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Samantha Mathewson
Samantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. She received a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Previously, her work has been published in Nature World News. When not writing or reading about science, Samantha enjoys traveling to new places and taking photos! You can follow her on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13. 

Articles by: Samantha Mathewson

NASA's new space toilet for the International Space Station undergoes testing at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA's new $23 million space toilet is ready for launch

By Samantha Mathewson

The bathroom on the International Space System is getting a major upgrade with a new, high-tech, compact space toilet to be delivered next week.

Hilary Swank visits NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Netflix's 'Away' star Hilary Swank visits NASA's Johnson Space Center

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA shared a fun video of Hilary Swank's visit to mission control in preparation for her role as an astronaut in Netflix's new space series "Away."

An orbit diagram for the near-Earth asteroid 2020 QU6, which made a close approach to Earth on Sept. 10, 2020.

Amateur astronomer discovers large asteroid that flew by Earth this week

By Samantha Mathewson

An amateur astronomer from Brazil discovered the large, "potentially hazardous" asteroid that safely passed by Earth this week on Thursday (Sept. 10).

In preparation for Europe's first rideshare mission, flight VV16, Vega's upper composite containing 53 satellites secured on the new Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) dispenser move to the launch zone for integration with the launch vehicle at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on June 12, 2020.

Vega rocket launching on return-to-flight mission tonight: Watch it live

By Samantha Mathewson

Arianespace's Vega rocket is scheduled to launch from the Guiana Space Center tonight (Sept. 2) at 9:51 p.m. EDT, carrying 53 satellites into orbit.

ULA's Delta IV Heavy was the backdrop for a unique 3D projection that showcased the future of space exploration. The presentation took place at Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

United Launch Alliance debuts first-ever 3D projection on a Delta IV Heavy rocket

By Samantha Mathewson

United Launch Alliance (ULA) shared a spectacular 3D projection of the Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral ahead of this week's satellite launch.

While Marco made landfall in Louisiana late on Aug. 24, Tropical Storm Laura is following close behind, expected to make landfall along the Texas-Louisiana border on August 26.

Astronaut and satellites see tropical storms Laura and Marco from space

By Samantha Mathewson

Satellites have spotted tropical storms Marco and Laura as they simultaneously marched toward the Gulf of Mexico.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, on May 30, 2020, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX raises $1.9 billion in latest funding round: report

By Samantha Mathewson

SpaceX has raised over $1.9 billion in new funding this month, representing the largest single fundraising round to date.

An artist's representation of the microquasar SS 433 beating in unison with the gas cloud known as Fermi J1913+0515.

Mysterious gamma-ray 'heartbeat' detected from cosmic gas cloud

By Samantha Mathewson

A cosmic gas cloud has a mysterious gamma-ray "heartbeat" that appears to be in sync with a neighboring black hole.

An artist's impression of NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity flying on the Red Planet.

NASA powers up Ingenuity Mars helicopter in space for the 1st time

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA powered up its Mars helicopter Ingenuity for the first time on Aug. 7 and tested the little craft's electronics.

An artist rendering of the Drag Racer experimental mission, which includes two satellites to test space debris deorbit technologies with and without a space tether.

Experimental DragRacer satellites will test 'Terminator Tape' for space junk cleanup this fall

By Samantha Mathewson

An experimental mission to collect orbital debris is slated to launch this fall to test the deorbit performance of two identical satellites.

OSIRIS-REx is expected to collect a sample from asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20. This artist's concept shows the trajectory and configuration of the spacecraft during its matchpoint rehearsal.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft prepares for final asteroid-sampling rehearsal

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft is preparing for its final rehearsal before touching down on asteroid Bennu this fall to snag a piece of space rock.

An artist's illustration of the dense neutron star believed to be at the dusty core of Supernova 1987A.

Signs of 'missing' neutron star found in heart of supernova

By Samantha Mathewson

Evidence of a neutron star hidden deep inside Supernova 1987A helps astronomers solve a 33-year-old mystery surrounding one of the brightest star explosions ever observed.

