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Tariq Malik

SPACE.COM EDITOR IN CHIEF — Tariq joined the Space.com team in 2001 as a staff writer, and later editor, covering human spaceflight, exploration and space science. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Google+, Twitter and on Facebook.

Articles by: Tariq Malik

NASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, seen here in a close-up view from the Perseverance rover, will attempt its first flight on April 19, 2021.

NASA may attempt 1st Mars helicopter flight on Monday

By Tariq Malik

The first helicopter on Mars is once again ready to attempt an historic flight on another world.

NASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity is seen on the surface of the Red Planet by the perseverance rover on April 5, 2021.

Teach your kids about NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity with a free webcast today

By Tariq Malik

NASA engineers will teach kids about the Mars helicopter Ingenuity in a live webcast today. Here's how to watch.

NASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity is seen on the surface of the Red Planet after being deployed by the Perseverance rover on April 4, 2021.

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity touches down on the Red Planet

By Tariq Malik

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity touched down Saturday (April 4) after being dropped by the Perseverance rover.

SpaceX's Starship SN11 rocket prototype is moved to its test stand at the company's facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on March 8, 2021.

SpaceX test fires Starship SN11 rocket prototype again ahead of next launch

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX test fired its latest Starship rocket prototype Friday morning (March 26) but did not attempt a launch from its fog-shrouded pad in South Texas.

All About Space magazine

Read a free issue of All About Space magazine!

By Tariq Malik

Created by space experts, our sister publication is the cutting-edge magazine that features the latest developments in space science, exploration and more

The asteroid 2001 FO32 is seen as it appeared on March 16, 2021 ahead of a close flyby on March 21 in this telescope image by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project.

The biggest asteroid to visit Earth in 2021 zooms by our planet unusually fast today

By Tariq Malik

The biggest asteroid to visit Earth this year will zoom by our planet today (March 21) and it's a real speed demon.

'Surviving Mars' is free on the Epic Games store right now

By Tariq Malik

"Surviving Mars" is a sleek strategy game that challenges you to build a city on the Red Planet and you can get it free this week from Epic Games.

SpaceX's Starship SN11 rocket prototype is moved to its test stand at the company's facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on March 8, 2021.

SpaceX moves Starship SN11 rocket prototype to its launch pad

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX's Starship SN11 prototype rolled out to its test stand Monday (March 8) at the company's facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas.

This high-resolution still image is part of a video taken by several cameras as NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. A camera aboard the descent stage captured this shot.

NASA will revel in Perseverance rover's 'firsts' on Mars today and you can follow it live

By Tariq Malik

NASA will show off the Perseverance rover's "firsts" on Mars in a teleconference today, March 5. Here's how to watch live.

SpaceX's Starship SN10 rocket prototype successfully launched on a 6.2-mile (10 kilometers) test flight and nailed its landing at the company's test site near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on March 3, 2021.

SpaceX's Starship SN10 prototype aborts first launch attempt. May try again today.

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX is preparing to launch its latest Starship prototype on a high-altitude test flight, possibly as early as today (March 3).

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, seen here in a still from a launch webcast, suffered a automatic launch abort just before an attempted liftoff carrying 60 Starlink internet satellites on Feb. 28, 2021.

SpaceX aborts launch of Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites

By Tariq Malik

A veteran SpaceX rocket suffered a launch abort just minutes before liftoff Sunday night (Feb. 28) while attempting to launch 60 Starlink internet satellites.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with NASA astronaut Victor Glover to celebrate his mission to the International Space Station in a February 2021 video call.

Vice President Kamala Harris calls NASA astronaut on International Space Station

By Tariq Malik

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a truly cosmic call to the International Space Station last week to celebrate the milestone spaceflight of NASA astronaut Victor Glover.

Members of NASA’s Perseverance rover team react in mission control after receiving confirmation the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

President Biden hails successful Mars landing of NASA's Perseverance rover

By Tariq Malik

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are hailing NASA for the Perseverance rover's Mars landing success.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60 Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida on Feb. 4, 2021.

