Karl Tate
Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork). Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web. He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.
Latest articles by Karl Tate
Beagle 2 Mars Lander: How It Was Lost and Found on Red Planet (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Stratolaunch: Biggest Aircraft in History to Launch Spaceships (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems plans to build a giant carrier vehicle in order to air-launch rockets to Earth orbit.
How Breakthrough Starshot's Interstellar Probes Would Work (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Postage-stamp-sized space probes could make a flyby of planets around Alpha Centauri within 20 years after launch.
Hitomi: Japan's X-Ray Astronomy Satellite Explained (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Learn all about the X-ray astronomy satellite Hitomi, a satellite built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that launched in February 2016 and fell silent just over a month later.
Inflatable Space Stations of Bigelow Aerospace (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Bigelow Aerospace's BEAM expandable module will enhance the living area of the International Space Station.
Fantastic Flight: The Orion III Spaceplane from "2001: A Space Odyssey"
By Karl Tate published
Check out this fantastic photo essay about the history of the Orion III space plane, from the sci-fi movie epic "2001: A Space Odyssey," including images of an incredibly accurate, fan-made model.
How Europe's ExoMars Missions to Mars Work (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
The European Space Agency's ExoMars project involves an orbiter, lander and rover, launched on two separate Proton rockets.
How the British Skylon Space Plane Works (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
The British company Reaction Engines Ltd. hopes to manufacture Skylon, a runway-to-orbit space plane using hybrid air-breathing rocket engines.
How XCOR's Lynx Space Plane Works (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
XCOR aims to take paying passengers on a suborbital weightless hop to the edge of space.
How the DARE Dark Ages Radio Explorer Spacecraft Would Work (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
DARE is a proposed lunar satellite that would study the early era of the universe when the stars first starting turning on.
'Planet Nine'-Type Worlds Are the Most Common Ones We Know (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Mini-Neptunes outnumber other types of planets found by astronomers.
The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: What Happened? (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Chart details the causes of the destruction of Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986.
'Planet Nine': Facts About the Mysterious Solar System World (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Researchers say an anomaly in the orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects points to the existence of an unknown planet orbiting the sun.
Know Your Novas: Star Explosions Explained (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
How is a supernova different from a hypernova? Learn about the different types of exploding stars that astronomers have identified.
Spaceships of 'The Martian' Explained (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Ridley Scott's new space film showcases a lot of space hardware derived from actual NASA plans for interplanetary travel.
Skywatching In 2016: The Year's Must-See Events (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Here is a chart of some of the must-see spectacles that the night sky has to offer in 2016.
Manned Orbiting Laboratory: Secrets of a US Military Space Station (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Planned in the 1960s but never realized, the Gemini-based manned spy satellite was finally declassified in 2015.
Exoplanet GJ 1132b: Earth-size World Is Near-Twin of Venus (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
A planet close to its parent star is hot like Venus, but rotates quickly and could have a substantial atmosphere.
Do the Math: How to Survive in 'The Martian' (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Spoiler Alert! Here's the complicated math problems Mark Watney has to solve in order to survive in "The Martian."
Inside Cassini's Multi-Year Saturn Mission (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Since 2004, the Cassini space probe has orbited Saturn, collecting photos and data that have revolutionized our understanding of the planet and its moons.
How to Tell Star Types Apart (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Astronomers group stars into classes according to spectral color and brightness.
SETI: All About the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Are we the only intelligent life in the universe? Here's how we intend to find out.
How Time Travel Works in Science Fiction (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
Is time travel possible? Are the past and future set or can they be changed? Sci-fi books and films have long explored these ideas.
Surviving 'The Martian': How to Stay Alive on Mars (Infographic)
By Karl Tate published
In the film "The Martian" (2015), an astronaut played by Matt Damon has to improvise when his crew leaves him behind by accident. Here's a look at what Watney would need to stay alive on Mars.