
Mike Wall
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.
Latest articles by Mike Wall

SpaceX launches 19 Starlink satellites from California, lands rocket on ship at sea (video)
By Mike Wall published
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 19 Starlink satellites from California's central coast today (July 31), then came back to Earth for a landing on a ship at sea.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will launch next space tourism mission on Aug. 3
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin is targeting Sunday (Aug. 3) for the launch of its next suborbital tourism mission, which will send crypto billionaire Justin Sun and five other people to the final frontier.

Watch SpaceX launch Crew-11 astronauts to the ISS for NASA today after delay
By Mike Wall published
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission are scheduled to launch toward the International Space Station Friday (Aug. 1), and you can watch the action live.

'The most sophisticated radar we've ever built': US-Indian NISAR satellite launches to track tiny changes on Earth's surface (video)
By Mike Wall published
The U.S. and India just launched NISAR, a powerful radar satellite that will be able to monitor changes in Earth's surface that are as small as a centimeter.

Australia's 1st orbital rocket, Gilmour Space's Eris, fails on historic debut launch (video)
By Mike Wall published
Gilmour Space made history today (July 29), conducting the first-ever orbital launch attempt with an Australian-built rocket. That vehicle, named Eris, didn't get very far.

SpaceX moves Starship to launch pad for testing ahead of Flight 10 (photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX has moved its Starship spacecraft to the launch pad for testing ahead of the vehicle's 10th flight, which is expected to take place next month.

India rolls out rocket for July 30 launch of powerful NISAR Earth-observing satellite (video)
By Mike Wall published
India recently rolled out the rocket that will launch the NISAR Earth-observing spacecraft, a joint effort between ISRO and NASA. Liftoff is scheduled for the morning of July 30.

Troubled balloon-tourism pioneer Space Perspective bought by Spanish company
By Mike Wall published
The European company Eos X Space has acquired Space Perspective, one of its key rivals in the nascent field of stratospheric balloon tourism.

European Vega C rocket launches CO2-mapping satellite, 4 Earth-observation spacecraft to orbit (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
A Vega C rocket launched the MicroCarb carbon dioxide mapper and four Earth-observation satellites tonight (July 25) from South America.

NASA losing nearly 4,000 employees to Trump administration's 'deferred resignation' program
By Mike Wall published
Nearly 4,000 NASA employees have chosen to accept the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" option, reducing the agency's workforce by more than 20%.

SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule 'Endeavour' arrives at pad ahead of July 31 astronaut launch (photos)
By Mike Wall published
The Crew Dragon capsule that will fly SpaceX's Crew-11 astronaut mission to the ISS for NASA has arrived at Kennedy Space Center ahead of its planned July 31 launch.

Russia launches satellite for Iran toward orbit alongside 2 space weather probes (photos)
By Mike Wall published
A Russian Soyuz rocket launched the Ionosfera-M 3 and 4 satellites, along with an Iranian spacecraft and 17 cubesats, toward orbit early Friday morning (July 25).

SpaceX launches 2 powerful internet satellites, lands rocket on ship at sea (video)
By Mike Wall published
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two of SES's O3b mPOWER communications satellites toward medium-Earth orbit today (July 22), then aced its landing on a ship at sea.

Makenzie Lystrup stepping down as director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
By Mike Wall published
Makenzie Lystrup will step down as head of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on Aug. 1. She'll be the second NASA center director to depart in just a two-month span.

Crypto billionaire Justin Sun will fly on Blue Origin's next space tourism launch
By Mike Wall published
Justin Sun, the billionaire founder of the blockchain platform Tron, is one of the six people who will fly to suborbital space on Blue Origin's next tourist mission.

SpaceX aborts satellite launch 11 seconds before liftoff (video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX aborted the planned launch of two of SES' O3b mPOWER communications satellites just before liftoff on Monday evening (July 21). The company will try again tomorrow (July 22).

South Korea wants to build a moon base by 2045
By Mike Wall published
South Korea just laid out its long-term space exploration road map, which features the planned construction of a moon base two decades from now.

Twin NASA Mars probes will fly on 2nd-ever launch of Blue Origin's huge New Glenn rocket
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket now has a payload for its second-ever flight — NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission.

Europe working to launch 'Invictus' hypersonic space plane by 2031 (video)
By Mike Wall published
The European Space Agency is funding the development of a hypersonic space plane pathfinder, which will start flying by 2031, if all goes according to plan.

SpaceX launches 3rd batch of satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper megaconstellation (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 24 of Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband satellites early Wednesday morning (July 16), the 56th anniversary of the Apollo 11 liftoff.

SpaceX will launch next Starship flight in 'about 3 weeks,' Elon Musk says
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX plans to launch the 10th test flight of its Starship megarocket about three weeks from now, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk.

China launches new spacesuits, other supplies to Tiangong space station (video)
By Mike Wall published
A Long March 7 rocket lifted off this evening (July 14), sending China's Tianzhou 9 cargo spacecraft toward the Tiangong space station.

Private Ax-4 astronauts heading back to Earth early July 14: Watch it live
By Mike Wall published
The private Ax-4 astronaut mission will undock from the International Space Station on Monday morning (July 14), and you can watch the action live.

SpaceX launches mystery satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched a mystery satellite to geostationary transfer orbit from Florida's Space Coast early Sunday morning (July 13).

Billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman donating $15 million for Space Camp programs
By Mike Wall published
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire private astronaut who until recently was on track to lead NASA, is donating $15 million to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for its Space Camp programs.
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