John Loeffler

 John is a science and technology journalist and Space.com contributor. He received his B.A. in English and his M.A. in Computer Science from the City University of New York, Brooklyn College, and has bylines with TechRadar, Live Science, and other publications. You can find him on Twitter at @thisdotjohn or seeking out dark sky country for spectacular views of the cosmos. 

Articles by: John Loeffler

someone sits at a desk or table, their back to us, staring at three monitors on the wall ahead. one with a person in white, the middle with various info too small to read, and the rightmost with a graphic of an atom.

New Lockheed Martin system will manage satellite constellations from the cloud using AI

By John Loeffler published

Lockheed Martin's new satellite operations facility will let a single operator control entire constellations of satellites from the cloud.

a squat metal cylinder hovers above the ground with a plume of fire beneath it

Stoke Space gets closer to 100% reusable rocket with successful 'Hopper' test flight (video)

By John Loeffler published

Stoke Space successfully tested its Hopper vehicle, showcasing innovative designs for its second stage rocket while aiming for full rocket reusability.

a white and black humanoid robot lifts a small cardboard box.

NASA hopes humanoid robots can help us explore the moon and Mars

By John Loeffler published

NASA is exploring the capabilities of several next-gen humanoid robots that it hopes will one day assist astronauts in orbit and mine the moon for minerals.

A helicopter-like vehicle with six propellers on its sides and a red racing stripe houses two people.

NASA propulsion technology brings 'flying cars' closer to reality

By John Loeffler published

The Epiphany Transporter is the latest 'flying car' effort to be unveiled, but this one has NASA engineering at its back.

A large man-made dish sits like a crater surrounded by utility towers in a mountainous forest.

World's largest radio telescope gets help from smart maintenance robots

By John Loeffler published

The world's largest single-dish radio telescope can be a pain to maintain, so Chinese astronomers are using smart robots to make the job easier.

A rendered boxy building stands surrounded by pavement, with a strip of grass separating an adjacent parking lot. The hazy background fades above small green trees.

Amazon's Project Kuiper opens satellite facility at Kennedy Space Center

By John Loeffler published

Amazon's new satellite processing facility in Florida brings the company's Project Kuiper closer to competing with SpaceX's Starlink, but it still has a way to go.

a giant spherical LED screen looks like the moon

See the wild Las Vegas Sphere transform into Earth, Mars and the moon (photos)

By John Loeffler published

The Sphere in Las Vegas, the world's largest spherical structure, used its 580,000-square-foot LED 'exosphere' display to bring us Mars, the moon and Earth on July 4.

an astronaut holds a moon rock on the moon while another takes a photo as both wear spacesuits

NASA doubles its spacesuit options for Artemis astronauts on the moon, ISS crews

By John Loeffler published

NASA has tasked Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to back each other up as each develops new spacesuit designs for spacewalking and the lunar surface.

Artist's illustration of two Artemis astronauts at work on the lunar surface.

NASA wants ideas for Artemis 3 moon landing experiments. But time's running out.

By John Loeffler published

NASA is soliciting the scientific community for ideas about instruments and experiments that could accompany Artemis 3 astronauts on their mission to the moon.

a robotic rover on Mars holds thumbnails of PDF documents

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and DARPA want to fix your PDFs. Here's how.

By John Loeffler published

When NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory isn't piloting a rover on another world, it's apparently helping make PDF files more secure.

a large sunspot on the surface of the sun with four Earths superimposed over it for scale

A massive sunspot is currently visible to the unaided eye. Here's how to see it safely before it's gone

By John Loeffler published

A massive new sunspot is visible without using a telescope or binoculars, but you'll still need to protect your eyes when observing it.

an astronaut in an orange spacesuit poses for a portrait in front of a model of a space shuttle

Twitter is still vital for the space community. A former NASA astronaut explains why

By John Loeffler published

Twitter provides an important platform for science communicators, but many in the scientific community have expressed misgivings about remaining on the platform.

venera venus missions

Venus grade: NASA seeks a lander battery tough enough to survive Earth's evil twin

By John Loeffler published

The surface of Venus is so extreme that even the best landers make it only a few hours before failing. NASA hopes a new type of battery will help.

