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Elizabeth Howell
Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Space.com who is one of the few Canadian journalists to report regularly on space exploration. She is pursuing a Ph.D. part-time in aerospace sciences (University of North Dakota) after completing an M.Sc. (space studies) at the same institution. She also holds a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University. Besides writing, Elizabeth teaches communications at the university and community college level. To see her latest projects, follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @HowellSpace.

Articles by: Elizabeth Howell

This map from In-The-Sky.org shows the visibility area for the penumbral lunar eclipse of July 4-5, 2020.

The 'Buck Moon' lunar eclipse this Fourth of July will be hard to see

By Elizabeth Howell

The minor Independence Day eclipse will be difficult to spot and observers shouldn't expect mind-blowing views of the moon in Earth's shadow..

The European Space Agency is joining Kerbal Space Program in the free Shared Horizons expansion launching July 1, 2020.

'Kerbal Space Program' launches epic European missions in 'Shared Horizons' expansion

By Elizabeth Howell

"Kerbal Space Program" launches into the ESA frontier today (July 1) with "Shared Horizons" and scientists are thrilled.

Firefly Aerospace used a Reaver rocket engine to light candles on a birthday cake to celebrate the 43rd birthday of co-founder and investor Max Polyakov in a June 30, 2020 video.

Firefly Aerospace uses rocket engine to light birthday candles in epic cake video

By Elizabeth Howell

The folks at Firefly Aerospace took a brief break from rocket development recently to fire up a rocket engine to celebrate a co-founder's birthday.

An artist's depiction of a SPARROW robot, at right, and its lander, on the surface of an icy solar system moon.

Steampunk space exploration? Icy moon robot could hop around on steam power.

By Elizabeth Howell

Icy moon explorers may someday hunt for life using an old-fashioned method: steam power.

An artist's depiction of what the bright blue variable star in the galaxy Kinman Dwarf might have looked like before its sudden disappearance.

Giant star pulls off vanishing act. Did it become a black hole or was it all an illusion?

By Elizabeth Howell

An unstable massive star has suddenly vanished from view, and astronomers aren't sure if it collapsed into a black hole or is playing peek-a-boo behind galactic dust.

An Arianespace Vega rocket will launch 53 small satellites for the European Space Agency in a rideshare flight from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana in June 2020. It's the first Vega launch since a July 2019 failure.

Vega rocket may attempt return to flight with 53-satellite launch tonight. Here's how to watch.

By Elizabeth Howell

An Arianespace Vega rocket is ready for an epic return to flight, as the European booster prepares to carry 53 satellites into orbit tonight (June 28).

A view of the International Space Station during the battery-replacement spacewalk conducted on June 26, 2020.

Spacewalking astronauts tackle battery upgrade at space station

By Elizabeth Howell

Two NASA astronauts began an epic battery swap in a spacewalk outside the International Space Station Friday (June 26), the first of four excursions to upgrade the outpost.

An artist's depiction of AU Mic b orbiting its star.

Newly discovered alien planet spotted zipping around highly active star

By Elizabeth Howell

Two veteran NASA planet-hunting missions found a Neptune-size planet that circles its young star every Earth week.

A visualization of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

NASA inspector general looking into Boeing moon lander bid after input from agency official: report

By Elizabeth Howell

Boeing, one of the two companies supplying commercial crew vehicles, is under investigation in relation to a lucrative contract to land humans on the moon, according to a Washington Post report.

Astrophysicist Joe Pesce of the National Science Foundation is taking your cosmic questions in Space.com's Forums!

Join astrophysicist Joe Pesce in an AMA about the universe in our Space.com Forums!

By Elizabeth Howell

Join real-life astrophysicist in an "ask me anything" with Joe Pesce of the National Science Foundation in our Space.com Forums this week!

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launches the final Beidou navigation satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China on June 23, 2020.

China launches final Beidou satellite to complete GPS-like navigation system

By Elizabeth Howell

China successfully launched the final member in its Beidou satellite constellation Tuesday (June 23) completing a new global navigation system 30 years in the making.

Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceliner captured this view of Earth during the vehicle's first trip to space, on Dec. 13, 2018.

NASA wants to send astronauts on private suborbital spaceflights

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA's administrator says he wants to step up commercial flight opportunities for astronauts.

"Star Trek Timelines" puts you in command of Trek characters from every series.

