Hanneke Weitering

Hanneke Weitering

Contributing expert

Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos. 

Articles by: Hanneke Weitering

Hurricane Larry rages above the Atlantic Ocean in this image captured by NASA astronaut Megan McArthur at the International Space Station on Sept. 7, 2021.

Astronauts spot Hurricane Larry from space (photos)

By Hanneke Weitering published

As Hurricane Larry churned through the Atlantic Ocean this weekend, astronauts at the International Space Station kept a watchful eye on the storm from space.

Space station astronauts have fun with many pints of ice cream that recently arrived on a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft.

Labor Day 2021 in space: Astronauts take a half-day off from science duties

By Hanneke Weitering published

NASA astronauts at the International Space Station will only enjoy a half-day off from work on Labor Day today (Sept. 5).

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson soars like Superman while in weightlessness during his Unity 22 launch on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity on July 11, 2021.

Pilots saw 'red light' warning during Virgin Galactic's historic spaceflight with Richard Branson: report

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

It may not have gone as smoothly as we thought.

A view of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Dragon on the pad before the launch attempt was called off on Aug. 28, 2021.

Bad weather delays SpaceX Dragon cargo launch to space station

By Hanneke Weitering published

The International Space Station will have to wait one more day to receive its next cargo shipment.

A satellite image captured Aug. 27, 2021 shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo ship on Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ahead of the company's 23rd cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Satellite spots SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon from orbit ahead of cargo launch to space station (photos)

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On Friday (Aug. 27) Maxar Technologies' WorldView-2 satellite spotted SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo spacecraft from orbit.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei does a spacesuit fit check to prepare for an upcoming spacewalk at the International Space Station.

Astronaut says pinched nerve is why NASA called off space station spacewalk

By Hanneke Weitering published

"Today just wasn't the right day," NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei tweeted after a minor medical issue postponed his spacewalk.

The private Inspiration4 SpaceX astronauts will carry hops into space that could be used for "space beer."

Space beer, anyone? Hops flying on SpaceX's private astronaut mission Inspiration4 will be auctioned for charity

By Hanneke Weitering published

Billionaire Jared Isaacman is looking for a brewery to make beer with space-flown hops — for a good cause.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter captured this image of the Perseverance rover during its 11th flight on the Red Planet, on Aug. 5, 2021.

NASA's Mars helicopter spots its Perseverance rover pal from above in an epic view (video)

By Hanneke Weitering published

While flying over the Red Planet for the 11th time last week, the little helicopter caught a view of its "mothership" — NASA's Perseverance rover

A Perseid meteor is seen above desert poplar plants in Korla, China, on Aug. 12, 2021.

Amazing photos of the 2021 Perseid meteor shower

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the best displays of "shooting stars" this year, put on a spectacular show for skywatchers around the world.

NASA astronauts Meghan McArthur (left), Shane Kimbrough (top center), Mark Vande Hei (bottom) and French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency review spacewalk preparations on June 10, 2021. The three Americans won't have a long weekend for Fourth of July 2021.

No long weekend this Fourth of July holiday for American astronauts in space

By Hanneke Weitering published

While many Americans will celebrate the Fourth of July with a day off from work, astronauts at the International Space Station are spending their holiday preparing a cargo ship's return to Earth.

A Soyuz rocket with 36 OneWeb satellites on board lifting off a launch pad at Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.

Arianespace Soyuz rocket lofts 36 new OneWeb internet satellites

By Hanneke Weitering published

Arianespace lofted another 36 OneWeb broadband satellites today (July 1) in a milestone that will allow the company to begin providing internet access.

The RockOn sounding rocket launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia may be visible from southern Delaware the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel, according to NASA.

Watch NASA launch a small rocket with dozens of student experiments today!

By Hanneke Weitering published

NASA will launch dozens of student experiments to space on a sounding rocket today (June 25), and you can watch it live here.

A partial solar eclipse seen at sunrise with the U.S. Capitol building on display in an image taken June 10, 2021, by NASA photographer Bill Ingalls.

'Ring of fire' solar eclipse 2021: See amazing photos from stargazers

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

Find maps, diagrams and animations of the "ring of fire" solar eclipse on June 10, 2021.

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov conducted their first spacewalk together on June 2, 2021.

Cosmonauts decommission old space station docking module in 7-hour spacewalk

By Hanneke Weitering published

Two Russian cosmonauts took a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (June 2) to prepare an old docking module for disposal.

An artist's depiction of a NASA astronaut floating in space while wearing a new Artemis spacesuit.

Biden's 2022 NASA budget proposal gives science and commercial space a boost

By Hanneke Weitering published

President Joe Biden's federal budget proposal for 2022 gives NASA more science funding than ever before while continuing to pave the way for the next human moon landing in 2024.

A Bagel Bite totally eclipses the moon.

Bagel Bites is giving away 'moon deeds' and snacks for the Super Flower Blood Moon

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

To celebrate the Super Flower Blood Moon, the company behind Bagel Bites says it's giving away "moon deeds."

The total lunar eclipse of January 2019.

'Super Flower Blood Moon' webcasts: How to watch the supermoon eclipse of 2021 online

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

If you can't see the "Super Flower Blood Moon" eclipse of May 26 in person, check out these live webcasts!

An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, at the Red Planet.

China's 1st Mars rover 'Zhurong' lands on the Red Planet

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

China just successfully landed its first rover on Mars, becoming only the second nation to do so.

An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, landing on the Red Planet.

China to attempt its first Mars rover landing today

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

China is about to attempt its first landing on the Red Planet.

Twelve bottles of Bordeaux wine spent 438 days aging at the International Space Station.

Red wine in space may age faster than on Earth, study finds

By Hanneke Weitering published

Red wine stored at the International Space Station for more than a year returned to Earth looking and testing a bit different, and it aged faster than wine on Earth.

Celebrate the "Taco Moon" tonight (May 4) with a free crunchy taco from Taco Bell.

Celebrate the 'Taco Moon' with a free taco from Taco Bell tonight!

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

The last quarter moon will shine like a big, cheesy taco in the sky tonight (May 4), and Taco Bell is celebrating the lunar phase by giving away free tacos.

An Arianespace Vega rocket topped with 53 small satellites launches from the Guiana Space Center on Sept. 2, 2020.

Arianespace to launch Vega rocket on return-to-flight mission tonight. Here's how to watch.

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

A Vega rocket is scheduled to launch a new Earth observation satellite and several other small payloads into orbit for a return-to-flight mission tonight (April 28), and you can watch it live online.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter is seen during its first flight on Mars on April 19, 2021, in this view from the Perseverance rover's Navigation Camera, or Navcam.

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity will attempt its 2nd flight Thursday

By Hanneke Weitering published

The Mars helicopter will attempt its second flight above the Red Planet on Thursday (April 22) at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT).

The Crew Dragon "Endeavour" is lifted and mated to its Falcon 9 rocket at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A , on April 13, 2021.

NASA, SpaceX are 'go' to launch Crew-2 astronauts to space station on Earth Day

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

Mark your calendars for April 22!

A test version of NASA's Orion spacecraft splashes into the Hydro Impact Basin at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, at 2:02 p.m. EDT (1802 GMT) on April 6, 2021.

NASA just dropped an Orion space capsule into a pool for science

By Hanneke Weitering published

NASA made a splash today (April 6) by dropping a test version of its Orion crew capsule for future moon missions into a big pool.

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