A Starlink satellite streaks across this image of the Andromeda galaxy from Caltech's Zwicky Transient Facility, highlighting the challenge Starlink satellites in particular present to ground-based astronomical observations.

SpaceX and astronomers come to agreement on reducing Starlink astronomy impact

By John Loeffler published

The National Science Foundation and SpaceX have come to an agreement on how to mitigate the damage to ground-based astronomy that Starlink satellites present.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of the star cluster NGC 3293 overlain by Chandra X-ray Observatory data in magenta spots marking bright X-ray sources.

This is our best look yet at how young stars stifle planetary formation

By John Loeffler published

Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, researchers conducted the most in-depth study of planet-killing stars ever.

A relatively small open cluster of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud as seen by Hubble.

Hubble Space Telescope captures exquisite view of nearby star cluster before it fades away

By John Loeffler published

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a dazzling view of an open cluster of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud that is slowly dissolving into the dwarf galaxy around it.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of the globular cluster Pismis 26 shows many thousands of stars from 23,000 light-years away.

Sparkling Hubble Space Telescope photo shows ancient globular cluster near Milky Way's heart

By John Loeffler published

The Hubble Space Telescope photo reveals an ancient globular cluster gleaming against the blackness of space near the galactic bulge.

A Hubble Space Telescope photo of the spiral galaxy NGC 6956.

This gorgeous spiral galaxy spotted by Hubble telescope is a yardstick for galactic expansion

By John Loeffler published

The barred spiral galaxy NGC 6956 isn't just pretty to look at in this new Hubble photo, it's an essential tool for understanding the universe.

On the left, the original Blue Marble photo taken by the crew of Apollo 17 in 1972. On the left, a computer's recreation that tested a cutting-edge climate model.

Recreated 'Blue Marble' photo of Earth tests powerful new climate model

By John Loeffler published

A new climate simulation program has successfully recreated a living, swirling version of the famous 1972 "Blue Marble" photo taken by Apollo 17 astronauts.

The Hubble Space Telescope captured the galaxy merger Arp-Madore 417-391 in a photo released Nov. 21, 2022.

Hubble Space Telescope captures dazzling embrace of merging galaxies

By John Loeffler published

A newly released photo from the Hubble Space Telescope captures a spectacular galaxy merger in progress.

Arp 248

Hubble Space Telescope captures stunning intergalactic bridge of stars in new image

By John Loeffler published

A new Hubble photo shows a tidal tail crossing the span between galaxies like a celestial bridge of stars.

device screen showing icons of twitter and mastodon

Space scientists and astronauts launch to other platforms amid Twitter turmoil

By John Loeffler published

Several prominent astronomers, scientists and at least one astronaut have announced their exit from Twitter following Elon Musk's takeover. Will more follow?

An astronaut points to a moon rock in front of a proposed next-gen NASA lunar terrain vehicle.

NASA needs a new moon car for off-roading astronauts at the lunar south pole

By John Loeffler published

NASA has begun the contracting process for the next-generation lunar rover to be used during the Artemia Moon missions, starting in 2024.

This image shows a spectacular view of the orange and pink clouds that make up what remains after the explosive death of a massive star — the Vela supernova remnant.

Haunting photo of dead 'ghost star' a cosmic Halloween treat

By John Loeffler published

The European Space Observatory (ESO) has released an image of a dead star's 'ghost' in deep space just in time for Halloween.

This peculiar portrait from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcases NGC 1999, a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It appears as a light blue cloud in space with a keyhole-shaped 'hole' in the center.

Hubble telescope peeks through 'cosmic keyhole' in stunning photo

By John Loeffler published

Hubble has just grabbed a brilliant new photo of a cosmic 'keyhole' in a stellar nursery

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