'Star Trek Timelines' celebrates Pride Month with new LGBTQ+ characters

By Elizabeth Howell

Role-playing game "Star Trek Timelines" released three new LGBTQ characters to celebrate Pride Month.

CBS has launched a #StarTrekUnited campaign to promote unity and made 15 culturally relevant episodes from the franchise free online.

CBS launches #StarTrekUnited campaign to promote unity

By Elizabeth Howell

It includes a 15-episode streaming festival online.

The annular solar eclipse of Feb. 26, 2017, as seen by the Slooh community observatory.

The 'ring of fire' solar eclipse of 2020 occurs Sunday. Here's how to watch online.

By Elizabeth Howell

A "ring of fire" solar eclipse will briefly appear in parts of Africa and Asia this weekend, and if you aren't out there in person, you can take in the spectacular show online.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity snapped this selfie after drilling a hole at a rock feature called "Hutton" and making its way up to the Greenheugh Pediment, the rocky mound seen here behind the rover and to the left. This panorama combines 86 images taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on Curiosity's robotic arm on Feb. 26, 2020, the 2,687th Martian day, or "sol," of the rover's mission on the Red Planet.

NASA needs your help teaching its Curiosity rover how to drive on Mars

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA is asking for your help to guide its Curiosity rover around sand traps, sharp rocks and other obstacles on the Red Planet.

The game "Space Crew" wants you to defend Earth from aliens. It launches on PC and consoles in fall 2020.

'Space Crew' wants you to defend Earth against aliens (and you can try it free right now)

By Elizabeth Howell

The new space strategy game "Space Crew" wants you to explore the galaxy while fighting off an alien threat, and you can try a free demo on Steam through June 22.

Two images of the night sky were combined to show Earth and Venus as seen by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on June 5, 2020, the mission's 2,784th Martian day, or sol. The planets appear as pinpoints of light owing to a combination of distance and dust in the air. Mars' Tower Butte is visible at bottom.

See Earth and Venus from Mars in amazing photos from NASA's Curiosity rover

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA's Curiosity rover took a break from assessing ancient Martian habitability to gaze up at the Red Planet sky — where it found Earth.

A Long March 3B rocket stands upright on a launch pad at the Xichang space base.

China postpones launch of Beidou global navigation satellite

By Elizabeth Howell

China will have to wait to finish a long-awaited upgrade of its global navigation satellite system.

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have caught a stellar-mass black hole hurling hot material into space at close to the speed of light.

Black hole caught spewing jets into space at nearly the speed of light (video)

By Elizabeth Howell

A black hole shooting out gassy material at nearly the speed of light has been caught on video by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

An edge-on view of spacecraft material set on fire in space as part of NASA's Saffire IV experiment.

NASA lit a fire in space to keep future astronauts safe (video)

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA deliberately set a fire in a spacecraft to see if a "smoke eater" and carbon dioxide scrubber could make future moon missions safer for astronauts.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft approaches the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, on May 31, 2020.

Russian space chief weighs in on SpaceX's historic astronaut launch

By Elizabeth Howell

The head of Russia's space program, Dmitry Rogozin, published a lengthy op-ed expressing mixed feelings about the recent SpaceX Demo-2 launch to the International Space Station.

Former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin speaks with Bill Nye about racial injustice and space exploration in a video released by The Planetary Society on June 12, 2020.

Bill Nye and former astronaut Leland Melvin talk racial injustice and space exploration (video)

By Elizabeth Howell

Leland Melvin says there was a night when he could have wrongfully been put in jail, stopping any chance of him flying twice in space as a NASA astronaut later in his career.

A Chinese Long March 2C rocket launches the Haiyang 1D ocean monitoring satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China, on June 11, 2020.

China launches Haiyang 1D satellite to monitor Earth's oceans

By Elizabeth Howell

An ocean observation satellite soared into space from China's Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the country's north Shanxi Province on Thursday (June 11).

NASA astronaut Doug Hurley gives a thumbs up as he and his Demo-2 crewmate Bob Behnken sit inside the capsule ahead of their second launch attempt on May 30, 2020.

New SpaceX spacesuits get five-star rating from NASA astronauts

By Elizabeth Howell

The movie-star look to SpaceX's new spacesuits is just one of the innovative features the Crew Dragon astronauts enjoyed during the Demo-2 test flight to the International Space Station.