Mike Wall

Mike Wall

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com (opens in new tab) 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

The SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts don their spacesuits on the space station on April 21, 2022.

SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut mission will return to Earth early Friday

By Mike Wall published

The four spaceflyers will get to spend a few extra hours in orbit.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft sits atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida ahead of the planned launch of its Orbital Flight Test 2 mission to the International Space Station. That launch was scheduled to occur on Aug. 3, 2021, but issues with valves in Starliner’s service module have pushed it to May 19, 2022.

Boeing's Starliner capsule on track to launch on OFT-2 mission to space station May 19

By Mike Wall published

NASA and Boeing are confident that the valve glitch that grounded Starliner for eight months has been fixed.

A helicopter catches the falling first stage of a Rocket Lab Electron booster shortly after it lofted 34 satellites on May 2, 2022.

Epic catch! Rocket Lab snags falling booster with helicopter after 34-satellite launch

By Mike Wall published

Rocket Lab caught a returning booster with a helicopter during an orbital launch today (May 2), notching a huge milestone for the company and its quest to make its Electron rocket partially reusable.

This photo, taken by Maxar Technologies' WorldView-2 satellite, shows missiles being loaded onto a Russian Kilo-class submarine (center, to left of tall yellow tower) in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol on April 29, 2022.

Satellite photos show missiles being loaded onto Russian submarine. Dolphin pens, too.

By Mike Wall published

Maxar Technologies' WorldView-2 spacecraft spotted what appear to be Kalibr missiles sitting next to a docked Kilo-class submarine in Sevastopol, an important Black Sea port in the Crimean Peninsula.

Starship on the launch pad near Boca Chica, Texas in March 2022.

FAA delays environmental review of SpaceX's Starship yet another month, to May 31

By Mike Wall published

We'll have to wait at least another month to see the results of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's environmental review of SpaceX's Starship program.

On April 27, 2022, Axiom Space and the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre signed a deal to send a UAE astronaut to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew-6 mission in 2023.

United Arab Emirates astronaut to fly to space station with SpaceX next year

By Mike Wall published

Axiom Space has signed a deal with the space agency of the United Arab Emirates to fly a UAE astronaut to the ISS on SpaceX's Crew-6 mission for NASA, which is expected to launch in spring 2023.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites launches from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 29, 2022.

SpaceX launches 53 Starlink satellites, lands rocket in quickest booster turnaround to date

By Mike Wall published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another big batch of Starlink internet satellites to orbit and landed on a ship at sea today (April 29).

This screenshot from a Rocket Lab video shows the company catching a dummy booster using a helicopter during a recent test.

Watch Rocket Lab try to catch a booster with a helicopter during launch Monday

By Mike Wall published

Rocket Lab will try to notch a huge and dramatic reusability milestone Monday (May 2), and you can watch the action live.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom is seen docked at the space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module after a smooth arrival with four Crew-4 astronauts aboard on April 27, 2022.

SpaceX's Freedom Dragon capsule arrives at space station with Crew-4 astronauts

By Mike Wall published

For the second time in less than three weeks, SpaceX has delivered an astronaut crew to the International Space Station.

The backshell and parachute that helped NASA's Perseverance Mars rover and Ingenuity helicopter land on the Red Planet in February 2021, as photographed by Ingenuity on April 19, 2022.

Ingenuity Mars helicopter snaps amazing photos of Perseverance rover's landing gear (video)

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter continues to give us Red Planet views we've never seen before.

This screenshot from a Rocket Lab video shows the company catching a dummy booster using a helicopter during a recent test.

Rocket Lab catches dummy booster with a helicopter in dramatic new video

By Mike Wall published

Rocket Lab aims to catch a falling booster with a helicopter for the first time ever this week, and a new video shows us how the action is supposed to go down.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren waves to family and friends as he and crew mates, NASA astronauts Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-4 mission launch, Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In pictures: Amazing launch photos of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission

By Mike Wall published

See photos of Crew-4, the fourth operational astronaut mission that SpaceX is flying to the International Space Station for NASA.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches four astronauts to the International Space Station from NASA's Kennedy Space Station in Florida on the Crew-4 mission on April 27, 2022.

Watch SpaceX's Crew-4 astronaut mission for NASA live online

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX will launch the Crew-4 astronaut mission for NASA early Wednesday (April 27), and you can watch the action live.

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, seen here following the successful launch of the company's Demo-2 astronaut mission in May 2020, will acquire Twitter for about $44 billion.

