Mike Wall

Mike Wall

Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

Articles by: Mike Wall

A Vulcan Centaur rocket stage firing its engines on launch pad for first time

ULA test-fires new Vulcan Centaur rocket on the launch pad for 1st time (video)

By Mike Wall published

United Launch Alliance's next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket took a big step toward its debut launch, acing a crucial engine firing today (June 7).

Technicians work on NASA's Psyche spacecraft inside a clean room.

NASA's Psyche asteroid probe on track for October launch after 1-year delay

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Psyche asteroid mission is on track to hit its new launch target of October 2023, a year later than originally planned, an independent review has found.

Dragon CSR-28 docks approaching the International Space Station with Earth behind

SpaceX Dragon CRS-28 cargo capsule docks with space station to deliver vital supplies

By Mike Wall published

A robotic SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule arrived at the International Space Station early Tuesday morning (June 6).

blurry photo of Mars captured by a European orbiter and shared via webcast in near real time.

Live from Mars! European probe beams Red Planet views to Earth in 1st-ever video feat

By Mike Wall published

The European Space Agency held the first-ever "livestream from Mars" today (June 2), beaming home photos from its Mars Express orbiter in near-real time.

four astronauts in black-and-white spacesuits inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

'I'm ready. Let's go!' Record-breaking astronaut Peggy Whitson eager for next flight after private Ax-2 mission

By Mike Wall published

Record-breaking former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson just landed after the private Ax-2 mission to the space station, but she's eager to go back to the final frontier.

illustration of a spacecraft flying over the cratered surface of Mars.

Watch live views of Mars from a European probe at the Red Planet in a 1st-of-its-kind livestream today

By Mike Wall published

The European Space Agency will livestream imagery from its Mars Express probe in near-real time today (June 2) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the orbiter's launch.

NASA's Perseverance rover can be seen in the background, while rocks and red Martian soil take up the rest of the image

Mars helicopter Ingenuity went silent for 6 'agonizing' days in April

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity didn't check in with its handlers for nearly a week this spring, and communications could continue to be spotty for a while yet.

space capsule floats in the ocean at night near a brightly lit recovery ship.

SpaceX's Dragon reentry and splashdown with Ax-2 astronauts looks amazing in these nighttime photos and videos

By Mike Wall published

Ax-2's SpaceX Dragon capsule Freedom put on quite a show as it streaked through Earth's atmosphere late Tuesday night (May 30), as videos show.

Boeing's Starliner space capsule in a processing facility at Kennedy Space Center with an american flag hanging on a wall in the background.

Boeing faces 'emerging issues' ahead of Starliner capsule's 1st crewed flight in July, NASA says

By Mike Wall published

A recently completed 'checkpoint review' of Boeing's upcoming crewed flight test to the International Space Station identified several issues to address before the planned July 21 liftoff.

spacex falcon 9 rocket lifting off from the pad at night.

SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites, lands rocket on ship at sea

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched 52 more of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit early Wednesday morning (May 31) and landed the returning rocket on a ship at sea.

SpaceX recovery teams with Dragon capsule to retreive Ax-2 astronaut crew in the Gulf of Mexico

SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying private Ax-2 astronauts splashes down off Florida coast (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

The four astronauts of the private Ax-2 mission returned to Earth in their SpaceX Dragon capsule tonight (May 30).

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom floats against the black of space

SpaceX Dragon capsule with Ax-2 private astronauts undocks from space station (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

The four astronauts of the private Ax-2 mission are scheduled to head home to Earth today (May 30), and you can watch the action live.

Axiom Space Ax-2 astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi on the left and Ax-2 commander Peggy Whitson smile for a photo surrounded by science gear on International Space Station.

Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans for space. Its astronauts on SpaceX's private Ax-2 mission are just the start, official says

By Mike Wall published

Mishaal Ashemimry, special adviser to the CEO of the Saudi Space Commission, discusses the significance of the Ax-2 mission and the nation's ambitious space plans.

