "Signature Edition" embroidered patch.

Magnificent communication: Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin tests Verizon satellite service in new ad
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin has teamed up with Verizon to help promote the company's satellite-based solution to cell service "dead zones" in a new commercial.

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites to orbit from California
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 at 6:02 p.m. EST.

NASA astronauts free stuck radio unit, collect microbes and set record on station spacewalk
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were able to remove a stuck radio communications unit on a record-setting spacewalk on Thursday (Jan. 30).

'SALLY' premieres at Sundance with Sally Ride's family, astronaut in audience
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
National Geographic premiered "SALLY," Cristina Costantini's new documentary about the first U.S. woman in space and her untold love, at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah on Tuesday (Jan. 28).

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches next-gen SpainSat NG-1 satellite into orbit (video)
By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated
SpaceX launches next generation Spanish communications satellite on Wednesday evening (Jan. 29).

Astronaut Hall of Fame to honor Bernard Harris and Peggy Whitson in May
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame will honor its 2025 class of inductees, record-setting space travelers Peggy Whitson and Bernard Harris, at a public ceremony in Florida this spring.

Webb Space Telescope's 'big sky images' issued on stamps in Big Sky, Montana
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The unobstructed skies that gave Big Sky, Montana its name made for an appropriate setting for the release of two postage stamps depicting vistas visible to the James Webb Space Telescope.

First look at space shuttle, Mission Control 2025 dollar coins from US Mint
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The space shuttle and International Space Station are set to launch onto coins to celebrate advancements made by Texas and Florida. The U.S. Mint has released designs for American Innovation dollars.

Astronauts repair black hole observatory, inspect cosmic ray detector on ISS spacewalk
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams completed a six-hour spacewalk to repair and upgrade equipment outside the International Space Station on Thursday (Jan. 16).

Space Mountain at 50: Five nods to NASA from the Walt Disney World ride
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The ride today bears little resemblance to actual spaceflight. But in the 50 years Space Mountain has been running, there have been and still are several nods to NASA.

Little house on the (moon) prairie: Artist's 'Moonhouse' set to lift off on lunar lander
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The moon is about to gain its first tiny house. Launching on a Japanese lunar lander is the "Moonhouse," a project by Mikael Genberg 25 years in the making.

SpaceX launches 21 new Starlink satellites from Florida
By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink internet satellites lifts off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

The 'original' John Glenn gave his 'go' for Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
John Glenn's last correspondence before his death was to approve the use of his name for Blue Origin's first orbital-class rocket. Glenn hailed the booster for what it could enable for spaceflight.

SpaceX launches 1st Starlink satellites of 2025 (photos)
By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated
SpaceX launched the first batch of its internet satellites this year from Florida's Space Coast today (Jan. 6).

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter flies again as first drone on Rose Parade float
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is now the first drone to fly on a Rose Parade float. The floral-but-flight-worthy display is just one of the highlights on the JPL-inspired "Rover Rendezvous" float.

Ireland's lost Apollo 11 moon rock traced from basement to fire in documents
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
New details about the small pieces of the moon gifted by the United States to Ireland in 1970 have now been unearthed. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Apollo 11 lunar samples.

SpaceX's last launch of 2024 puts Starlink satellites into orbit (video)
By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated
SpaceX launched its last mission of 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on New Year's Eve.

Former US President Jimmy Carter dies at 100, but his voice continues 'into the cosmos'
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
The longest-lived president in United States’ history, Jimmy Carter’s voice will continue to extend “into the cosmos” beyond his death at 100.
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