Elon Musk is buying Twitter for $44 billion

By Mike Wall published

Elon Musk, the billionaire SpaceX and Tesla CEO, will acquire Twitter for $54.20 per share in a deal worth about $44 billion.

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 vehicle makes its way along the crawlerway to Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view atop the mobile launcher on the pad are the Artemis 1 Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft.

Watch NASA roll Artemis 1 moon rocket off the launch pad tonight

By Mike Wall published

NASA will roll its Artemis 1 moon rocket off the launch pad today (April 25) at about 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT), and you can watch the action live.

A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the four crewmembers of the private Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station bobs in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida just after splashing down on April 25, 2022.

Private Ax-1 astronauts return to Earth, ending historic SpaceX mission

By Mike Wall published

A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the four crewmembers of the Ax-1 mission splashed down off the coast of Florida today (April 25), bringing the groundbreaking flight to a close.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour carrying the private Ax-1 astronauts fires its thrusters to depart the International Space Station after a successful undocking on April 24, 2022.

SpaceX Dragon with private Ax-1 astronaut crew departs International Space Station

By Mike Wall published

The pioneering Ax-1 mission has left the International Space Station and is headed back to Earth.

​​The SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour is pictured docked to the International Space Station. Endeavour carried the four members of Axiom Space's Ax-1 mission to the orbiting lab. Ax-1 is scheduled to depart on April 23, 2022 and splash down a day later.

Watch SpaceX's Private Ax-1 astronaut mission leave the space station tonight

By Mike Wall published

The first-ever all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is about to head for home, and you can watch the departure live.

The moon passes in front of the sun in the only total solar eclipse of 2021 in this still from a video captured by Theo Boris and Christian Lockwood of the JM Pasachoff Antarctic Expedition from their observing point in Union Glacier, Antarctica on Dec. 4, 2021.

Saturday eclipse talk kicks off Astronomical League of the Philippines' new webinar series

By Mike Wall published

Astronomer Jay Pasachoff will talk about his December 2021 eclipse-chasing expedition to Antarctica tomorrow (April 23) at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

The Russian space agency Roscosmos takes a Soyuz rocket topped with 36 OneWeb internet satellites down from its launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 4, 2022. OneWeb has since signed launch deals with SpaceX and India's space agency to replace the Soyuz.

India to launch OneWeb internet satellites this year, helping replace Russian-built Soyuz rockets

By Mike Wall published

OneWeb has found another replacement for the Russian-built rockets that used to launch its internet satellites.

This screenshot from a Russian Ministry of Defense video shows the first full test launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile on April 20, 2022.

Russia conducts 1st full flight test of new 'Sarmat' intercontinental ballistic missile

By Mike Wall published

Russia just performed the first full test launch of its next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

This photo, taken by Maxar Technologies' GeoEye-1 satellite on April 3, 2022, shows a newly excavated mass grave (the rows near the center top, just under the road) in the Ukrainian town of Manhush, which is close to the besieged port city Mariupol.

Mass grave near besieged Ukrainian city Mariupol spotted from space (satellite photos)

By Mike Wall published

Satellites operated by Maxar Technologies have spotted a recently excavated mass grave in the town of Manhush, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) west of the battered Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 21, 2022. It was the 12th liftoff for this Falcon 9 first stage.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on record-tying 12th mission, lands on ship at sea

By Mike Wall published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off for a record-tying 12th time on Thursday (April 21) — and aced its 12th landing as well.

Climber Alex Honnold helped lead a first ascent of a tepui in Guyana, a project chronicled in the new documentary "Explorer: The Last Tepui."

The night sky from a cliff face: Q&A with legendary climber Alex Honnold

By Mike Wall published

Space.com caught up with climber Alex Honnold recently to discuss his latest documentary project, "Explorer: The Last Tepui," and his relationship with exploration and the night sky.

The four private astronauts of the Axiom Space Ax-1 mission to the International Space Station wave to students at Space Center Houston during a video call on April 13, 2022. They are (from left): Ax-1 pilot Larry Connor; commander and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría; Canadian entrepreneur Mark Pathy; and Israeli entrepeneur Eytan Stibbe.

Private Ax-1 mission to stay at ISS until Saturday, pushing next SpaceX astronaut launch to April 26

By Mike Wall published

The Ax-1 astronaut mission will depart the space station on Saturday night, if all goes according to plan. The new date pushes the launch of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission to April 26 at the earliest.