Latest articles by Tariq Malik
On this day in space! Sept. 9, 1982: The 1st private rocket, called Conestoga 1, launches from a Texas cattle ranch
On Sept. 9, 1982, the first private rocket, Conestoga 1, launched into space from a Texas cattle ranch. Here's why it mattered.
The best Black Friday deals 2026: telescopes, binoculars, cameras, Lego, streaming, drones and more
Deals We've scoured the net for the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on space-related gear, from telescopes to cameras and more.
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! Sept. 8, 2004: NASA's Genesis spacecraft crashed in the Utah desert, shattering its samples of solar wind particles from the sun
On Sept. 8, 2004, NASA's Genesis spacecraft crash-landed in Utah after its parachutes failed to deploy. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 7, 1995: NASA launches its 100th astronaut flight on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-69 mission
On Sept. 7, 1995, the space shuttle Endeavour launched on mission STS-69, NASA's 100th astronaut flight. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 6, 1947: The US Navy launches 1st V-2 rocket at sea in ballistic missile test
On Sept. 6, 1947, a V-2 rocket launched from an U.S. Navy aircraft carrier for the first time. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 5, 1977: NASA launches Voyager 1 on epic journey across the solar system
On Sept. 5, 1977, Voyager 1 began its epic journey through deep space with a glorious morning launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 4, 1962: NASA's Mariner 2 spacecrafts performs the 1st-ever maneuver in deep space so it could reach Venus
On Sept. 4, 1962, NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft performed the first-ever rocket maneuver in deep space as it did a quick mid-course correction on its way to Venus. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 3, 2006: Europe's SMART-1 spacecraft crashes into the moon in lunar death dive
On Sept. 3, 2006, a European satellite named SMART-1 crashed into the moon! Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 2, 2016: Rosetta spacecraft finds long-lost Philae lander on Comet 67P after 2-year search
On Sept. 2, 2016, the European Space Agency finally located Philae, its long-lost comet lander on the surface of the Comet 67P. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Sept. 1, 1979: NASA's Pioneer 11 probe becomes 1st spacecraft to visit Saturn
On Sept. 1, 1979, NASA's robotic space probe Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to fly by Saturn. Here's why it mattered.
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! Aug. 31, 1965: NASA's ginormous Super Guppy carrier plane takes 1st flight like a flying whale
On August 31, 1965, NASA's Super Guppy cargo plane took its first test flight. like a flying whale. Here's why it mattered for the space agency.
On this day in space! Aug. 30, 1992: Astronomers discover 1st Kuiper Belt object out beyond Pluto
On Aug. 30, 1992, astronomers spotted an object orbiting the sun beyond Pluto for the very first time. Here's why the discovery of 1992 QB-1 mattered.
What time will SpaceX launch NASA's Roman Space Telescope today? (Full mission timeline)
SpaceX will launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, atop a Falcon Heavy rocket on Aug. 30. Here's what time it flies.
On this day in space! Aug. 29, 1965: NASA's Gemini 5 breaks spaceflight duration record after 2 astronauts spent '8 days in a garbage can'
On Aug. 29, 1965, two NASA astronauts returned to Earth after spending eight days in space on the record-setting Gemini 5 mission, setting the stage for longer trips to the moon.
On this day in space! Aug. 28, 1993: Galileo spacecraft flies by asteroid Ida on the way to Jupiter only to find a tiny moon!
On Aug. 28, 1993, NASA's Galileo spacecraft flew by the asteroid Ida on its way to Jupiter. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 27, 1962: NASA launches Mariner 2 to Venus for ambitious flyby
On Aug. 27, 1962, NASA launched Mariner 2, the world's first spacecraft to successfully visit another planet: Venus.
On this day in space! Aug. 26, 1978: Sigmund Jähn becomes 1st German in space
On Aug. 26, 1978, cosmonaut and pilot Sigmund Jähn became the first German to fly in space. Here's why it mattered.
On this day in space! Aug. 25, 1997: NASA launches Advanced Composition Explorer to track solar wind and so much more
NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer, or ACE satellite, studies energetic particles traveling through space.
On this day in space! Aug. 10, 1972: A 'Great Daylight Fireball' lights up the sky over North America
On Aug. 10, 1972, an Earth-grazing fireball burst through the sky over North America. Here's what happened.
On this day in space! Aug. 9, 1976: Soviet Luna 24 sample return probe launches to the moon
On Aug. 9, 1976, the Soviet space program launched its last moon mission. Luna 24 was a robotic sample return mission and the third of its kind.
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.
