Tariq Malik

Tariq Malik

Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com based out of our New York City office and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. In June 2025, the National Space Society awarded him the Space Pioneer Award for Excellence in Mass Media at the International Space Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Hailing from Stockton, California (where he attended the same high school as NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez), Tariq studied print journalism and astronomy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1999 along with a minor in astronomy. He then served as a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra and Fullerton in Orange County for the Our Times sections.

In 2000, Tariq became the city reporter for the Huntington Beach Independent, a weekly publication of the Los Angeles Times, covering local politics and events, crime, business and environmental issues. He left the Los Angeles Times in 2001 to study science journalism at New York University, where he earned a master's degree in 2002 from NYU's Science and Environmental Reporting Program (now the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program) under the direction of space reporter William Burrows.

Tariq first joined Space.com as an intern in September 2001 while also serving as a research assistant for nutrition writer Gary Taubes and writing freelance projects, where his work appeared in The Scientist and Laboratory Equipment Magazine. He became a full-time reporter covering spaceflight in 2004, with this first launch being NASA's STS-114 Return to Flight mission in July 2005.

Tariq 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. When not writing about space, you can find Tariq watching the latest Star Trek TV series, sci-fi movies and reading about hippos, his favorite animal. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.

Latest articles by Tariq Malik

Polaris Dawn commander Jared Isaacman.

How to watch Jared Isaacman's NASA chief confirmation hearing in the Senate today

By Tariq Malik last updated

Trump officially nominated Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut to lead NASA, shortly after taking office.

Space Exploration
A world map with a satellite trajectory and point of impact marked above Australia in the Indian Ocean.

Indian experiment module falls from space and crashes into ocean, but it's all according to plan

By Tariq Malik published

India's POEM-4 experiment module burned up and fell into the Indian Ocean to avoid becoming space debris.

Satellites
The four private Fram2 astronauts inside their SpaceX Dragon capsule in their black and white spacesuits

SpaceX Fram2 1st polar astronaut mission updates

By Tariq Malik, Josh Dinner last updated

Find out the latest about SpaceX's private Fram2 polar astronaut mission for cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang.

Space Exploration
Billionaire Jared Isaacman will command the Polaris Dawn civilian astronaut mission on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in late 2022.

Jared Isaacman, Trump's pick for NASA chief, to get Senate confirmation hearing on April 9

By Tariq Malik published

Isaacman, a billionaire and private astronaut, has flown in space twice on SpaceX rockets and spacecraft.

Space Exploration
A view of the exhibit floor at the Northeast Astronomy Forum in 2019.

I'm going to a huge astronomy expo to see the latest telescope tech this weekend. I won't be alone.

By Tariq Malik published

Billed as the "World's Largest Astronomy & Space Expo," NEAF 2025 draws thousands of stargazers each year, with astronauts and exoplanet hunters speaking this year.

Stargazing
The four private Fram2 astronauts inside their SpaceX Dragon capsule in their black and white spacesuits

Cryptocurrency billionaire watches SpaceX rocket launch on the way to his own SpaceX rocket launch

By Tariq Malik published

Cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang and his Fram2 private astronaut crew got a two-for-one deal when they watched a rocket launch ahead of their own launch on March 31.

Launches & Spacecraft
A giant silver Starship rocket is stacked atop its giant booster atop a seaside launch pad for SpaceX's Flight 5. silver SpaceX Starship rocket as it is hoisted atop its booster.

NASA officially adds SpaceX's giant Starship megarocket to its launch roster

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX is building Starship as a full reusable heavy-lift rocket to fly astronauts to the moon and Mars.

Launches & Spacecraft
the northern lights dance over a snowy landscape with a small car in the foreground

Aurora alert: Giant 'hole' in sun and strong geomagnetic storm converge to supercharge northern lights this weekend

By Tariq Malik published

A huge sun eruption combines with speedy solar wind from a "coronal hole" for a weekend aurora show, experts predict.

Auroras
A view of Earth from space with streaks of light from storms and cities, with star streaks overhead.

Astronaut takes a mind-bending trip over Earth beneath star trails: Space photo of the day

By Tariq Malik published

NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured this stunning long-exposure view of Earth and stars from space at night from the International Space Station.

Space Exploration
A comet shines after sunset over a European Southern observatory in Chile

Space photo of the day: Brilliant comet shines at sunset over observatory in Chile

By Tariq Malik published

The stunning comet C/2024 G3 lights up the sunset sky over Chile's Very Large Telescope in this spectacular photo.

