
Tariq Malik
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

Rocket launch today: Is there a rocket launch and what time?
By Josh Dinner, Tariq Malik last updated
Follow Space.com's rocket launch blog for the latest on when the next rocket launch will be and how to follow it live.

Full moon calendar 2025: When to see the next full moon
By Tariq Malik last updated
Reference The full moon happens about once a month. Find out when.

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2025
By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated
Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2025.

Katy Perry and Blue Origin's all-female rocket crew get Monse designer flight suits
By Tariq Malik published
The Monse Blue Origin flight suits were tailored for women from the start, designers say.

Launch of Amazon's 1st Kuiper internet satellites delayed by bad weather
By Tariq Malik published
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch Amazon's first big batch of Project Kuiper broadband satellites today (April 9), and you can watch it live.

SpaceX to launch new Intuitive Machines moon lander, lunar satellites in 2027
By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX's next Dragon cargo ship launch for NASA will lift off on April 21
By Tariq Malik published
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch an uncrewed Dragon cargo ship packed with tons of supplies to the International Space Station on April 21.

How to watch Jared Isaacman's NASA chief confirmation hearing in the Senate today
By Tariq Malik last updated
Trump officially nominated Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut to lead NASA, shortly after taking office.

Indian experiment module falls from space and crashes into ocean, but it's all according to plan
By Tariq Malik published
India's POEM-4 experiment module burned up and fell into the Indian Ocean to avoid becoming space debris.

SpaceX Fram2 1st polar astronaut mission: Live updates
By Tariq Malik, Josh Dinner last updated
Find out the latest about SpaceX's private Fram2 polar astronaut mission for cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang.

Jared Isaacman, Trump's pick for NASA chief, to get Senate confirmation hearing on April 9
By Tariq Malik published
Isaacman, a billionaire and private astronaut, has flown in space twice on SpaceX rockets and spacecraft.

I'm going to a huge astronomy expo to see the latest telescope tech this weekend. I won't be alone.
By Tariq Malik published
Billed as the "World's Largest Astronomy & Space Expo," NEAF 2025 draws thousands of stargazers each year, with astronauts and exoplanet hunters speaking this year.

Cryptocurrency billionaire watches SpaceX rocket launch on the way to his own SpaceX rocket launch
By Tariq Malik published
Cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang and his Fram2 private astronaut crew got a two-for-one deal when they watched a rocket launch ahead of their own launch on March 31.

NASA officially adds SpaceX's giant Starship megarocket to its launch roster
By Tariq Malik published
SpaceX is building Starship as a full reusable heavy-lift rocket to fly astronauts to the moon and Mars.

Aurora alert: Giant 'hole' in sun and strong geomagnetic storm converge to supercharge northern lights this weekend
By Tariq Malik published
A huge sun eruption combines with speedy solar wind from a "coronal hole" for a weekend aurora show, experts predict.

Astronaut takes a mind-bending trip over Earth beneath star trails: Space photo of the day
By Tariq Malik published
NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured this stunning long-exposure view of Earth and stars from space at night from the International Space Station.

Space photo of the day: Brilliant comet shines at sunset over observatory in Chile
By Tariq Malik published
The stunning comet C/2024 G3 lights up the sunset sky over Chile's Very Large Telescope in this spectacular photo.

SpaceX Dragon meets sunrise at launch pad for Crew-10 flight | Space photo of the day March 11, 2025
By Tariq Malik published
The Dragon capsule will launch atop a SpaceX rocket to carry 4 astronauts to space on March 12.

Rocket Lab unveils plan to land Neutron rockets at sea, 1st launch in 2025
By Tariq Malik published
The new Neutron rocket includes a "hippo" mouth fairing that deploys upper stages by spitting them out from inside.

Private Intuitive Machines moon lander declared dead after falling on its side in crater at the lunar south pole
By Tariq Malik last updated
For the second time in two years, a private Intuitive Machines lander fell over on the moon.

SpaceX Starship Flight 8 launch: Live updates
By Tariq Malik, Josh Dinner last updated
Read the latest news about SpaceX's Starship megarocket test flights, launches, photos and more.

What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 8 launch today?
By Tariq Malik last updated
SpaceX is poised to launch Flight 8 of its Starship megarocket on Thursday (March 6). Here's how to watch the action live.

The US will 'plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond,' Trump tells Congress
By Tariq Malik published
President Donald Trump told lawmakers that U.S. astronauts will one day carry the American flag to Mars and beyond during a speech before the joint session of Congress.
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