Latest articles by Tariq Malik
What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2026
Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2026.
On this day in space! Aug. 8, 1977: Soviet Union's Salyut 5 reconnaissance space station burns up in Earth's atmosphere
Salyut 5 was a Soviet space station and part of the highly-secretive Almaz military space station program.
On this day in space! Aug. 7, 1980: NASA's Viking 1 Mars orbiter shuts down 4 years into a 90-day mission
On Aug. 7, 1980, NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft orbiting Mars ended its epic and historic mission to the Red Planet. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 6, 2012: NASA lands huge Curiosity rover on Mars with a rocket-powered sky crane
On Aug. 6, 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover successfully touched down on the Martian surface in a way never attempted before: a rocket-powered sky crane. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 5, 2011: NASA's Juno spacecraft launches to Jupiter
On Aug. 5, 2011, NASA launched the Juno spacecraft on a mission to study Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 4, 2007: NASA launches Phoenix Mars lander to Red Planet
On Aug. 4, 2007, NASA launched its Phoenix Mars Lander on a mission to touch down in the Martian arctic for the first time. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 3, 2004: NASA launches MESSENGER spacecraft to orbit Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft aimed to orbit Mercury for the first time to hunt for clues of water on the tiny, innermost planet.
On this day in space! Aug. 2, 1971: Apollo 15 makes 1st-ever televised liftoff from the moon
On Aug. 2, 1971, a lunar liftoff was televised for the first time on NASA's Apollo 15 mission, one giant leap for live TV from the moon.
On this day in space! July 31, 1971: Apollo 15 astronauts drive on the moon for 1st time
On July 31, 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts drove on the moon for the first time. Here's how it happened and why it mattered.
On this day in space! July 30, 1610: Galileo sees Saturn's rings for the 1st time
On July 30, 1610, the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei became the first to observe rings around the planet Saturn. Here's why it matters centuries later.
Full moon calendar 2026: When to see the next full moon
Reference The full moon happens about once a month. Find out when.
On this day in space! July 29, 1982: Soviet Salyut 6 space station falls to Earth
On July 29, 1982, the Salyut 6 space station fell out of space and safely burned up in Earth's atmosphere along the way. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! July 28, 1851: The 1st photo of a total solar eclipse was taken by a Prussian daguerreotypist
On July 28, 1851, the first-ever photo of a total solar eclipse was recorded by a Prussian daguerreotypist named Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski. It changed solar astronomy.
On this day in space! July 27, 1962: The 1st zero-g cosmonaut training flight took off on a Soviet jetliner
On July 27, 1962, two Russian cosmonauts boarded a Soviet airliner and experienced weightlessness without going to space. Here's why it mattered.
SpaceX's Starship megarocket makes the 'softest splashdown' ever after launching next-gen Starlink satellites in Flight 13 test (video)
SpaceX launched Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, on a critical 13th test flight on July 24, a stunning test flight that notched big success and ended with a huge surprise.
SpaceX Starship Flight 13 launch updates: SpaceX 'over the moon' after Starship launch
Relive SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 test flight, including its launch, stunning views from space and surprising ending here.
What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 launch today? (Full mission timeline)
SpaceX will launch its next Starship, carrying the first V3 Starlink satellites, on the Flight 13 test mission today (July 24) after delays. Here's what time it flies.
This Week In Space LIVE: The Viking Mars landings 50 years later
Tune in today, July 24, at 1:30 p.m. ET for a LIVE This Week In Space taping to mark the 50th anniversary of the Viking landings on Mars.
America 250: From 1776 to the moon and beyond (A Space.com series)
As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, our Space.com team took a look back at American advances in space since 1776, and where we might be headed.
NASA is paying $30 million for a 1st-of-its-kind rescue mission to the aging Swift telescope before it falls from space. Is it worth it?
NASA's daring Swift Boost mission launches June 27 to save the nearly 22-year-old Swift observatory , which is being dragged out of space by Earth's atmosphere.
Space.com just launched an app! Get your inside scoop on space exploration
Our new Space.com app takes you out of this world, every day, for the latest space mission news, astronomical discoveries, night sky guides and more.
'No one thought it was going to be possible.' A space telescope is falling out of space. This is NASA's daring plan to save it. (video)
NASA's Swift space observatory is falling out of orbit. Can a commercial company build a spacecraft in nine months to save it?
SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch updates: Starship V3 Ship makes fiery splashdown in Indian Ocean as planned
SpaceX is now targeting a Friday, May 22, launch for its newest Starship design, the Starship V3 megarocket.
