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
![A white and black Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches into the nighttime sky with sparks spitting out from it on Feb. 18, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j7RUvKvdJWAAYEC2VG9r5K-320-80.jpg)
Rocket Lab launches ADRAS-J space junk inspection satellite for Astroscale (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
Rocket Lab will launch an ambitious space-junk inspection mission for the Japanese company Astroscale this morning (Feb. 18), and you can watch the action live.
![photo showing part of a silver and gold spacecraft with the sphere of earth and the blackness of space in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nCxtghU5cjFG5PCA5RG7jC-320-80.jpg)
Private Odysseus moon lander beams home 1st photos from space
By Mike Wall published
Intuitive Machines' Odysseus moon lander has beamed home its first photos from the final frontier, gorgeous selfies that show its home planet in the background.
![An Indian Space Research Organisation GLSV-F14 rocket launches the powerful INSAT-3DS weather satellite to orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota, India on Feb. 17, 2024 local time.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/knSnYZvGSBWrwpnqPEMmqC-320-80.png)
India launches powerful new weather satellite INSAT-3DS into orbit on 'naughty boy' rocket (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
India successfully launched its powerful new INSAT-3DS weather and disaster-warning spacecraft to orbit on Saturday morning (Feb. 17).
![Japan's white and tan H3 rocket soars toward space with a cloudy blue sky in the background on F3b. 17, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yrBQPGaKb7rvxBwThae9uD-320-80.jpg)
Japan's new H3 rocket reaches orbit for 1st time (video)
By Mike Wall published
Japan's new H3 rocket reached orbit for the first time today (Feb. 16), bouncing back from a failure on its debut test flight nearly a year ago.
![a spacecraft with solar arrays extended is seen against the blackness of space.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Tb7c2ah5Vx4JnZZJpmdywE-320-80.jpg)
Russia's Progress 87 cargo ship arrives at International Space Station
By Mike Wall published
Russia's robotic Progress 87 cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station early Saturday morning (Feb. 17), delivering about 3 tons of supplies.
![a rocket sits on a launch pad in between towers with cloudy sky in behind](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UMiBRyQ8KWh2UUsWKPV7za-320-80.jpg)
Watch Japan launch its H3 rocket on return-to-flight mission tonight
By Mike Wall published
Japan's new H3 rocket will attempt to bounce back from an explosive failure tonight (Feb. 16), and you can watch the action live.
![a spacecraft deploys from a rocket's upper stage, with the curve of earth and the blackness of space in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rZDHdv39fm8G3LrNRMf39D-320-80.jpg)
Private Odysseus lunar lander heads for the moon after SpaceX launch
By Mike Wall published
Intuitive Machines' Odysseus moon lander is doing well on its own in deep space after its early-morning launch atop a SpaceX rocket on Thursday (Feb. 15).
![a rocket lifts off a launch pad at night above a bright plume of fire and smoke](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hxq5ppTnaVkmEXRC98hCeg-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches private 'Odysseus' lander on pioneering moon mission by Intuitive Machines (video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched Intuitive Machines' Odysseus spacecraft on Thursday morning (Feb. 15), kicking off the probe's quest to pull off an epic moon landing.
![a white, red and green rocket launches into a blue sky.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/37ooXJKjhEcWo8jPgCn38k-320-80.jpg)
Russia launches a Valentine's Day Progress supply ship to the ISS
By Mike Wall last updated
Russia launched the robotic Progress 87 freighter tonight (Feb. 14), sending three tons of cargo toward the International Space Station.
![A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Feb. 15, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gFEVCEFb5vWzECeDKZLuRC-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites on 3rd leg of spaceflight tripleheader (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 22 Starlink internet satellites on Thursday (Feb. 15), the third mission in less than 24 hours for the company.
![a white rocket flies through the air in a perfectly blue sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gq7C7jWvBZoQKKrighaZeQ-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches classified USSF-124 satellites on secret Valentine's Day mission for US Space Force (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched the classified USSF-124 missile defense mission for the U.S. Space Force today (Feb. 14), recovering the Falcon 9 booster for the company's 272nd landing of an orbital rocket.
