Mike Wall

Mike Wall

Senior Space Writer

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 Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments after being captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm controlled by NASA astronaut Nicole Mann.

Cygnus cargo ship arrives at space station with only one working solar panel

By Mike Wall published

The private Cygnus cargo craft has arrived at the International Space Station early Wednesday morning (Nov. 9) despite being unable to deploy one of its two solar arrays.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, standing atop the mobile launcher, arrive at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 4, 2022.

NASA delays Artemis 1 moon launch to Nov. 16 due to Tropical Storm Nicole

By Mike Wall last updated

The approaching Tropical Storm Nicole has forced NASA to push its highly anticipated Artemis 1 moon launch back by two days, to Nov. 16.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 54 of the company's Starlink internet satellites lifts off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sept. 18, 2022.

1,300 SpaceX Starlink terminals with Ukraine's military went offline due to funding shortfall: report

By Mike Wall published

Ukraine's space-based communications infrastructure took a serious hit recently due to funding problems, according to a media report.

This photo, captured by Alexander Krivenyshev of WorldTimeZone.com, shows Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket flying above New York City on Nov. 7, 2022. The Antares launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft toward the International Space Station from Virginia early that morning.

Antares rocket soars over New York City in skywatcher photos

By Mike Wall published

Skywatcher Alexander Krivenyshev captured stunning shots of the Antares rocket shining brightly above New York City's famous skyline early Monday morning (Nov. 7).

A long-exposure photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching the Hotbird 13F satellite for Eutelsat on Oct. 15, 2022.

Subtropical Storm Nicole delays SpaceX launch to Saturday

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX had been aiming to launch two telecom satellites on Tuesday (Nov. 8), but the developing Subtropical Storm Nicole has nixed that plan.

A previous Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft approaches the International Space Station on Feb. 21, 2022.

Cygnus cargo ship is trying to reach space station with only 1 solar array deployed

By Mike Wall last updated

The private Cygnus cargo ship has managed to unfurl just one of its two solar arrays, but the freighter may still be able to reach the space station on Wednesday (Nov. 9) as planned.

Boeing's Starliner capsule docked at the International Space Station.

Boeing's 1st Starliner astronaut flight delayed to April 2023

By Mike Wall published

The first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner astronaut taxi has been pushed back by two additional months, to April 2023.

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches the MATS satellite for the Swedish National Space Agency on Nov. 4, 2022.

Rocket Lab launches Swedish satellite but fails to catch booster with helicopter

By Mike Wall last updated

Rocket Lab launched a Swedish research satellite to orbit today (Nov. 4) but didn't manage to snag the returning booster with a helicopter.

A view of the massive Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B after rolling out from the Vehicle Assembly Building for a second time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 6, 2022.

Watch NASA roll Artemis 1 moon rocket to launch pad today

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Artemis 1 moon rocket will head back to the launch pad once again early Friday morning (Nov. 4), and you can watch the slow-moving action live.

Artist's illustration of Gaia BH1, a black hole in a binary system that lies just 1,560 light-years from Earth. The system also harbors a sun-like companion star.

Record breaker! Newfound black hole is closest known to Earth

By Mike Wall published

A black hole 10 times more massive than our sun lurks just 1,560 light-years from Earth — about twice as close as the previous proximity champ.

A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket and the Mengtian space lab at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on October 25, 2022 in Wenchang, Hainan Province of China.

A 23-ton Chinese rocket will fall to Earth Friday. But when and where will it land?

By Mike Wall last updated

A huge hunk of Chinese space junk is expected to crash back to Earth on Friday (Nov. 4), but nobody knows exactly where or when it will come down.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Hotbird 13G satellite for Eutelsat on Nov. 3, 2022.

SpaceX launches Hotbird 13G telecom satellite, lands rocket at sea

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched a telecom satellite to orbit and landed a rocket on a ship at sea early Thursday (Nov. 3).

Commuters sit on a train under a television showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, on the outskirts of Seoul on Nov. 2, 2022.

North Korea launches record 23-missile barrage

By Mike Wall published

North Korea launched 23 short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday (Nov. 2), a record-breaking fusillade that spurred a response from its neighbor to the south.

China's mysterious orbital space plane may be similar to the U.S. Space Force's robotic X-37B, seen here in a 2009 photo.

Is China's mysterious space plane about to return to Earth?

By Mike Wall published

China's mysterious space plane ejected an object on Oct. 31, perhaps signaling that its time in orbit is nearly up.

spacecraft with the moon in behind

NASA's tiny CAPSTONE moon probe overcomes glitch, sets sights on lunar orbit

By Mike Wall published

NASA's tiny CAPSTONE probe has bounced back from a troubling glitch and is on track to reach the moon this month as planned.

An artist's depiction of the first ispace lander, scheduled to launch in 2022, on the moon.

SpaceX launch of Japanese moon lander, UAE rover delayed to Nov. 22

By Mike Wall published

The Tokyo company ispace's Mission 1, which will carry a tiny moon rover for the United Arab Emirates, has been delayed about a week, to no earlier than Nov. 22.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launches the USSF-44 mission for the U.S. Space Force on Nov. 1, 2022.

Amazing photos from SpaceX's Falcon Heavy USSF-44 mission

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launched classified payloads for the U.S. Space Force on its fourth-ever mission on Nov. 1, 2022. Relive the highlights.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket takes off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on its debut mission on Feb. 6, 2018.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch today will create double sonic booms

By Mike Wall last updated

The launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) will be a feast for the senses.

SpaceX rolls its Falcon Heavy rocket out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ahead of a planned Nov. 1 liftoff.

SpaceX rolls out Falcon Heavy rocket ahead of Tuesday launch (photo)

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX rolled its powerful Falcon Heavy rocket to the launch pad on Monday (Oct. 31) ahead of a planned liftoff a day later.

A Long March 2D rocket launches China's Shiyan-20C satellite to orbit on Oct. 28, 2022.

China launches mysterious Shiyan-20C satellite to orbit (video)

By Mike Wall published

The classified Shiyan-20C satellite lifted off on Friday (Oct. 28), riding a Long March 2D rocket into the sky from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Joint Polar Satellite System-2 satellite arrives at the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 18, 2022. 

Launch of advanced JPSS-2 weather satellite delayed to Nov. 10

By Mike Wall last updated

JPSS-2 and the LOFTID technology demonstration will now launch no earlier than Nov. 10, in part because a battery on the upper stage of their Atlas V rocket ride needs to be replaced.

NASA destroyed its old headquarters Building 4200 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama in a controlled implosion on Oct. 29, 2022.

See NASA destroy its vintage Marshall Space Flight Center headquarters (video)

By Mike Wall published

NASA destroyed one of its own vintage buildings early Saturday (Oct. 29), sending the vintage structure off with a literal bang.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Joint Polar Satellite System-2 satellite arrives at the vertical integration facility at Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 18, 2022. 

Advanced Earth-monitoring JPSS-2 satellite is 'go' for liftoff on Nov. 1

By Mike Wall last updated

The powerful JPSS-2 satellite is go for liftoff early Tuesday morning (Nov. 1) — provided the weather cooperates.

Artist's illustration showing NASA's Psyche probe approaching its asteroid namesake.

NASA won't cancel Psyche asteroid mission, targets October 2023 launch

By Mike Wall published

NASA will continue to develop its troubled Psyche asteroid mission, with the aim of launching it in October 2023 — a year later than planned.

Artist's illustration of NASA's Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) in orbit.

Next-generation inflatable Mars landing gear to get a test during launch on Nov. 1

By Mike Wall published

Technology that could help humanity land heavy hardware on Mars will get an in-space test early next week.

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