Leonard David
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
NASA's Mars exploration plans need 'paradigm shifts' to succeed, report finds
By Leonard David published
NASA has released a new document that highlights planned programmatic paradigm shifts in Mars exploration over the next 20 years.
The yearning for Uranus: A far-out world with a tale to tell
By Leonard David published
A proposed mission known as Uranus Orbiter and Probe would conduct a multiyear orbital tour to yield knowledge of ice giants in general and the Uranus system in particular.
Will the International Space Station's 2031 death dive cause pollution problems?
By Leonard David published
The International Space Station will be steered to a controlled destruction in Earth's atmosphere in 2031, if all goes to plan. Should we be worried about the pollution this death dive will cause?
How amateur radio is connecting astronauts in space with kids on Earth
By Leonard David published
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) aims to inspire and educate youth in STEM through connecting astronauts in orbit with people on the ground.
'Lunik Heist:' A real-life CIA rocket kidnapping goes to Hollywood
By Leonard David published
"At a time like this, we need to find more stories from the days when Americans outsmarted the bad guys and planted our flag on the moon."
UFOs 'not attributable to foreign adversaries," new Pentagon report says
By Leonard David published
"Analyzing and understanding the potential threats posed by UAP is an ongoing collaborative effort involving many departments and agencies."
China's space station experiments are back on Earth
By Leonard David published
Space specialists in China have begun to assess experiment samples brought back by the Shenzhou-18 crew that touched down November 4 in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Will China return Mars samples to Earth before the US does?
By Leonard David published
China has moved up its timeline for bringing Mars samples to Earth, aiming to do so as early as 2028 — long before the U.S. is slated to achieve this same ambitious goal.
NASA faces tough decisions on Orion capsule's heat shield for Artemis moon missions
By Leonard David published
NASA remains in an ongoing test mode to determine what’s behind the ablative thermal protective material that chipped away unexpectedly from the Artemis 1 Orion heat shield during its reentry.
'First tree on Mars:' Scientists measure greenhouse effect needed to terraform Red Planet
By Leonard David published
What is the amount of greenhouse warming required to heat up the cold climes of Mars enough so that trees can grow on the Red Planet?
'NASA at a crossroads:' Budget woes, aging infrastructure and hard choices ahead
By Leonard David published
The next few years are likely to be pivotal ones for NASA, according to a hard-hitting report by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
Blowing up: Inflatable space habitats could be key to exploring the solar system
By Leonard David published
Private companies are making progress on expandable habitats, which could help humanity keep its foothold in Earth orbit and settle the moon and Mars.
NASA extends tiny CAPSTONE probe's moon mission to December 2025
By Leonard David published
NASA has extended its CAPSTONE moon mission through December 2025, allowing the cubesat to continue its pioneering exploration work.
US needs 'space rescue service' to help astronauts in distress, experts say
By Leonard David published
The lessons of Apollo, Skylab and the space shuttle appear to have been forgotten: The US needs a plan for how to deal with human spaceflight emergencies, experts say.
China unveils spacesuit for moonwalking astronauts (video)
By Leonard David published
China has revealed the design of its moonwalking spacesuit, which the nation hopes to start putting to use on the lunar surface by 2030.
'We are close:' SETI astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol on the search for life
By Leonard David published
Astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol seeks answers to two key questions: Are we alone in the universe? How did life on Earth begin in the first place?
New image of China's secret space plane shows delta-wing design
By Leonard David published
Images captured by spacecraft tracker appear to show China's mysterious space plane sporting a delta-wing design.
Moonquakes could 'pose a possible hazard' to Artemis moon missions, study finds
By Leonard David published
Scientists have found a group of faults near the moon's south pole that could pose seismic hazards for NASA's Artemis Program of lunar exploration that seeks to establish a presence in the region.
Caught on camera: Satellite tracker photographs secret spacecraft
By Leonard David published
Satellite tracker and photographer Felix Schöfbänker has captured a variety of secret spacecraft on camera, revealing "things that either were not known, or only were speculated before."
Should we regulate the moon? Scientists call for international plan to share lunar water and resources
By Leonard David published
Any lunar resource evaluation or prospecting campaign will need to be international in nature, as no one space agency will have the money or mandate to conduct it alone.
UAE on track to launch bold 7-asteroid mission in 2028
By Leonard David published
The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt will conduct high-speed flybys of six asteroids, then orbit and drop a lander onto a seventh space rock.
How can we protect humans on Mars from dangerous solar storm radiation?
By Leonard David published
As space agencies and private companies look toward sending human crews to Mars, they'll have to find ways to mitigate the dangers posed by high-energy radiation from solar storms.
How can we build landing and launch pads on the moon?
By Leonard David published
If the future unfolds like some experts forecast, the moon is going to be one bustling spaceport. How can we handle all of that lunar traffic?
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