Space Exploration
A white and black SpaecX rocket with NASA and SpaceX logos on the side atop a launch pad

SpaceX Dragon meets sunrise at launch pad for Crew-10 flight | Space photo of the day March 11, 2025

By Tariq Malik published

The Dragon capsule will launch atop a SpaceX rocket to carry 4 astronauts to space on March 12.

Space Exploration
a black rocket lands on a barge at sea for Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab unveils plan to land Neutron rockets at sea, 1st launch in 2025

By Tariq Malik published

The new Neutron rocket includes a "hippo" mouth fairing that deploys upper stages by spitting them out from inside.

Missions
two legs of a moon lander jutting up with the earth half-lit overhead

Private Intuitive Machines moon lander declared dead after falling on its side in crater at the lunar south pole

By Tariq Malik last updated

For the second time in two years, a private Intuitive Machines lander fell over on the moon.

The moon
A giant silver and black rocket stands atop a black launch pad at dusk for flight 8

What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 8 launch today?

By Tariq Malik last updated

SpaceX is poised to launch Flight 8 of its Starship megarocket on Thursday (March 6). Here's how to watch the action live.

Launches & Spacecraft
President Donald J Trump addresses a joint session of Congress as Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) listen in the Capitol building's House chamber on Tuesday, March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The US will 'plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond,' Trump tells Congress

By Tariq Malik published

President Donald Trump told lawmakers that U.S. astronauts will one day carry the American flag to Mars and beyond during a speech before the joint session of Congress.

Space Exploration
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander captured this photo of the moon shortly after arriving in lunar orbit on Feb. 13, 2025.

'America First' on the moon? US must 'dominate' in space, acting NASA chief says during lunar landing

By Tariq Malik published

Acting NASA administrator made the comments just before Firefly Aerospace's private Blue Ghost 1 landed on the moon for the agency.

Space Exploration
A gold and black moon lander approaches the lunar surface with thrusters firing

What time will the private Blue Ghost probe land on the moon today? How to watch live. [Updated]

By Tariq Malik last updated

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost probe is expected to land no earlier than Sunday, March 2, 2025 in the wee hours before dawn. Here's what we know.

Private Spaceflight
a view of spacecraft attached to a spacex rocket, including odin asteroid probe, athena moon lander and more

'I think we all know that hope is fading.' Private Odin asteroid probe is tumbling in space

By Tariq Malik published

The company AstroForge is working to try and recover the asteroid probe before time runs out.

Private Spaceflight
Singer Katy Perry points with arms raised pointing to a crowd over a marching band

Katy Perry will launch to space with historic all-female crew on Blue Origin rocket

By Tariq Malik published

Perry and a celebrity female crew will launch on Blue Origin's NS-31 mission this spring.

Human Spaceflight
A computer with a large wifi logo sits atop a reflective surface. To the left, in the distance, a streak of light arches into the sky.

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites on new Falcon 9 rocket, aces nighttime landing (video)

By Tariq Malik, Josh Dinner published

A new SpaceX rocket launched a pristine batch of Starlink internet satellites into orbit late Wednesday (Feb. 26) in a dazzling nighttime liftoff.

Launches & Spacecraft
a spacecraft with a large gold hexagon on top in deep space

'It's extremely worrisome.' NASA's James Webb Space Telescope faces potential 20% budget cut just 4 years after launch

By Tariq Malik published

Such a dramatic cut to a flagship space telescope still in its prime will be felt across the mission's entire operations, affecting science.

James Webb Space Telescope
A white conical vessel with round window near the top stands surrounded by white scaffolding under a dark blue evning sky. Above, a giant, jelly-fish like plume trails a rocket launching through the sky.

SpaceX rocket launch spawns dazzling 'space jellyfish' in evening sky (photos)

By Tariq Malik published

If you saw something strange in the evening sky over California on Feb. 10, we can explain.

Launches & Spacecraft
A black and white SpaceX rocket launches with yellow flowers in the foreground.

SpaceX rocket launches 21 Starlink satellites into orbit, then lands at sea (video)

By Tariq Malik published

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 1:53 p.m. EST (1853 GMT), less than 24 hours after another Starlink flight from California.

Launches & Spacecraft
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket surrounded by its gantry

What time is Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket 'moon gravity' launch today? Here's how to watch live

By Tariq Malik last updated

Blue Origin's NS-29 New Shepard rocket is scheduled to launch Feb. 4 after a weeklong delay. Here's what to know

Launches & Spacecraft
mars appears dusty red with white patch at the bottom.

NASA pauses work by key space science groups amid Trump executive orders

By Tariq Malik published

The space agency's planetary science analysis groups must pause while NASA checks if they comply with Trump's orders.

Space Exploration
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