Meghan Bartels

Meghan Bartels

Senior Writer

Meghan is a senior writer at Space.com and has more than five years' experience as a science journalist based in New York City. She joined Space.com in July 2018, with previous writing published in outlets including Newsweek and Audubon. Meghan earned an MA in science journalism from New York University and a BA in classics from Georgetown University, and in her free time she enjoys reading and visiting museums. Follow her on Twitter at @meghanbartels.

Articles by: Meghan Bartels

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei aboard the International Space Station in January 2022.

NASA space station officials weigh in on remaining in orbit until 2030

By Meghan Bartels last updated

NASA's International Space Station team is eager to stick with the orbiting laboratory until 2030.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, seen here in an artist's illustration, is wrapping up its month-long deployment process.

James Webb Space Telescope marks deployment of all mirrors

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's massive new observatory has notched another milestone.

An artist's depiction of the planet XO-3b on an eccentric orbit around its star.

Scorching alien planet takes seasons to an extreme

By Meghan Bartels published

Scientists have gotten a close look at an extreme case of seasons, thanks to a retired NASA telescope.

Laika, a mixed-breed dog, became the first living being in orbit when the Soviet Union launched her on the Sputnik 2 mission on Nov. 3, 1957.

Laika the space dog: First living creature in orbit

By Mike Wall, Meghan Bartels published

Laika, a Moscow street dog, became the first creature to orbit Earth, but she died in space.

An artist's depiction of an exomoon orbiting exoplanet Kepler 1708 b.

The hunt is on for exomoons around alien planets and scientists may have just found one

By Meghan Bartels published

Time for another tantalizing glimpse of what alien solar systems might look like.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei seen during a spacewalk conducted in 2017.

NASA may need more astronauts for space station, moon missions, report says

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA may need more astronauts to meet its human spaceflight goals over the coming years, according to a new report from the agency's investigative office.

An artist's depiction of a black hole eating a star, also known as a tidal disruption event, and producing a superfast jet.

Supermassive black hole gobbled up a star in the 1980s, and high schoolers helped discover it

By Meghan Bartels published

Astronomers have found evidence of a black hole snacking on a star in data gathered back in the 1980s, according to new research.

Virgin Orbit employees celebrate the company's debut on the NASDAQ stock exchange on Jan. 7, 2022.

Virgin Orbit lands in Times Square NYC to ring NASDAQ bell

By Meghan Bartels published

Another kind of countdown hit New York City's Times Square Friday (Jan. 7) as a commercial spaceflight company celebrated joining the NASDAQ stock exchange.

An animation shows the deployment of the port side of the primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope.

James Webb Space Telescope has unfolded 1st wing of massive golden mirror

By Meghan Bartels published

Unfolding the two side wings of the James Webb Space Telescope's golden primary mirror marks the last major task in assembling the observatory.

An artist's depiction of a red supergiant star within the last year before it explodes.

Death star: In cosmic first, scientists observe red supergiant just before it explodes

By Meghan Bartels published

It's much easier for scientists to see the messy aftermath of stellar explosions than to watch the prelude to the drama.

An image taken by the Dark Energy Camera in Chile shows TIC 400799224.

NASA's TESS exoplanet mission reveals mystery of strange signals from dusty object

By Meghan Bartels last updated

The universe is full of mysteries.

An animation showing the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope's Aft Deployed Instrument Radiator.

James Webb Space Telescope deploys radiator to keep cool

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's new high-tech, low-temp observatory observatory is one step closer to gathering some cool science.

Graphic illustration of Einstein's theory of general relativity showing two spheres in close proximity and a series of ripples emanating from them.

What is the theory of general relativity?

By Nola Taylor Tillman, Meghan Bartels, Scott Dutfield last updated

Reference Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity is based on the idea that massive objects cause a distortion in space-time, which is felt as gravity.

A view of Comet Leonard as seen over Australia.

Comet Leonard puts on a final, spectacular display with ion tail in solar wind

By Meghan Bartels last updated

Comet Leonard is slipping out of view, but not without putting on one last show.

A graphic depicts the James Webb Space Telescope with its sunshield unfurled.

NASA delays tightening James Webb Space Telescope sunshield to study power system

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA personnel are spending the day studying the power subsystem of the massive James Webb Space Telescope to ensure the spacecraft is ready to execute a key procedure.

A graphic depicts the James Webb Space Telescope with its sunshield unfurled.

James Webb Space Telescope team takes break before tightening up vital sunshield

By Meghan Bartels last updated

To celebrate the new year, consider taking a day to rest.

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken pictures of the oldest galaxies it can.

With COVID-19 on the rise again, 'Super Bowl of astronomy' next month canceled

By Meghan Bartels published

As COVID-19 infection rates rise once again, the leaders of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) have canceled the major conference scheduled for early January.

The James Webb Space Telescope fires its thruster in the second of three mid-course maneuvers in this NASA graphic.

James Webb Space Telescope has enough fuel for way more than 10 years of science

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's new space observatory should have enough fuel to keep at science work for significantly longer than mission designs required, according to an agency update.

A still image from a video showing the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Where is NASA's James Webb Space Telescope? Here's how to follow its progress.

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA's new $10 billion observatory is completing a nerve-wracking sequence of steps to reach its final configuration and location. Here's how to follow the process.

NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg will fly aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule launching to the International Space Station in 2023.

NASA assigns 2 astronauts to SpaceX Crew-6 mission, launching in 2023

By Meghan Bartels published

The first two seats of the sixth full-fledged NASA crew mission launched by SpaceX have been filled.

A NASA graphic shows the James Webb Space Telescope with its forward sunshield pallet deployed.

James Webb Space Telescope begins unfolding delicate, massive sunshield

By Meghan Bartels last updated

NASA's massive new space observatory has entered its most perilous phase yet as it begins the careful process of unfurling its delicate sunshield.

The James Webb Space Telescope fires its thruster in the second of three mid-course maneuvers in this NASA graphic.

James Webb Space Telescope sails beyond the orbit of the moon after 2nd course correction

By Meghan Bartels last updated

About 60 hours after launch, NASA's next-generation space observatory nailed the second of three required course-correction burns.

An image of the James Webb Space Telescope folded before joining its rocket in late 2021.

James Webb Space Telescope notches crucial maneuver to set its path

By Meghan Bartels last updated

The James Webb Space Telescope is truly on its way.

The fully assembled James Webb Space Telescope.

30 years and $10 billion later, the James Webb Space Telescope is finally on the launch pad

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA and the astronomy community have poured $10 billion and more than two decades into just one piece of machinery. Now they are facing the moment of truth.

An Ariane 5 rocket carrying the James Webb Space Telescope rolled out to the launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 23, 2021.

James Webb Space Telescope reaches launch pad for Christmas liftoff

By Meghan Bartels last updated

After more than two decades of development, NASA's next-generation space telescope is on the launch pad.

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