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
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.
India to launch Gaganyaan crew capsule test flight by end of 2024
By Andrew Jones published
India plans to launch a key test of its Gaganyaan crew vehicle before the end of the year as the country gears up for human spaceflight missions.
Watch Chinese researchers test out new Mars and moon rover tech (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Researchers from universities across China are testing out their designs for rovers for exploring the moon and Mars.
SpaceX refutes reports that its Starship launch pad system polluted Texas waters
By Andrew Jones published
SpaceX has strongly refuted a media report claiming the company violated environmental regulations by releasing pollutants related to Starship launches in South Texas.
Chinese company CAS Space takes steps toward 1st launch of reusable rocket
By Andrew Jones published
The Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space is making serious progress on a new reusable rocket called Kinetica-2, and is targeting a debut in 2025.
Boeing needs to improve quality-control work on SLS moon rocket, NASA Inspector General finds
By Andrew Jones published
A scathing report from NASA's Office of Inspector General has highlighted several critical issues related to the development of the next version of the agency's SLS moon rocket.
Chinese astronauts celebrate Olympics on Tiangong space station (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Astronauts on China's Tiangong space station recently reenacted some of the sports that athletes of the just-completed 2024 Paris Olympics competed in here on Earth.
Get a sneak peek at Virgin Galactic's new Delta class space plane (video)
By Andrew Jones published
Virgin Galactic posted a video on Wednesday (Aug. 7) showcasing an animation of its new Delta class space plane, which is expected to enter service in 2026.
Japan's ispace will fly a tiny European-built lunar rover to the moon this year (photo)
By Andrew Jones published
The Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Japanese space exploration firm ispace has finished building a micro lunar rover, which is now set to fly to the moon.
Next Blue Origin space tourism flight will launch youngest woman above the Kármán line
By Andrew Jones published
Blue Origin has announced the six crewmembers for its next space tourism flight. One of them will become the youngest woman to cross the Kármán line.
Watch China test-fire engine for new crewed moon rocket (video)
By Andrew Jones published
China has test-fired a new engine for its planned Long March 10 rocket, which is designed to take astronauts to the moon.
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