White rocket rising off the launch pad with a green launch tower and gray sky in the background.

South Korea's homegrown Nuri rocket launches 8 satellites on 3rd-ever mission (photo)

By Mike Wall published

South Korea's Nuri rocket launched on its third-ever mission on Thursday (May 25), successfully delivering eight small satellites to orbit.

Photo of Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane, with the curve of Earth and the blackness of space in the background.

Virgin Galactic aces final test spaceflight, eyes start of commercial service in June

By Mike Wall published

Virgin Galactic aced its fifth test flight to suborbital space this morning (May 25), keeping the company on track to start commercial operations next month.

An artist's depiction of the Trace Gas Orbiter at work around Mars.

'Alien' signal beamed to Earth from Mars in SETI test

By Mike Wall published

A European Mars orbiter beamed a coded message to Earth today (May 24), kicking off a weeks-long project designed to help us prep for a real signal from E.T.

Russia's Progress 82 spacecraft with two rectangular solar wings deployed in the black of space.

Russian cargo ship Progress 84 docks at space station just hours after launch (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

A robotic Russian cargo craft arrived at the International Space Station today (May 24) after a speedy launch to deliver more than 2 tons of fresh supplies for astronaut.

SpaceX's first integrated Starship and Super Heavy launch into the sky from Starbase at Boca Chica, Texas on April 20, 2023.

SpaceX joining FAA to fight environmental groups' Starship lawsuit: report

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX is joining the FAA to fight a lawsuit brought by environmental groups, which claim the agency didn't properly assess the damage the company's Starship rocket could cause.

a rocket take off at night

SpaceX launches huge Arabsat BADR-8 satellite into orbit, lands rocket at sea (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched a big telecommunications satellite to orbit early Saturday morning (May 27), landing the Falcon 9 rocket's booster at sea shortly after.

The Allen Telescope Array in Northern California is dedicated to astronomical observations and a simultaneous search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

How would we decode a message from ET? New project will give us a trial run

By Mike Wall published

A new project called 'A Sign in Space' will give scientists and laypeople around the world practice at decoding a message from intelligent aliens.

SpaceX blasts a water-cooled steel plate with a Raptor engine in this still from a video that the company posted on Twitter on May 19, 2023. The plate technology is being developed to strengthen the ground beneath SpaceX's Starship orbital launch mount in South Texas.

Watch SpaceX blast a new Starship launch pad plate with rocket fire (video)

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX is already testing tech that could strengthen the ground beneath its giant Starship rocket's orbital launch pad, a new video shows.

Ax-2

Saudi Arabia's 1st female astronaut hopes kids follow in her footsteps

By Mike Wall published

Rayyanah Barnawi, who will become the first Saudi woman in space when the private Ax-2 mission launches on Sunday (May 21), hopes she's blazing a trail for others to follow.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rises into the morning sky on a pillar of flame

SpaceX just launched 21 satellites for OneWeb, Iridium and landed a rocket at sea. Watch the amazing video.

By Mike Wall last updated

A SpaceX rocket soared into the California morning sky to deliver two mini-fleets of satellites into orbit, then landed at sea on Friday (May 20).

SpaceX rolled its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule out to the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 18, 2023, ahead of the planned May 22 launch of the Ax-2 private astronaut mission.

SpaceX rolls rocket to pad for Sunday's Ax-2 private astronaut launch (photos)

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX rolled its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule out to the launch pad on Thursday (May 18) ahead of Sunday's (May 21) planned Ax-2 private astronaut launch.

SpaceX rolls the Ship 25 Starship prototype out to a suborbital pad at its Starbase facility in South Texas in the early-morning hours of May 18, 2023, ahead of a planned static fire test.

SpaceX rolls next Starship prototype out to pad for engine test (photo)

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX rolled the Ship 25 Starship upper-stage prototype out to the launch pad early Thursday morning (May 18) to test-fire its six Raptor engines.

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