![SpaceX's third Starship megarocket stands stacked on the launch pad at its Starbase site in South Texas. SpaceX released this photo on Feb. 13, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RGBcs5HwcjKiTGojSFNZiW-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX stacks giant Starship rocket ahead of 3rd test flight (video, photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX recently stacked the two stages of its huge Starship rocket to prep for the vehicle's third-ever liftoff, which may be just a few weeks away.
![A giant rocket lifts off at sunrise with its fins and booster in silhouette](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nmigT8TucEfshzw2GgCazg-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX could launch Starship again 'in about 3 weeks,' Elon Musk says
By Mike Wall published
The third test flight of SpaceX's Starship megarocket will take place roughly three weeks from now, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk.
![a very tall, silver rocket rolls along on a truck on a road next to the ocean](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vcybikyBxziFNAgUT6huiZ-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX rolls giant Starship rocket to launch pad ahead of 3rd test flight (photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX rolled the two stages of its latest Starship rocket to the launch pad over the weekend, then stacked them to prep for a coming test flight.
![A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q9c9SimZehFB6XRxs36yZm-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites into orbit from California (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites on Friday (Feb. 9) at 7:34 p.m. EST (0034 GMT on Feb. 10).
![A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the Ax-3 astronauts is recovered from the Atlantic Ocean after splashdown on Feb. 9, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ZB37g7SFXgtnNh8KpaNGH-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX Dragon carrying Ax-3 astronauts splashes down in Atlantic to end longest private spaceflight for Axiom Space
By Mike Wall last updated
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean early Friday (Feb. 9), wrapping up a record-setting private trip to the International Space Station.
![illustration of a person in a white spacesuit leaving a white space capsule to go on a spacewalk, with the curve of earth in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f4t2Yu9pK4YDiNtb6smajb-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn orbital mission delayed to summer 2024
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to pull off the first-ever private spacewalk, will now launch no earlier than this summer.
![11 people in flight suits wave to the camera aboard the white-walled international space station.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2gYmLvaF2qo39heuSfU4gb-320-80.jpg)
20 people in space! Humanity quietly tied a record last month
By Mike Wall published
For a few minutes on Jan. 26, 20 people were in space at the same time, tying a record set just last May.
![SpaceX's Starship vehicle during its second-ever test flight, on Nov. 18, 2023, in footage released by NASA.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qcifoPazacq3WJGJcHpPN5-320-80.jpg)
Relive SpaceX Starship's epic 2nd test flight in newly released NASA footage (video)
By Mike Wall published
Newly released NASA footage shows the second test flight of SpaceX's giant Starship rocket in dramatic detail.
![A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches NASA's PACE Earth ocean satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2hcfdWJtmnJAyjcQEBqLQS-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches NASA's PACE satellite to study Earth's oceans, air and climate (video)
By Mike Wall published
NASA's PACE ocean-monitoring satellite, which the Trump administration tried to cancel four times, launched to orbit today (Feb. 8) atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
![closeup of crew dragon departing the space station](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dB8NssMGhzZJETH2LQh6QN-320-80.png)
Ax-3 astronauts depart ISS in SpaceX Dragon capsule for splashdown on Feb. 9 (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
The four astronauts of the private Ax-3 mission departed the International Space Station in their SpaceX Dragon capsule on Feb. 7, following days of weather delays.
![artist's illustration of a silver and gold spacecraft in earth orbit, with the blackness of space in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KyA2DJV2rCkEHVp2ZZKfn9-320-80.jpg)
Big, dead European satellite will crash back to Earth this month
By Mike Wall published
The European Space Agency's defunct ERS-2 spacecraft will fall into Earth's atmosphere in a week or so, in a death dive that its handlers will monitor carefully.
![a handful of white and tan buildings, one with a large blue nasa logo, sit in the foothills of mountains.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EAmcWUK2dXjUwTgyJuffCg-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab laying off 8% of its workforce
By Mike Wall published
Budgetary issues have forced the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA's chief center for robotic planetary exploration, to reduce its workforce by about 8%.