SpaceX delays Starlink satellite fleet launch due to bad weather

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX postponed the launch of its next batch of Starlink internet satellites late Sunday (Feb. 14) due to bad weather.

A photo of Mars from NASA's Viking spacecraft, which launched in 1975.

The best (and worst) Mars landings of all time

By Space.com Staff, Tariq Malik

Take a look at some of the best and worst Red Planet landings of all time.

JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi captured this photo of Tampa, Florida, from the International Space Station.

The International Space Station will fly over Super Bowl 2021 stadium for the big game

By Tariq Malik

Astronauts on the International Space Station just might have the ultimate nosebleed seats for Super Bowl 2021.

A bluShift Aerospace Stardust 1.0 rocket launches on its first low-altitude test flight from a runway at the Loring Commerce Centre in Limestone, Maine on Jan. 31, 2021.

Startup bluShift Aerospace launches its 1st commercial biofuel rocket from Maine

By Tariq Malik

The low-altitude launch is the world's first rocket flight from Maine.

SpaceX's Starship SN10 prototype (left) rolls out to its test stand while the company's Starship SN9 stands on its own pad at the company's South Texas facility near Boca Chica Village on Jan. 29, 2021.

SpaceX has two Starship prototypes on the pad at the same time

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX has two Starship vehicles, SN9 and SN10, on the test pad at the same time at its South Texas facility, a first for the company.

A Rocket Lab Electron booster stands on the pad in New Zealand ahead of the planned Jan. 16 launch of the "Another Leaves the Crust" mission.

Rocket Lab calls off microsatellite launch due to sensor issue

By Tariq Malik

The small-satellite launch company Rocket Lab called off its first launch of 2021 from New Zealand Saturday (Jan. 16) due to some strange sensor readings ahead of liftoff.

The first Stardust low-altitude rocket by bluShift aerospace stands atop its launch rail on a decommissioned runway in Limestone, Maine for a planned Jan. 15, 2021 launch.

Space startup bluShift to launch its 1st biofuel rocket Friday. Here's how to watch live.

By Tariq Malik

The Brunswick, Maine-based space startup bluShift Aerospace will launch its first Stardust suborbital rocket prototype on Friday (Jan. 15), and you can watch the liftoff live online.

Five Expedition 64 astronauts on the International Space Station celebrate 2021 by ringing in the New Year with a zero gravity ball drop. They are (clockwise from top left): NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Shannon Walker.

Astronauts ring in new year from space with zero gravity ball drop for 2021

By Tariq Malik

Astronauts in space found a way to ring in 2021 on New Year's Eve in their own way: a ball drop in zero gravity.

A Soyuz rocket carrying the French military spy satellite CSO-2 launches from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on Dec. 29, 2020 in the final Arianespace flight of 2020.

Arianespace launches French military spy satellite on Soyuz rocket to cap 2020

By Tariq Malik

Arianespace launched a new reconnaissance satellite for the French military on Tuesday (Dec. 29), marking the launch provider's final mission of 2020.

Five members of the Expedition 64 crew send a Christmas message to Earth from the International Space Station to celebrate the 2020 holiday.

Astronauts on the International Space Station beam Christmas cheer to Earth

By Tariq Malik

Astronauts on the International Space Station are sending Christmas tidings to the people of Earth with a message of hope in a year challenged by a global pandemic.

SpaceX's Starship SN8 launches on its first high-altitude flight from the company's Boca Chica site in South Texas on Dec. 8, 2020.

Relive SpaceX's Starship SN8 test launch with this epic recap video

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX dropped an early Christmas present to space fans everywhere this week with an epic recap of its first high-altitude Starship test launch.

Santa Clause has made a special visit to the International Space Station to deliver presents for Christmas 2020.

NORAD tracks Santa Claus in cosmic trip to the International Space Station

By Tariq Malik

NORAD and AGI are tracking Santa's flyby of the International Space Station, which comes just in time for Christmas during the station's 20th anniversary year of crewed missions.