Josh Dinner is Space.com's Spaceflight Staff Writer. He is a writer and photographer with a passion for science and space exploration, and has been working the space beat since 2016. Josh has covered the evolution of NASA's commercial spaceflight partnerships and crewed missions from the Space Coast, NASA science missions and more. He also enjoys building 1:144-scale model rockets and spacecraft. Find some of Josh's launch photography on Instagram, and follow him on X, where he mostly posts in haiku.
Latest articles by Josh Dinner

NASA to launch rescue mission July 2 to save Swift space telescope from burning up in Earth's atmosphere
By Josh Dinner Last updated
Northrop Grumman will launch a rocket from an airplane to save NASA's SWIFT space telescope from falling out of orbit.

'PROMISE' me the moon? NASA wants to send spare nuclear-powered Mars rover to the lunar surface
By Josh Dinner Published
NASA has announced new lunar landing contracts for its Artemis Moon Base program, as well as a potential new moon rover mission named PROMISE.

'The start of a new era': Rocket Lab buying satellite-communications company Iridium for $8 billion
By Josh Dinner Published
California-based launch company Rocket Lab has inked a landmark $8 billion deal to acquire long-time satellite communications giant Iridium.

Blue Origin plans to fly New Glenn rocket again this year despite massive rocket explosion (video)
By Josh Dinner Published
After its rocket explosion, Blue Origin wants to complete repairs and put another New Glenn on the launch pad before the end of 2026, according to CEO Dave Limp. That's very ambitious.

SpaceX's next Starship breathes fire for 1st time in prelaunch test (video)
By Josh Dinner Published
About a month has passed since the first launch of SpaceX's "Version 3" Starship rocket, and the spaceflight company has already begun testing on its next such vehicle.

Rocket Lab launches 'Ten Owl of Ten' mission, sending up Japanese Earth-observing radar satellite (video)
By Josh Dinner Last updated
Rocket Lab launched the "Ten Owl of Ten" mission from New Zealand today (June 26), adding to Japanese company Synspective's imaging constellation.

NASA's canceled Artemis hardware contracts reached $5.9 billion, audit finds
By Josh Dinner Published
A memo issued by NASA Office of Inspector General highlights huge cost increases and extended timelines for Artemis program hardware that has since been canceled.

NASA's aging infrastructure can't handle Artemis launches without $1 billion in upgrades, watchdog warns
By Josh Dinner Published
NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon and bolster a rapidly growing commercial space industry is facing an infrastructure obstacle.

Rocket Lab launches US Space Force mission with less than 17 hours' notice — a new record
By Josh Dinner Published
It's a thrilling chase in space!

SpaceX launches its 1st 'Starfall' reentry capsule in early morning Falcon 9 liftoff
By Josh Dinner Last updated
SpaceX launched its first-ever Starfall spacecraft, demonstrating the new vehicle's ability to operate in space and return safely back to Earth.

NASA's Roman Space Telescope arrives in Florida ahead of SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch this summer
By Josh Dinner Published
The Nancy Roman Grace Telescope has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for final preparations ahead of launching to join the orbital ranks of Hubble, Webb, Spitzer and Chandra.

A private company will build and launch NASA's next Mars orbiter in 2028 — and it's not SpaceX
By Josh Dinner Published
Schmidt has also reportedly invested significant sums in the company.

Astrobotic unveils Griffin-1 lunar lander for NASA Moon Base mission
By Josh Dinner Published
Astrobotic unveiled its next lander headed to the moon: Griffin-1, which will carry one of the heaviest payloads ever delivered to the lunar surface.

Ever have a scary HR meeting on your calendar? That's how the Artemis 3 crew found out their assignments
By Josh Dinner Published
NASA took an unconventional approach to informing the astronauts of Artemis 3 about their crew assignments.

Japan's H3 rocket bounces back from failure with successful return to flight launch carrying 6 satellites
By Josh Dinner Published
Japan successfully completed its first mission with its H3 rocket since a launch failure last year resulted in the loss of a payload.

NASA's ambitious Artemis 3 mission includes 3 giant rocket launches, 2 private moon landers and 1 big question: Can it all work together?
By Josh Dinner Published
NASA's Artemis 3 mission in 2027 looks to be one of agency's most complicated missions ever, with three giant rocket launches and two private moon lander prototypes that haven't been built yet.

NASA reveals Artemis 3 astronauts for critical moon lander test flight
By Josh Dinner Published
NASA named the astronauts who will launch on its Artemis 3 mission next year to test docking procedures in Earth orbit ahead of a planned moon landing in 2028.

Is this the next Artemis crew? A look at the astronauts on NASA's shortlist
By Josh Dinner Published
On June 9, NASA will reveal the astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 3 docking mission in Earth orbit next year. Here's a look at the contenders.

Like 'the loss of a loved one': NASA's Mars orbiter MAVEN is officially dead after months of radio silence
By Josh Dinner Last updated
NASA has declared its MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after Red Planet anomaly led to months of lost contact.

Blue Origin says New Glenn rocket will launch again 'before the end of the year' after explosion
By Josh Dinner Published
After its rocket explosion, Blue Origin wants to complete repairs and put another New Glenn on the launchpad before the end of 2026, according to CEO Dave Limp. That's very ambitious.

Rocket goes boom, satellite cameras zoom: Explosive Blue Origin damage is visible from space
By Josh Dinner Published
Satellites zoomed-in on the aftermath of the New Glenn rocket explosion at Blue Origin's LC-36 launchpad, and the extent of the damage is visible from orbit.

'A pretty significant setback': How Blue Origin's rocket explosion affects NASA's moon plans
By Josh Dinner Published
The explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is a big setback for the spaceflight company and will have implications for NASA's plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon.

Atlas V rocket launches 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit from Florida (video)
By Josh Dinner Last updated
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on Friday night (May 28).

Incredible videos show Blue Origin rocket explosion could be seen from hundreds of miles away
By Josh Dinner Published
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket exploded during testing Thursday night, May 28, blasting flames and debris high into the sky in a display visible across wide swaths of Florida.

SpaceX just launched Starship V3 — its most powerful megarocket yet — into space for the 1st time in spectacular Flight 12 test (video)
By Josh Dinner Published
SpaceX's Starship V3, the most powerful rocket ever built, just roared off its launch pad in a spectacular show of power and technology.
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