A 3D simulation showing the impact (inset) and aftermath (main picture) of a giant planetary collision.

When worlds collide: Stunning 3D simulation shows what happens in giant planetary crashes (video)

By Samantha Mathewson

New 3D supercomputer simulations show the early stages of planetary collisions, demonstrating what may happen to an Earth-like planet struck by a giant object.

This map shows present-day Earth and deviations in the planet's magnetic field. Strong deviations are represented in yellow-orange, while small deviations are in blue. The star is located on the island Saint Helena.

Weird behavior of Earth's magnetic field over South Atlantic dates back 11 million years

By Samantha Mathewson

What's the deal with the South Atlantic anomaly?

In photos: NASA's Mars Perseverance rover mission to the Red Planet

By Samantha Mathewson

Bright purple clouds rise above Nishinoshima on July 4, representing steam from the volcano or from lava vaporizing seawater.

Volcanic island spewing ash and lava spotted from space

By Samantha Mathewson

The young, remote island of Nishinoshima in the Pacific Ocean is experiencing a growth spurt following recent volcanic activity.

An Israeli Shavit 2 rocket launches the Ofek 16 reconnaissance satellite into orbit from the Palmachim air base in central Israel on July 6, 2020.

Israel launches Ofek 16 reconnaissance satellite into orbit

By Samantha Mathewson

Israel has successfully launched a new reconnaissance satellite into orbit, the latest in a series of spy satellites for the country that date back to 1988.

Aphelion Day 1990

Aphelion Day 2020: Earth is farthest from the sun today!

By Samantha Mathewson

This Saturday, July 4, Earth will be at the farthest point in its orbit around the sun, also known as aphelion.

Astronomers Without Borders vetted thousands of pairs of eclipse glasses to ensure their safety before donating them for an upcoming solar eclipse.

Astronomers Without Borders donate 16,000 solar eclipse glasses to Ethiopia for rare 'ring of fire' spectacle

By Samantha Mathewson

Astronomers Without Borders is sending 16,000 recycled eclipse glasses to Ethiopia for the "ring of fire" annular eclipse on June 21.

Neptune's moon Triton sprays massive, dark plumes of icy material out of its surface. Voyager 2 captured this photo in 1989 during its flyby of the Neptune system.

Neptune's weird moon Triton could get a visit from a NASA spacecraft called Trident

By Samantha Mathewson

A possible new mission called Trident aims to explore Neptune's strange moon Triton.

The official flag of the U.S. Space Force is unveiled at the White House event with President Donald Trump on May 15, 2020.

More than 8,500 Air Force personnel volunteer to join US Space Force

By Samantha Mathewson

More than 8,500 active-duty Air Force service members have volunteered to join the U.S. Space Force — the nation's newest military branch.

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (foreground) and Bob Behnken, who flew to the International Space Station for SpaceX's Demo-2 mission, brief mission controllers about their experience in SpaceX's new Crew Dragon spacecraft, on June 1, 2020.

SpaceX's 1st Crew Dragon astronauts settle into life at the space station

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who recently became the first crew to fly in SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, talk about the "overview effect" and their first week of work in space.

A scene from the newly imagined "Dune," which is set to release later this year in 2020.

Biggest space movies to watch in 2020

By Samantha Mathewson

Here's Space.com's guide to some of the biggest science fiction movies slated to release this year: "The New Mutants," "Black Widow," "Wonder Woman 1984," "Dune" and more.

Data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite shows less air pollution over the Northeast United States in March 2020 compared to average values for the month of March between 2015 and 2019.

NASA satellite sees air pollution drop over northeastern US amid coronavirus outbreak

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA satellite data revealed significant reductions in air pollution over the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast United States as people reduce travel during the coronavirus outbreak.

A view of the Perseus galaxy cluster from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Scientists studied this galaxy cluster for signs of ultra-low-mass particles that would help support string theory.

Astronomers test string theory using NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescope

By Samantha Mathewson

Astronomers have probed the Perseus galaxy cluster in search of an as-yet undetected particle that would help support string theory.