Leonard David is an award-winning space journalist who has been reporting on space activities for more than 50 years. Currently writing as Space.com's Space Insider Columnist among his other projects, Leonard has authored numerous books on space exploration, Mars missions and more, with his latest being "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" published in 2019 by National Geographic. He also wrote "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet" released in 2016 by National Geographic. Leonard has served as a correspondent for SpaceNews, Scientific American and Aerospace America for the AIAA. He has received many awards, including the first Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History in 2015 at the AAS Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium. You can find out Leonard's latest project at his website and on Twitter.
Latest articles by Leonard David

Where are all the aliens? Maybe they just don't want to talk to us
By Leonard David published
A civilization capable of interstellar travel may also be one that has moved beyond conquest, excess and ecological self-destruction — and it therefore may not want to talk to us.

Arizona's Meteor Crater is still revealing new secrets 50,000 years later
By Leonard David published
Arizona's Meteor Crater remains 'the perfect natural laboratory' for studying what happens when meteors strike Earth, scientists say.

US lawmakers call for a permanent moon base. Will it ever happen?
By Leonard David published
The impetus for establishing a "Lunar Surface Moon Base" is that America is in a space race with China.

Russia fixes launch pad damaged by Thanksgiving astronaut launch to the International Space Station
By Leonard David published
Russia has fixed Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, the only pad supporting the nation's human spaceflight missions. It had been out of commission since late November.

'Some of the cracks had penetrated through': Chinese astronauts reveal new details about spacecraft that 'stranded' them in space last year
By Leonard David published
Crew members of China's Shenzhou-20 mission recently detailed their reactions upon finding cracks in their spacecraft's viewport during the nation's first spaceflight emergency.

Elon Musk wants to put a satellite catapult on the moon. It's not a new idea
By Leonard David published
Elon Musk isn't the first person to propose the use of mass drivers on the moon. He's following in the footsteps of space visionary Gerard O'Neill, who floated the idea back in 1974.

The Artemis 1 moon mission had a heat shield issue. Here’s why NASA doesn’t think it will happen again on Artemis 2
By Leonard David published
The Orion capsule's heat shield had issues during the uncrewed Artemis 1 moon mission in late 2022. Here are the steps NASA has taken to prevent them from recurring on Artemis 2.

Satellite megaconstellations continue to grow. Could their debris fall on us?
By Leonard David published
As more satellite megaconstellations continue to be launched, researchers are exploring the odds people could be struck by falling debris from reentering spacecraft.

Can a nonprofit help protect Earth from dangerous asteroids? How the B612 Foundation has taken on the challenge
By Leonard David published
For nearly a quarter-century, the nonprofit B612 Foundation has helped scientists track dangerous asteroids and educated the public about the threats space rocks pose to Earth.

What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? Here's why ESA wants to find out
By Leonard David published
What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? That's the key question for the European Space Agency's Draco mission, planned for 2027.

Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video)
By Leonard David published
The first emergency operation in the history of China's human spaceflight program ended on Jan. 19 when an uncrewed Shenzhou 20 capsule damaged by a space-junk strike came safely down to Earth.

Experts push back against cancellation of NASA's Mars sample return project
By Leonard David published
Exploration advocates are pushing back against the planned cancellation of NASA's Mars sample return project, saying it could potentially find evidence of Red Planet life.

Winning the Red Planet race: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top US priority, experts say
By Leonard David published
"The Chinese may well beat the U.S. with a grab sample."

China's next moonshot: Chang'e 7 could search the lunar south pole for water this year
By Leonard David published
China's ice-hunting Chang'e 7 mission is scheduled to launch to the moon later this year, helping set the stage for a lunar base that the country aims to build in the 2030s.

Live long and loiter: Why NASA's ESCAPADE probes will wait a year in space before heading to Mars
By Leonard David published
NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes embarked on a 'loiter' trajectory after launch, and scientists say that extra time in space could have some consequences for the twin spacecraft.

Space debris led to an orbital emergency in 2025. Will anything change?
By Leonard David published
"Some will not change behavior until something bad happens."

How NASA changed in 2025 — possibly forever
By Leonard David published
"The damage is real, but it doesn't have to be permanent."

We didn't find answers in 2025, but UFO researchers say the search continues
By Leonard David published
"Science doesn't always go as planned. In any case, there's a lot of work to be done."

Blue Origin's next space tourism flight will break new ground for people with disabilities
By Leonard David published
Blue Origin's upcoming NS-37 space tourism launch has special significance: One of the passengers is Michi Benthaus, who will become the first wheelchair user in space.

Damaged launch pad: How long before Russia can send astronauts to the ISS again?
By Leonard David published
A mishap during the successful Nov. 27 launch of three astronauts damaged the only pad that currently supports Russian crewed orbital liftoffs. How long before things are back up and running again?

Space junk strike on China's astronaut capsule highlights need for a space rescue service, experts say
By Leonard David published
The space-debris strike on China's Shenzhou 20 spacecraft is a wake-up call, say advocates of a space rescue capability — and also a call for an organization to shape that capacity.

Space rescue services needed? 2 'stranded' astronaut incidents are a 'massive wake-up call,' experts say
By Leonard David published
China's decision to delay the return of its Shenzhou 20 astronauts due to a possible space debris impact has led to discussion of space rescue planning — or lack of it.

Can we find water ice on the moon? Only if we know where to look, scientists say
By Leonard David published
Space agencies around the world are planning moon missions that will depend on water ice for resources, but much remains unknown about its availability of water ice on the lunar surface.
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