Andrew Jones
Andrew is a freelance space journalist with a focus on reporting on China's rapidly growing space sector. He began writing for Space.com in 2019 and writes for SpaceNews, IEEE Spectrum, National Geographic, Sky & Telescope, New Scientist and others. Andrew first caught the space bug when, as a youngster, he saw Voyager images of other worlds in our solar system for the first time. Away from space, Andrew enjoys trail running in the forests of Finland. You can follow him on Twitter @AJ_FI.
Latest articles by Andrew Jones
China aims to breed zebrafish aboard Tiangong space station (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Zebrafish aboard China's Tiangong space station are doing well in orbit, according to an update on the experiments.
China's enormous FAST radio telescope is getting even bigger (video)
By Andrew Jones published
China has kicked off of a second phase of construction to enhance the capabilities of FAST, which is already the world's largest single-dish radio telescope.
China's CAS Space launches 5 satellites with its 4th rocket (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Commercial Chinese rocket maker CAS Space completed its fourth solid rocket launch on Tuesday (Sept. 24), sending five satellites to orbit.
Europe will launch a satellite in 2027 just to watch it burn
By Andrew Jones published
The European Space Agency plans to launch a satellite called DRACO in 2027, then study how it breaks up during its fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
NASA, South Korea plan mission to unexplored region of deep space
By Andrew Jones published
NASA and South Korea's space agency have agreed to deeper cooperation in space exploration, science and aeronautics, including collaboration on a pioneering mission.
Blue Origin fires up 2nd stage of huge New Glenn rocket ahead of debut launch (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Blue Origin carried out a hotfire test for its New Glenn rocket second stage on Monday (Sept. 23) as the company moves toward the huge vehicle's debut flight.
Orion spacecraft can shield Artemis astronauts from deep-space radiation, study shows
By Andrew Jones published
Data from NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission has provided valuable space radiation measurements, which validate spacecraft performance and will help guide deep-space human spaceflight.
China launches 10 satellites on 2 rockets less than 6 hours apart (video)
By Andrew Jones published
China launched separate sets of Earth-observation and "Internet of Things" satellites into orbit on Friday (Sept. 20) on two different missions.
China's astronauts conduct emergency drills and deploy payloads into space (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Life remains busy for the astronauts aboard China's Tiangong space station, with a range of drills, maintenance and experiments to carry out.
What the 1st analysis of China's Chang'e 6 lunar far side samples revealed
By Andrew Jones published
In late June, the Chang'e 6 lunar lander returned to Earth with samples of the moon. Now, the first paper about these samples has been published.
China's Yutu 2 rover still going strong after nearly 6 years on the far side of the moon (video)
By Andrew Jones published
China's Chang'e 4 rover Yutu 2 has been working on the far side of the moon for nearly six years. It was designed to operate for just three lunar days, or about three Earth months.
China prepares for 1st launch of new Long March 8A rocket
By Andrew Jones published
China's new Long March 8A rocket could fly for the first time by the end of the year, helping the country build a number of planned satellite megaconstellation.
Japan's ispace will launch its 2nd lunar lander to the moon in December
By Andrew Jones published
Japanese company ispace plans to launch Mission 2, its second shot at landing on the moon, this December on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA's Juno probe spots massive new volcano on Jupiter moon Io
By Andrew Jones published
Researchers have spotted a huge new active volcano on Jupiter's moon Io by comparing images taken by two NASA missions more than a quarter of a century apart.
How SpaceX built a new spacesuit for Polaris Dawn's private spacewalk (video)
By Andrew Jones published
SpaceX has given us a detailed look at their stylish and innovative new extravehicular activity suit ahead of it being worn during the Polaris Dawn mission's first-ever private spacewalk.
China plans to build moon base at the lunar south pole by 2035
By Andrew Jones published
The first phase of China's moon base will be completed around 2035 near the lunar south pole, and an extended model will be built by about 2050, if all goes according to plan.
China to test lunar-soil bricks in space to pave the way for its planned moon base
By Andrew Jones published
The experiment aboard China's Tiangong space station will expose bricks made of moon-soil simulant to space's harsh conditions, helping shape the future of lunar infrastructure.
BepiColombo probe captures stunning Mercury images in closest flyby yet
By Andrew Jones published
BepiColombo made a close flyby of Mercury on Sept. 4, getting just 103 miles (165 kilometers) above the planet.
Chinese astronauts study ancient microbes aboard Tiangong space station (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station are studying microbes, to help determine if some of Earth's early lifeforms can handle a simulated cosmic environment.
Thruster issues delay BepiColombo probe's Mercury arrival until November 2026
By Andrew Jones published
A thruster glitch suffered this past April will delay the BepiColombo mission's arrival at Mercury by nearly a year, to November 2026.
NASA Inspector General issues harsh report on delayed SLS mobile launcher project
By Andrew Jones published
The NASA Office of Inspector General has issued a scathing report on the Mobile Launcher 2 project. ML-2 is needed to transport NASA's Space Launch System moon rocket to the launch pad.
Japan declares its SLIM moon lander dead at last
By Andrew Jones published
The SLIM moon lander survived a staggering three lunar nights before JAXA officially declared the mission to be over.
Boom Supersonic's XB-1 prototype aces 2nd test flight (photos)
By Andrew Jones published
Colorado company Boom Supersonic's XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft flew for the second time ever on Monday (Aug. 26).
Watch Chinese astronauts conduct medical tests and grow plants in orbit (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Newly released footage shows Chinese astronauts engaging in environmental monitoring and growing plants aboard the nation's Tiangong space station.
How 2 fatal shuttle disasters weighed on NASA's decision to bring Boeing Starliner astronauts home on SpaceX Dragon
By Andrew Jones published
The Challenger and Columbia space shuttle tragedies influenced NASA's thinking on how the Boeing Starliner astronauts should return home, agency officials said.
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